Drone use by cops needs court OK, Philly Rep. proposes

Concerned about violations of privacy by drones, State Rep. Angel Cruz of Philadelphia is proposing that law-enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania get court approval for any unmanned aerial surveillance.

The bill, which has nine cosponsors, including Republicans and Democrats, is likely to be introduced next week, said Cruz, a Democrat.

The amendment to the state's criminal code, similar to one he first proposed a couple of years ago, would limit drone use to investigating serious crimes, where the penalty could be year or more in prison.

Although the bill doesn't address whether drones can be armed or owned by citizens or businesses - such as news organizations - lawmakers will address those issues, Cruz said.

He also wants to find out which law-enforcement agencies are already - and he says illegally - using drones in the state.

"We're going to work on all that once it hits the committee," he said.

The potential for drones to catch on in the United States got a boost last week, when the Federal Aviation Administration said it was seeking applications from states to open six drone testing sites.

Thirty states have reportedly expressed interest, but the FAA didn't immediately respond to questions about whether Pennsylvania and New Jersey were among them.

Concerns about drones have been expressed by legislators in a dozen states, as well as in Washington, D.C.

Overseas, the American military has used drones to great effectiveness, not just for surveillance but to kill alleged enemy combatants in the war on terror. The fear is that the potential uses for such devices in the United States could led to a variety of abuses and threats to civil liberties.

Last week, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to mandate that drones operating in the United States be unarmed and registered, used only for criminal surveillance, and subject to approval by the courts. It was introduced by Ted Poe, a Texas Republican, and Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat.

A federal law would not be enough to safeguard Pennsylvanians in all situations, Cruz said.

"We have to do our own laws in the state," he said.

It was too early to speculate about the chances of passage, he said.

The Association Press contributed to this report.