Senate bill aims to make it a federal offense to recklessly fly drones

A bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday that will make it a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to a year, for individuals who knowingly operate a drone within 2 miles of a fire, an airport or any other restricted airspace.

Introduced by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), the Safe Drone Act is one of a number of moves at the federal and state level that have been introduced in the wake of concerns about the risks from the reckless use of drones by enthusiasts, including dangers of possible collisions between rogue drones and traditional aircraft.

While introducing the bill, Boxer said that people flying drones recklessly have forced firefighters to suspend air operations out of concern for the safety of the pilots and people on the ground, referring, for example, to an incident in San Bernardino County in California earlier this year, when drones shooting videos disrupted firefighting operations.

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