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History
- Referred to codes
Companion bill
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Includes the possession of an unmanned aircraft containing a deadly weapon within the class C felony of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor David Buchwald
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to the possession of an unmanned aircraft containing a deadly weapon
Purpose
To make illegal the possession of an unmanned aircraft containing a deadly weapon within the class C felony of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
Summary of provisions
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 265.03 of the penal law is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:
(d) possesses an unmanned aircraft containing a deadly weapon as defined in subdivision twelve of section 10.00 of this chapter.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Existing law
None
Justification
During 2015, police departments from Texas to Connecticut have reported unmanned aircraft, commonly known as drones, armed with guns. The number of drones being used by individuals for private purposes is growing at a steady pace, and the retail prices of drones is actually dropping. There is currently no collection of information regarding drone ownership or operation. It is hard to determine how many drones are currently in private use. Since 2012, when private ownership and use of unmanned aircraft was federally approved, E-bay alone has sold more than half a million drones. It is likely that more than a million drones are privately owned and operated across the country.
In October of this year, a man was arrested for flying a drone into the state capitol in Albany. The potential threat of armed drones is clearly increasing, and existing New York State Law fails to address it.
The proposed legislation would include weaponized drones within the existing statute identifying and regulating deadly weapons in the NYS Penal Law.
Legislative history
None
Fiscal implications
To be determined
Local fiscal implications
To be determined
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.