Drone bill soars through Georgia Senate

Georgia Senators unanimously passed legislation that would regulate the launching and landing of drones in the state.

House Bill 481, sponsored by House Transportation Committee Chairman Kevin Tanner, would prevent local governments from passing regulations regarding drone activity on top of state law.

Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a broader bill last year that, in addition to preventing local governments from regulating operation and testing of drones, would have banned weaponized drones, clarified privacy protections and limited the use of drones by law enforcement officials for gathering evidence in private places.

Deal expressed concern over “a layer of state regulation” that could have been invalidated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

With FAA state-level guidelines settled, Tanner is confident the bill will pass.

"The governor's office has signed off on the legislation, so they support it," Tanner told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The bill now lands on Deal’s desk.

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