Louisiana has become the first state to allow law enforcement to intercept and disable drones posing threats to public safety. Gov. Jeff Landry signed the groundbreaking “We Will Act” Act into law on Wednesday, June 18.
Well this is certainly odd timing… 😅
HB261 by Rep. Jack “Jay” Gallé Jr., R-District 104 (St. Tammany Parish) grants specially trained officers the authority to use both kinetic and non-kinetic methods to neutralize drones operating unlawfully near sensitive areas like schools and public events.
??? What that means??
“This law puts Louisiana on the front lines of drone defense,” Gov. Landry said. “We are taking bold steps now to protect our people and our skies before tragedy strikes.”
Violators face strict penalties, including fines up to $5,000, up to one year in jail, and mandatory forfeiture of the drone. The legislation comes amid growing concerns over unauthorized drone activities near sensitive locations.
Gov. Landry noted this move places Louisiana at the forefront of state-level drone policy, setting a precedent that may influence future legislation across the country.
This weird video of Landry signing the bill specifically mentions Louisiana’s nuclear power facilities, then Landry tries to make light of everything by saying “They tell me the president is getting ready to do an executive order on some of this stuff… I didn’t say that.”
… This is fine.
With the federal government gutting funding of it’s own agencies, we may see more of this.
Federal laws are effective if they’re effectively enforced. If states lose confidence in federal enforcement, it makes sense that they will try to do their own thing, and see if the federal courts are understaffed and lethargic or able to act.
And if the federal government succeeds in using AI instead of human staff, then all each state will need to do is pass the same law a few different times with slightly different wording to hit the right gap in the AI.
There’s interesting times ahead.