A new bill introduced in the Michigan Legislature seeks to tighten guardrails on drones by creating a statewide drone registry designed to provide state agencies and law enforcement with better access to critical information and improve public safety.
The bipartisan package – dubbed the Securing Homeland & Infrastructure with Emerging Laws for Drones, or S.H.I.E.L.D. Michigan – is being led by Republican State Rep. William Bruck and aims to “establish a needed framework for drone use in Michigan.”
The proposal would establish a registry housed at the Michigan Department of Transportation to record drones operating in the state, while prohibiting operators from trespassing over private property without consent.
“Just like with any emerging technology, we have a responsibility as legislators to ensure there are proper guardrails in place to shield Michigan residents, sensitive infrastructure, law enforcement and corrections officers, and other things from reckless activity. That includes unauthorized surveillance or foreign threats,” Bruck said in a statement.
According to Michigan Republicans, Federal Aviation Administration data shows more than 1 million drones registered nationwide, with thousands in the air at any given moment.
They noted that while Michigan has taken steps to restrict drone use – such as a ban on drone-driven invasions of privacy under the state’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act – they believe “a more wholesale approach is needed.”
“The truth is, there is nothing protecting our state from nefarious drone activity,” Bruck said. “The public safety component is a big part of this. We are currently asking law enforcement personnel to fight with both hands tied behind their backs as they deal with this issue. We need to empower our officers by getting laws on the books and we need it now. This is the most comprehensive package of drone legislation anywhere in the country. It will be a true game changer.”
The bill would also expand law enforcement tools to counter unauthorized drone activity, require geofencing around sensitive sites, restrict flights near facilities such as power plants and prisons, and bar state and local entities from buying or using drones with components from “companies of concern” under federal standards.
According to Michigan House Republicans, the S.H.I.E.L.D. bill “will soon be formally read into the record upon introduction,” which will start the standard committee process and public hearings in the legislature.
