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Indybay Feature

The Word "Drone" Has Become Synonymous With "Democrat"

by Cris Ericson (indyvt [at] aceweb.com)
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin is planning to terrorize Vermont citizens with Drones aimed at spying on them!
Because Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin is the
Chair of the National Democratic Governors Association,
this will set a dangerous precedent nationwide
depriving us of our U.S. Constitutional rights to privacy!
animal_foot_prints_in_snow.jpg
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin
is planning to terrorize Vermont citizens with
Drones aimed at spying on them!

Because Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin is the
Chair of the National Democratic Governors Association,
this will set a dangerous precedent nationwide
depriving us of our U.S. Constitutional rights to privacy!

The word "Drone" has become synonymous with
"Democrat"! Just think of Hillary Clinton advocating
Drone attacks world wide, and how many innocent
children were killed because of her!

http://www.democrats.org/about/bio/vermont_gov_peter_shumlin
Democratic Governors Association Chair. Gov. Peter Shumlin

* * * * * * * * * * NEW VERMONT DRONE BILL * * * * * * * * * * *

http://leg.state.vt.us/database/search/results.cfm
The Vermont Legislative
Bill Tracking System
Sponsor/Keyword Search Results
2013 - 2014 Legislative Session

Keyword: drone

Bill Title Act No.
H.0540 An act relating to regulating the use of drones
S.0169 An act relating to regulating the use of drones

http://leg.state.vt.us/docs/2014/bills/Intro/H-540.pdf

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.540
2013 Page 1 of 6
VT LEG #289018 v.1
H.540
Introduced by Representatives Christie of Hartford, Burditt of West Rutland,
Deen of Westminster, Donahue of Northfield, Lippert of
Hinesburg, Pearson of Burlington, Scheuermann of Stowe,
Sweaney of Windsor, Botzow of Pownal, Brennan of
Colchester, Campion of Bennington, Conquest of Newbury,
Cupoli of Rutland City, Fisher of Lincoln, Kilmartin of
Newport City, Koch of Barre Town, Komline of Dorset, Marek
of Newfane, Martin of Springfield, Peltz of Woodbury, Ram of
Burlington, Spengler of Colchester, Townsend of South
Burlington, Wilson of Manchester, and Zagar of Barnard

Subject: Public safety; drones

Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish
regulations for the use of drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles.
The
bill proposes to permit a law enforcement agency to use a drone only if the
agency obtains a warrant or if emergency circumstances exist.

An act relating to regulating the use of drones

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.540

2013 Page 3 of 6
VT LEG #289018 v.1

(b) A law enforcement agency may use a drone and may disclose or receive
information acquired through the operation of a drone if the drone is operated
under:
(1) a warrant obtained pursuant to Rule 41 of the Vermont Rules of
Criminal Procedure; or
(2) emergency circumstances pursuant to section 4623 of this title.
(c)(1) When a drone is used pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the
drone shall be operated in a manner to collect data only on the target of the
surveillance and to avoid data collection on any other person, home, or area.
(2) If a drone used pursuant to subsection (b) of this section collects data
on any person, home, or area other than the target of the surveillance, the data:
(A) shall not be used, copied, or disclosed for any purpose; and
(B) shall be deleted as soon as possible and in no event later than
24 hours after the data were collected.
(3) Facial recognition or any other biometric matching technology shall
not be used on any data that a drone collects on any person, home, or area
other than the target of the surveillance.
(d) Information or evidence gathered in violation of this section shall be
inadmissible in any judicial or administrative proceeding.
(e) Drones shall not be equipped with weapons.
BILL AS INTRODUCED H.540
2013 Page 4 of 6
VT LEG #289018 v.1
§ 4623. USE OF DRONES IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
(a) A law enforcement agency may use a drone and may disclose or receive
information acquired through the operation of a drone if:
(1) an emergency situation exists in which it is reasonable to believe
there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to any person; and
(2) the law enforcement agency obtains a search warrant for the use of
the drone within 48 hours after the use commenced.
(b) If the court denies an application for a warrant filed pursuant to
subdivision (a)(2) of this section:
(1) use of the drone shall immediately cease; and
(2) information or evidence gathered through use of the drone shall be
inadmissible in any judicial or administrative proceeding.
(c) If a law enforcement agency using a drone in an emergency situation
pursuant to this section obtains the information sought, the agency shall
immediately cease use of the drone.
§ 4624. NONLAW-ENFORCEMENT USE OF DRONES
Any use of drones by any person other than a law enforcement agency shall
comply with all Federal Aviation Administration requirements and guidelines.
§ 4625. REPORTS
(a) On or before September 1 of each year, any law enforcement agency
that has used a drone within the previous 12 months shall report the following
BILL AS INTRODUCED H.540
2013 Page 5 of 6
VT LEG #289018 v.1
information to the Department of Public Safety:
(1) The number of times the agency used a drone within the previous
12 months. For each use of a drone the agency shall report the type of incident
involved, the nature of the information collected, and the rationale for
deployment of the drone.
(2) The number of criminal investigations aided and arrests made
through use of information gained by the use of drones within the previous
12 months, including a description of how the drone aided each investigation
or arrest.
(3) The number of times a drone collected data on any person, home, or
area other than the target of the surveillance within the previous 12 months and
the type of data collected in each instance.
(4) The cost of the agency’s unmanned aerial vehicle program and the
program’s source of funding.
(b) On or before December 1 of each year, the Department of Public Safety
shall report the information collected under subsection (a) of this section to the
House and Senate Committees on Judiciary and on Government Operations.
(c) On or before December 1 of each year, the Administrative Judge shall
report to the House and Senate Committees on Judiciary and on Government
Operations on the application for and issuance of warrants for the use of drones
during the previous 12 months. The report shall include:
BILL AS INTRODUCED H.540
2013 Page 6 of 6
VT LEG #289018 v.1
(1) the number of applications for warrants authorizing the use of drones
during the previous 12 months and the number of applications for warrants
granted and denied, including any extensions applied for, granted, or denied;
(2) the period of time for which drone use was authorized by each
warrant, including any extensions;
(3) the alleged criminal conduct that was the subject of the warrant; and
(4) the law enforcement agency that applied for the warrant; and
(5) the number of convictions obtained in cases where information was
gained by the use of drones within the previous 12 months and the offenses for
which the convictions were obtained.
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
This act shall take effect on passage.


by Mike Novack
You interpret that bill as being PERMISSIVE with regard to drones?

Are you suggesting that they should not consider a bill like that RESTRICTING the use of drones? In the absence of a law like that the police might be able to use drones whenever they damned well pleased and for whatever purpose they pleased. My reading of that is bill is that it would prevent them from doing so.
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