New Hampshire won’t be placing new regulations on drones any time soon.
The House and Senate passed competing bills this session that set state parameters on how and where people and the government can use drones, but lawmakers were unable to reach a compromise deal Thursday, and the legislation died.
The use of commercial drones across the country has skyrocketed in recent years, with officials estimating 1 million were sold last Christmas alone. The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates national airspace, recently began requiring owners register their drones. More than 400,000 have been put into the national database already. FAA rules forbid drones from flying in restricted airspace, mostly around airports, although some restrictions exist near high-profile locations such as the White House.
Lawmakers in New Hampshire have sought for years to regulate drone use in the state, in large part to protect privacy. Rep. Neal Kurk, a Weare Republican, has championed the cause. His latest proposal this year would have restricted people from flying drones less than 250 feet above private property without permission, required law enforcement to get a warrant before collecting evidence with a drone, and limited drone flights near state prisons, among other things.
But House and Senate members on a conference committee couldn’t agree on how to regulate businesses’ use of drones.
Republican Sen. Sharon Carson, chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the state guidelines were too restrictive for companies that rely on drones to survey property damage, document weddings or photograph homes for sale listings. The Senate version of the bill exempted most businesses from the state regulations and instead proposed they operate under FAA regulations.
Kurk said businesses should be held to the same standard as individual drone operators in the state.
“The concern is protecting government property, your home and your right to be free from people photographing you on your own property,” he said.
Without a resolution, the entire bill ultimately failed. But Kurk said another drone proposal will likely emerge next session.
(Allie Morris can be reached at 369-3307 or at amorris@cmonitor.com.)