Minnesota Senate to vote on bill limiting use of drones

Legislation limiting the use of drones by law enforcement agencies is ready for a floor vote in the Minnesota Senate.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the bill Friday on a unanimous voice vote. Under the measure, police would need warrants to use an unmanned aerial vehicle for surveillance. There would be exceptions in some emergency circumstances.

Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, the bill's chief sponsor, said standards are needed for the use of drones.

"UAVs are substantial ability for law enforcement to simply watch us all the time doing whatever we do going about our daily lives or when we're attending public events and that sort of thing," Dibble said.

The bill would allow police to use drones without warrants in situations when life and safety is threatened, during disasters and in response to the threat of a terrorist attack.