Madison-A bill introduced by Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) allowing local law enforcement to assess and disable dangerous drones had a public hearing today in the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
Assembly Bill 629 allows a law enforcement officer to detect, identify, and track a drone in order to intercept, disable, or destroy the drone through lawful methods if the officer reasonably believes it poses a threat to the public.
It also creates a definition of a weaponized drone. Wisconsin state statute prohibits operation of a weaponized drone, but there is no current definition in state statute. Under the bill, “weaponized drone” means a drone that is equipped with a taser, firearm, flamethrower, chemical, or explosive device.
“I appreciate the support of Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson who testified today in support of the bill on behalf of the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police and the Waukesha Police Department,” Rep. Wichgers said. “I look forward to working with stakeholders in this area to make sure we are acting prudently with regards to federal law while making sure our first responders have the tools they need to protect the public from an imminent threat with this rapidly developing technology.”
The bill is co-authored in the Senate by Sen. Julian Bradley (R-New Berlin).
