Source: House Bill 685 – Documents | The Ohio Legislature
This bill would state regulation of airspace.
- The operator of a drone that causes a manned aircraft to take evasive action is subject to a prison term of 3 to 6 years.
- The operator of any illegally operated drone that collides with a manned aircraft would be subject to a large fine and a prison term of 7 to 11 years.
- All retail sellers of “drones” would be required to log the name and address of every purchaser.
- Bans the operations of “drones” about 400 feet within 2, 3 or 5 miles of airport facilities. Does not provide for exceeding 400 feet in order to avoid an obstacle. Does not provide exceptions for model airfields that may have pre-authorized, written agreements with local airports.
This bill has not made it through the committee process and since the FAA has established that the FAA has pre-emptive authority over airspace, this bill is probably going nowhere. The requirement for retailers to log all purchasers is superfluous as most drone operators are already required to register with the FAA.
It is useful to look at these proposals to understand the mindset of legislators, however.
