California 2015-2016 Regular Session Status: To Executive

SB 271 — Unmanned aircraft systems.

Last action — Last day to consider Governors veto pursuant to Joint Rule 58.5.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2015-2016 Regular Session. It reached “To Executive” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Existing federal law, the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, provides for the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, into the national airspace system by September 30, 2015. Existing federal law requires the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to develop and implement operational and certification requirements for the operation of public unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace system by December 31, 2015. Existing law provides that a person who comes into any school building or upon any school ground, or adjacent street, sidewalk, or public way, whose presence or acts interfere with or disrupt a school activity, without lawful business, or who remains after having been asked to leave, as specified, is guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law also makes it a crime to possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a public or private school providing instruction in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, or to possess specified knives or blades on the grounds of those schools. This bill would, unless authorized by federal law, make it an infraction to knowingly and intentionally operate an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system on the grounds of, or less than 350 feet above ground level within the airspace overlaying, a public school providing instruction in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, during school hours and without the written permission of the school principal or higher authority, or his or her designee, or equivalent school authority. The bill would also, unless authorized by federal law, make it an infraction to knowingly and intentionally use an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system to capture images of public school grounds providing instruction in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, during school hours and without the written permission of the school principal or higher authority, or his or her designee, or equivalent school authority. The bill would define school hours for its purposes as during any school session, extracurricular activity, or event sponsored by or participated in by the school, and the one-hour periods immediately preceding and following any session, activity, or event. The bill would provide for a warning for a first violation and a fine of no more than $200 for each subsequent violation. The bill would exempt from its provisions any publisher, editor, reporter, or other specified persons, unless the principal or the principal's designee has requested that the person cease the operation of the unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system on the basis that the operation of the unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system would be disruptive of, or interfere with, classes of the public school program. The bill would also exempt law enforcement from its provisions. The bill would exempt from its provisions any entity for which the Federal Aviation Administration has authorized the use of an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system if that unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system is operated in accordance with the terms and conditions of that authorization. By creating new crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Last day to consider Governors veto pursuant to Joint Rule 58.5.

  2. In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

  3. Vetoed by the Governor.

  4. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

  5. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2496.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  6. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 2845.) Ordered to the Senate.

  8. Ordered to third reading.

  9. Read third time and amended.

  10. Ordered to third reading.

  11. From consent calendar on motion of Assembly Member Cristina Garcia.

  12. Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  13. From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (August 19).

  14. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  15. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  16. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  17. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

  18. June 9 hearing postponed by committee.

  19. Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and ED.

  20. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  21. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 929.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  22. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  23. From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

  24. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  25. Set for hearing May 4.

  26. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  27. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 594.) (April 14).

  28. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  29. Set for hearing April 14.

  30. Referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  31. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.

  32. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 120 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

  • Gatto

Not signed on (120)

120 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 120 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Unfinished Business SB271 Gaines Concurrence

Passed 40 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 37000
Democratic 3000
Total 40000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Bates — Yea
Block — Yea
Leyva — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Vidak — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Fuller — Yea
Hill — Yea
De León — Yea
Runner — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Hall — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Beall — Yea
Hertzberg — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Huff — Yea
Leno — Yea
Liu — Yea
Monning — Yea
Moorlach — Yea
Morrell — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Roth — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Lara — Yea
Allen — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Anderson — Yea
Pan — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

SB 271 Gaines Senate Third Reading By GATTO

Passed 80 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 71000
Democratic 4000
Republican 5000
Total 80000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Achadjian — Yea
Alejo — Yea
Baker — Yea
Bigelow — Yea
Brough — Yea
Brown — Yea
Harper — Yea
Kim — Yea
Low — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Mathis — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Nazarian — Yea
Obernolte — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Steinorth — Yea
Wagner — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Cooper — Yea
Burke — Yea
Chang — Yea
Salas — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Chau — Yea
Chiu — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Chu — Yea
Chávez — Yea
Cooley — Yea
Dababneh — Yea
Levine — Yea
Linder — Yea
Mayes — Yea
Melendez — Yea
O'Donnell — Yea
Olsen — Yea
Perea — Yea
Ridley-Thomas — Yea
Rodriguez — Yea
Thurmond — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Weber — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Williams — Yea
Gray — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Lopez — Yea
Holden — Yea
Campos — Yea
Medina — Yea
Bloom — Yea
Daly — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Mullin — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Ting — Yea
Wood — Yea
Frazier — Yea
Gomez — Yea
Hadley — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Cristina Garcia — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Yea
Lorena Gonzalez — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea
Travis Allen — Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass. To Consent Calendar.

Passed 17 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 13000
Democratic 2000
Republican 2000
Total 17000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (17)
Member Party Vote
Bigelow — Yea
Bloom — Yea
Holden — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Wagner — Yea
Weber — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Gomez — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Chang — Yea
Daly — Yea
Wood — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

3rd Reading

Passed 37 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 34002
Democratic 3000
Total 37002
% of votes cast 95%0%0%5%
How each member voted (39)
Member Party Vote
Anderson — Yea
Block — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Hill — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Leyva — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Vidak — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Allen — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
De León — Yea
Runner — Yea
Bates — Yea
Hertzberg — Yea
Lara — Yea
Leno — Yea
Moorlach — Yea
Morrell — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Pan — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Fuller — Not Voting
Hancock — Yea
Huff — Yea
Beall — Yea
Liu — Not Voting
Monning — Yea
Roth — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Hall — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety education technology
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 271 do?
Existing federal law, the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, provides for the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, into the national airspace system by September 30, 2015. Existing federal law requires the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to develop and implement operational and certification requirements for the operation of public unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace system by December 31, 2015. Existing law provides that a person who comes into any school building or upon any school ground, or adjacent street, sidewalk, or public way, whose presence or acts interfere with or disrupt a school activity, without lawful business, or who remains after having been asked to leave, as specified, is guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law also makes it a crime to possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a public or private school providing instruction in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, or to possess specified knives or blades on the grounds of those schools. This bill would, unless authorized by federal law, make it an infraction to knowingly and intentionally operate an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system on the grounds of, or less than 350 feet above ground level within the airspace overlaying, a public school providing instruction in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, during school hours and without the written permission of the school principal or higher authority, or his or her designee, or equivalent school authority. The bill would also, unless authorized by federal law, make it an infraction to knowingly and intentionally use an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system to capture images of public school grounds providing instruction in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, during school hours and without the written permission of the school principal or higher authority, or his or her designee, or equivalent school authority. The bill would define school hours for its purposes as during any school session, extracurricular activity, or event sponsored by or participated in by the school, and the one-hour periods immediately preceding and following any session, activity, or event. The bill would provide for a warning for a first violation and a fine of no more than $200 for each subsequent violation. The bill would exempt from its provisions any publisher, editor, reporter, or other specified persons, unless the principal or the principal's designee has requested that the person cease the operation of the unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system on the basis that the operation of the unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system would be disruptive of, or interfere with, classes of the public school program. The bill would also exempt law enforcement from its provisions. The bill would exempt from its provisions any entity for which the Federal Aviation Administration has authorized the use of an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system if that unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system is operated in accordance with the terms and conditions of that authorization. By creating new crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Who sponsors SB 271?
SB 271 is sponsored by Gatto and Beth Gaines.
What is the current status of SB 271?
This bill died with 2015-2016 Regular Session. It reached “To Executive” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 271?
Track SB 271 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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