02/28/2014 01:30 PM Senate JUDICIARY

                SB 136-UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:35:37 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  COGHILL announced  the consideration  of SB  136. "An  Act                                                               
relating  to unmanned  aircraft systems;  and relating  to images                                                               
captured  by an  unmanned aircraft  system."This  was the  first                                                               
hearing                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DONALD  OLSON, Alaska State Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,                                                               
speaking  as sponsor  said that  SB  136 comes  with a  companion                                                               
resolution to  extend the  duties and  length of  the Legislative                                                               
Task Force  on Unmanned Aircraft  Systems (UAS) to  coincide with                                                               
the FAA test  site period for UAS in Alaska.  He deferred further                                                               
introduction to Joy Demmert.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:36:07 PM                                                                                                                    
JOY DEMMERT,  First Alaskans Institute  Fellow placed  in Senator                                                               
Donny Olson's office,  introduced SB 136. She  explained that the                                                               
Legislative Task  Force on Unmanned  Aircraft Systems,  which was                                                               
created last  session, met several  times during the  Interim and                                                               
discussed  privacy   protections  of  the  citizens   of  Alaska,                                                               
economic development,  and public  safety issues. The  task force                                                               
also concluded that  the FAA is adequately  addressing the safety                                                               
concerns  of  integrating  unmanned   aircraft  into  a  national                                                               
aerospace system.  It is  also noteworthy  that the  FAA recently                                                               
announced that the University of  Alaska has been selected as one                                                               
of six public entities nationwide  that will develop UAS research                                                               
and test sites.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. DEMMERT reviewed the bill sections as follows:                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1 allows the University of Alaska the ability                                                                      
       to establish an unmanned aircraft system training                                                                        
     program.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2 has several subsections that pertain to law                                                                      
     enforcement's use of the unmanned aircraft systems. It                                                                     
     addresses the retention of images  by a law enforcement                                                                    
     agency and  the images  retained are subject  to public                                                                    
     record disclosure and confidentiality  laws found in AS                                                                    
     40.25.  It  addresses  the  use  of  unmanned  aircraft                                                                    
     systems  used   to  gather   evidence  in   a  criminal                                                                    
     investigation. This can only  be done under the express                                                                    
     terms  of a  search  warrant or  in  accordance with  a                                                                    
     judicially   recognized   exception  to   the   warrant                                                                    
     requirement  in AS  12.35. Section  2 further  requires                                                                    
     law enforcement  agencies to  adopt procedures  for use                                                                    
     of  unmanned aircraft  systems. These  procedures must,                                                                    
     at minimum,  obtain permission from the  FAA to operate                                                                    
     the  unmanned  aircraft   system,  allow  the  unmanned                                                                    
     aircraft  system only  to be  operated  by trained  and                                                                    
     certified  pilots  and  crewmembers, have  an  approved                                                                    
     flight plan by the  chief administrative officer of the                                                                    
     law enforcement  agency, ensure that the  flight is for                                                                    
     a  public  purpose,  maintain records  of  the  flight,                                                                    
     establish  a  method  of notifying  the  public  unless                                                                    
     notifying  the public  would endanger  the safety  of a                                                                    
     person, and  the procedures must provide  for community                                                                    
     involvement in the development of policies.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Sections   3  and   4   prohibit  municipalities   from                                                                    
     releasing images in a  manner inconsistent with Section                                                                    
     2.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:39:25 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COGHILL thanked Ms. Demmert and stated he would hold SB
 for further consideration.