Currently, only nine states have specific laws prohibiting drones from operating near or over prisons. Those states include Arizona, Louisiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Nebraska seeks to be the next state to stop drone use over prisons. Nebraska lawmakers will consider a new bill later this year; the bill aims to regulate drone use. If the measure passes, Nebraska will join 40 other states with laws governing drones, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue said she introduced the bill to protect the public without overregulating drones, the kind of technology she said is critical to the state's economic growth. The Federal Aviation Administration already oversees drones, but Blood said the agency hadn't addressed all of the public safety concerns.