BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1662 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 4, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair AB 1662 (Chau) - As Amended March 3, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Privacy and Consumer |Vote:|11 - 0 | |Committee: |Protection | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | |Transportation | |15 - 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill: AB 1662 Page 2 1)Requires the operator of any unmanned aircraft system (UAS) involved in an accident resulting in injury to an individual or damage to property to remain at the scene and provide their name and address along with valid identification to the victim and the police. 2)Makes a violation of the above a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. FISCAL EFFECT: Potential minor nonreimbursable costs to cities and counties for enforcement, offset to some extent by fine revenues. COMMENTS: 1)Purpose. According to the author, there is a need for clear rules to protect public safety as the use of drones increases, as they have the potential to cause personal injury and property damage if systems fail or operators use them irresponsibly. The author states that drones are just as capable as cars are of causing personal injury and property damage when they fall out of the sky or hover too close to people. 2)Related Legislation. AB 1680 (Rodriguez), pending in the Assembly, makes it a misdemeanor to operate a UAS in a way that interferes with first responders. AB 2724 (Gatto), pending in Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection, requires UAS makers to include with the UAS a copy of FAA safety regulations, and if the UAS is required to be AB 1662 Page 3 registered with the FAA, a notice of the registration requirement. Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081