Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1504 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2	2	TNL114 02/17/2025 1:21:17 PM TNL114
3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1504 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Representative S. Meeks 5
8	8	By: Senator M. Johnson 6
9	9	7
10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF MANUFACTURING, 9
12	12	MODIFYING, SELLING, TRANSFERRING, OR OPERATING A 10
13	13	ROBOTIC DEVICE OR AN UNCREWED AIRCRAFT THAT IS 11
14	14	EQUIPPED OR MOUNTED WITH A WEAPON; AND FOR OTHER 12
15	15	PURPOSES. 13
16	16	14
17	17	15
18	18	Subtitle 16
19	19	TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF MANUFACTURING, 17
20	20	MODIFYING, SELLING, TRANSFERRING, OR 18
21	21	OPERATING A ROBOTIC DEVICE OR AN 19
22	22	UNCREWED AIRCRAFT THAT IS EQUIPPED OR 20
23	23	MOUNTED WITH A WEAPON. 21
24	24	22
25	25	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 23
26	26	24
27	27	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 5, Subtitle 6, is amended to add an 25
28	28	additional chapter to read as follows: 26
29	29	Chapter 80 — Robotic Devices and Uncrewed Aircraft 27
30	30	28
31	31	5-80-101. Definitions. 29
32	32	As used in this chapter: 30
33	33	(1) "Robotic device" means a mechanical device that: 31
34	34	(A) Is capable of locomotion, navigation, or movement on 32
35	35	the ground; and 33
36	36	(B) Operates at a distance from its operator based on 34
37	37	commands or in response to sensor data or a combination of commands and 35
38	38	response to sensor data; 36 HB1504
39	39
40	40	2 02/17/2025 1:21:17 PM TNL114
41	41	(2) "Uncrewed aircraft" means an aircraft, as defined by § 5 -75-1
42	42	101, that is operated without the possibility of direct human operation or 2
43	43	intervention from within or on the aircraft; and 3
44	44	(3) "Weapon" means a device that is designed to threaten or 4
45	45	cause death, incapacitation, or physical injury to a person, including 5
46	46	without limitation: 6
47	47	(A) A stun gun; 7
48	48	(B) A firearm; 8
49	49	(C) A machine gun; 9
50	50	(D) A chemical agent or irritant; 10
51	51	(E) A kinetic impact projectile; 11
52	52	(F) A weaponized laser; and 12
53	53	(G) An explosive device. 13
54	54	14
55	55	5-80-102. Unlawful acts. 15
56	56	(a) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to manufacture, modify, 16
57	57	sell, transfer, or operate a robotic device equipped or mounted with a weapon 17
58	58	or an uncrewed aircraft equipped or mounted with a weapon. 18
59	59	(b) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to use a robotic device or 19
60	60	an uncrewed aircraft to: 20
61	61	(1) Commit the offense of terroristic threatening under § 5 -13-21
62	62	301 et seq.; or 22
63	63	(2) Commit the offense of harassment under § 5 -71-208. 23
64	64	(c) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to use a robotic device or 24
65	65	an uncrewed aircraft to physically restrain or to attempt to physically 25
66	66	restrain a human being. 26
67	67	(d) A person who commits an offense under this section is guilty of a 27
68	68	violation and upon conviction shall be fined in a sum of not less than five 28
69	69	thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than twenty -five thousand dollars 29
70	70	($25,000). 30
71	71	(e) A person who knowingly uses or directs a robotic device equipped 31
72	72	or mounted with a weapon or an uncrewed aircraft equipped or mounted with a 32
73	73	weapon to commit or facilitate the commission of another offense shall be 33
74	74	held criminally liable for that offense as if the person had personally 34
75	75	committed the act. 35
76	76	36 HB1504
77	77
78	78	3 02/17/2025 1:21:17 PM TNL114
79	79	5-80-103. Exceptions. 1
80	80	(a) This chapter shall not apply to: 2
81	81	(1) A defense industrial company that is under contract with the 3
82	82	United States Department of Defense with respect to robotic devices and 4
83	83	uncrewed aircraft being developed or produced under that contract; 5
84	84	(2) A defense industrial company that obtains a waiver from the 6
85	85	Attorney General regarding robotic devices and uncrewed aircraft; or 7
86	86	(3) A robotics company that obtains a waiver from the Attorney 8
87	87	General for the purpose of testing anti -weaponization technologies with 9
88	88	respect to robotic devices and uncrewed aircraft. 10
89	89	(b) It shall not be a violation of this chapter for an individual 11
90	90	employed by the United States Government, the state, or an accredited bomb 12
91	91	squad who is acting in the public performance of his or her duties to operate 13
92	92	a robotic device that is equipped or mounted with a weapon or an uncrewed 14
93	93	aircraft that is equipped or mounted with a weapon if the individual employed 15
94	94	by the United States Government, the state, or an accredited bomb squad is 16
95	95	doing so for the purpose of: 17
96	96	(1) Disposing of explosives or suspected explosives; 18
97	97	(2) Developing, evaluating, testing, providing education on, or 19
98	98	providing training on a robotic device or an uncrewed aircraft for the 20
99	99	purpose of disposing of explosives or suspected explosives; or 21
100	100	(3) Destroying property in cases where there is an imminent, 22
101	101	deadly threat to human life. 23
102	102	24
103	103	5-80-104. Law enforcement — Duties. 25
104	104	A law enforcement agency shall obtain a warrant or other legally 26
105	105	required judicial authorization before the law enforcement agency may: 27
106	106	(1) Deploy a robotic device onto private property in a situation 28
107	107	in which a warrant or other legally required judicial authorization would be 29
108	108	required if the entry onto the private property were made by a human law 30
109	109	enforcement officer; or 31
110	110	(2) Deploy a robotic device to conduct surveillance or location 32
111	111	tracking in a situation in which a warrant or other legally required judicial 33
112	112	authorization would be required if the surveillance or location tracking were 34
113	113	conducted by a human law enforcement officer or a form of technology. 35
114	114	36 HB1504
115	115
116	116	4 02/17/2025 1:21:17 PM TNL114
117	117	SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 16, Chapter 118 is amended to add an 1
118	118	additional section to read as follows: 2
119	119	16-118-119. Civil action for unlawful use of robotic device or 3
120	120	uncrewed aircraft. 4
121	121	(a) The Attorney General may bring an action against a person who is 5
122	122	suspected of violating this chapter. 6
123	123	(b)(1) A person whose property or person is injured by reason of a 7
124	124	violation of § 5-80-101 et seq. or rules promulgated pursuant to § 5 -80-101 8
125	125	et seq. may sue for the injury and recover for any damages sustained and the 9
126	126	costs of the suit. 10
127	127	(2) A civil action brought under subdivision (b)(1) of this 11
128	128	section shall be brought against the government agency alleged to have 12
129	129	violated this chapter, or, in the case of an individual, to the person 13
130	130	alleged to have violated this chapter. 14
131	131	(3) In a civil action in which the plaintiff prevails, a court 15
132	132	may award: 16
133	133	(A) Liquidated damages of not less than five hundred 17
134	134	dollars ($500) nor more than two thousand dollars ($2,000); 18
135	135	(B) Punitive damages; or 19
136	136	(C) Any other relief that the court deems appropriate, 20
137	137	including without limitation injunctive relief. 21
138	138	(4) In a civil action in which the plaintiff prevails, a court 22
139	139	shall award reasonable attorney's fees and costs. 23
140	140	24
141	141	25
142	142	26
143	143	27
144	144	28
145	145	29
146	146	30
147	147	31
148	148	32
149	149	33
150	150	34
151	151	35
152	152	36