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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
A-Engrossed
Senate Bill 1125
Ordered by the Senate March 28
Including Senate Amendments dated March 28
Sponsored by COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability standards.
Digest: The Act makes it a worse crime to use a drone to meddle in a wildfire emergency.
The Act says that it is a crime to cause death or serious injury by using a drone to meddle
in an emergency. (Flesch Readability Score: 72.3).
[Digest: The Act says that it is a crime to cause death or serious injury by using a drone to meddle
in an emergency. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.7).]
Increases the penalties for using an unmanned aircraft system to interfere with a
wildfire suppression effort.
Modifies the felony of causing death or serious physical injury using an unmanned aircraft sys-
tem to include causing death or serious physical injury by causing an unmanned aircraft system to
interfere with a wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response effort.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to unmanned aircraft systems; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 837.374.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. ORS 837.374 is amended to read:
837.374. (1) Except as provided in subsection [(3)] (5) of this section, A person commits a Class
A violation if the person possesses or controls an unmanned aircraft system and recklessly causes
the unmanned aircraft system to:
(a) Direct a laser at an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air;
(b) Crash into an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air;
(c) Prevent the takeoff or landing of an aircraft; or
(d) Interfere with a [wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response effort] law
enforcement effort or an emergency response effort that is not for wildfire suppression .
(2) Except as provided in subsection [(3)](5) of this section, a person commits a Class A
misdemeanor if the person possesses or controls an unmanned aircraft system and knowingly or in-
tentionally causes the unmanned aircraft system to:
(a) Direct a laser at an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air;
(b) Crash into an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air;
(c) Prevent the takeoff or landing of an aircraft; or
(d) Interfere with a [wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response effort] law
enforcement effort or an emergency response effort that is not for wildfire suppression .
(3) Except as provided in subsections (4) and (5) of this section, a person commits a Class
C felony if the person possesses or controls an unmanned aircraft system and knowingly,
intentionally or recklessly causes the unmanned aircraft system to interfere with an emer-
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 4553 A-Eng. SB 1125
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gency response effort for wildfire suppression.
(4) A person commits a Class B felony if the person possesses or controls an unmanned
aircraft system and knowingly, intentionally or recklessly causes property damage by caus-
ing the unmanned aircraft system to interfere with an emergency response effort for wildfire
suppression.
[(3)] (5) A person commits a Class A felony if the person possesses or controls an unmanned
aircraft system and knowingly, intentionally or recklessly causes death or serious physical injury,
as defined in ORS 161.015, to another person by causing the unmanned aircraft system to:
(a) Direct a laser at an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air;
(b) Crash into an aircraft while the aircraft is in the air; [or]
(c) Prevent the takeoff or landing of an aircraft[.]; or
(d) Interfere with a law enforcement, emergency response or wildfire suppression effort.
[(4)] (6) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a person commits a Class A misdemeanor
if the person violates subsection (1) of this section and the person has one or more convictions under
subsection (1) of this section at the time of the offense.
[(5)] (7) In addition to and not in lieu of any other sentence the court may impose, upon a
person’s second or subsequent conviction under this section, the court shall, at the time of sen-
tencing, declare the unmanned aircraft system used in the offense to be contraband and order that
the unmanned aircraft system be forfeited.
SECTION 2. The amendments to ORS 837.374 by section 1 of this 2025 Act apply to con-
duct occurring on or after the effective date of this 2025 Act.
[2]