BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 2569 89R16512 JRR-D By: Flores Criminal Justice 4/4/2025 As Filed AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT During the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, passed H.B. 912, which created Chapter 423 in the Texas Government Code. H.B. 912 was introduced in response to the rapid increase in drone usage, and established prohibitions, criminal penalties, and reporting requirements for law enforcement agencies (LEA). Since 2013, the technology and use of UAs has rapidly increased. The Department of Public Safety went from 35 reports in 2017 to now nearly 50,000 per year. The report is so large that computers used around the legislature have a difficult time opening the file. Further, making the physical copy is financially burdensome and time consuming. S.B. 2569 modernizes the reporting requirements by simply requiring LEAs to post their reports to their public facing website. As proposed, S.B. 2569 amends current law relating to the reporting requirement for certain law enforcement agencies regarding the agencies' use or operation of an unmanned aircraft. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 423.008(a), Government Code, as follows: (a) Requires each state law enforcement agency and each county or municipal law enforcement agency located in a county or municipality, as applicable, with a population greater than 150,000, that used or operated an unmanned aircraft during the preceding 24 months, not earlier than January 1 and not later than January 15 of each odd-numbered year, to post a report regarding the agency's use or operation of unmanned aircraft on the agency's publicly accessible Internet website or, if the agency does not have a publicly accessible Internet website, otherwise make the report available to the public. Deletes existing text requiring each state law enforcement agency and each county or municipal law enforcement agency located in a county or municipality, as applicable, with a population greater than 150,000, that used or operated an unmanned aircraft during the preceding 24 months, not earlier than January 1 and not later than January 15 of each odd-numbered year, to issue a written report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and each member of the legislature and to retain the report for public viewing and post the report on the law enforcement agency's publicly accessible Internet website, if one exists. Makes nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 2569
89R16512 JRR-D By: Flores
Criminal Justice
4/4/2025
As Filed
Senate Research Center
S.B. 2569
89R16512 JRR-D
By: Flores
Criminal Justice
4/4/2025
As Filed
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
During the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, passed H.B. 912, which created Chapter 423 in the Texas Government Code. H.B. 912 was introduced in response to the rapid increase in drone usage, and established prohibitions, criminal penalties, and reporting requirements for law enforcement agencies (LEA).
Since 2013, the technology and use of UAs has rapidly increased. The Department of Public Safety went from 35 reports in 2017 to now nearly 50,000 per year. The report is so large that computers used around the legislature have a difficult time opening the file. Further, making the physical copy is financially burdensome and time consuming.
S.B. 2569 modernizes the reporting requirements by simply requiring LEAs to post their reports to their public facing website.
As proposed, S.B. 2569 amends current law relating to the reporting requirement for certain law enforcement agencies regarding the agencies' use or operation of an unmanned aircraft.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 423.008(a), Government Code, as follows:
(a) Requires each state law enforcement agency and each county or municipal law enforcement agency located in a county or municipality, as applicable, with a population greater than 150,000, that used or operated an unmanned aircraft during the preceding 24 months, not earlier than January 1 and not later than January 15 of each odd-numbered year, to post a report regarding the agency's use or operation of unmanned aircraft on the agency's publicly accessible Internet website or, if the agency does not have a publicly accessible Internet website, otherwise make the report available to the public.
Deletes existing text requiring each state law enforcement agency and each county or municipal law enforcement agency located in a county or municipality, as applicable, with a population greater than 150,000, that used or operated an unmanned aircraft during the preceding 24 months, not earlier than January 1 and not later than January 15 of each odd-numbered year, to issue a written report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and each member of the legislature and to retain the report for public viewing and post the report on the law enforcement agency's publicly accessible Internet website, if one exists. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.