Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB3010 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Parker S.B. No. 3010
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	7	AN ACT
8	8	relating to certain images captured by an unmanned aircraft for
9	9	purposes of news-gathering.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 423.002(a), Government Code, is amended to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	(a) It is lawful to capture an image using an unmanned
14	14	aircraft in this state:
15	15	(1) for the purpose of professional or scholarly
16	16	research and development or for another academic purpose by a
17	17	person acting on behalf of an institution of higher education or a
18	18	private or independent institution of higher education, as those
19	19	terms are defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, including a
20	20	person who:
21	21	(A) is a professor, employee, or student of the
22	22	institution; or
23	23	(B) is under contract with or otherwise acting
24	24	under the direction or on behalf of the institution;
25	25	(2) in airspace designated as a test site or range
26	26	authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration for the purpose
27	27	of integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the national
28	28	airspace;
29	29	(3) as part of an operation, exercise, or mission of
30	30	any branch of:
31	31	(A) the United States military; or
32	32	(B) the Texas military forces as defined by
33	33	Section 437. 001;
34	34	(4) if the image is captured by a satellite for the
35	35	purposes of mapping;
36	36	(5) if the image is captured by or for an electric or
37	37	natural gas utility or a telecommunications provider:
38	38	(A) for operations and maintenance of utility or
39	39	telecommunications facilities for the purpose of maintaining
40	40	utility or telecommunications system reliability and integrity;
41	41	(B) for inspecting utility or telecommunications
42	42	facilities to determine repair, maintenance, or replacement needs
43	43	during and after construction of such facilities;
44	44	(C) for assessing vegetation growth for the
45	45	purpose of maintaining clearances on utility or telecommunications
46	46	easements; and
47	47	(D) for utility or telecommunications facility
48	48	routing and siting for the purpose of providing utility or
49	49	telecommunications service;
50	50	(6) with the consent of the individual who owns or
51	51	lawfully occupies the real property captured in the image;
52	52	(7) pursuant to a valid search or arrest warrant;
53	53	(8) if the image is captured by a law enforcement
54	54	authority or a person who is under contract with or otherwise acting
55	55	under the direction or on behalf of a law enforcement authority:
56	56	(A) in immediate pursuit of a person law
57	57	enforcement officers have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to
58	58	suspect has committed an offense, not including misdemeanors or
59	59	offenses punishable by a fine only;
60	60	(B) for the purpose of documenting a crime scene
61	61	where an offense, not including misdemeanors or offenses punishable
62	62	by a fine only, has been committed;
63	63	(C) for the purpose of investigating the scene
64	64	of:
65	65	(i) a human fatality;
66	66	(ii) a motor vehicle collision causing
67	67	death or serious bodily injury to a person; or
68	68	(iii) any motor vehicle collision on a
69	69	state highway or federal interstate or highway;
70	70	(D) in connection with the search for a missing
71	71	person;
72	72	(E) for the purpose of conducting a high-risk
73	73	tactical operation that poses a threat to human life;
74	74	(F) of private property that is generally open to
75	75	the public where the property owner consents to law enforcement
76	76	public safety responsibilities; or
77	77	(G) of real property or a person on real property
78	78	that is within 25 miles of the United States border for the sole
79	79	purpose of ensuring border security;
80	80	(9) if the image is captured by state or local law
81	81	enforcement authorities, or a person who is under contract with or
82	82	otherwise acting under the direction or on behalf of state
83	83	authorities, for the purpose of:
84	84	(A) surveying the scene of a catastrophe or other
85	85	damage to determine whether a state of emergency should be
86	86	declared;
87	87	(B) preserving public safety, protecting
88	88	property, or surveying damage or contamination during a lawfully
89	89	declared state of emergency; or
90	90	(C) conducting routine air quality sampling and
91	91	monitoring, as provided by state or local law;
92	92	(10) at the scene of a spill, or a suspected spill, of
93	93	hazardous materials;
94	94	(11) for the purpose of fire suppression;
95	95	(12) for the purpose of rescuing a person whose life or
96	96	well-being is in imminent danger;
97	97	(13) if the image is captured by a Texas licensed real
98	98	estate broker in connection with the marketing, sale, or financing
99	99	of real property, provided that no individual is identifiable in
100	100	the image;
101	101	(14) from a height no more than eight feet above ground
102	102	level in a public place, if the image was captured without using any
103	103	electronic, mechanical, or other means to amplify the image beyond
104	104	normal human perception;
105	105	(15) of public real property or a person on that
106	106	property;
107	107	(16) if the image is captured by the owner or operator
108	108	of an oil, gas, water, or other pipeline for the purpose of
109	109	inspecting, maintaining, or repairing pipelines or other related
110	110	facilities, and is captured without the intent to conduct
111	111	surveillance on an individual or real property located in this
112	112	state;
113	113	(17) in connection with oil pipeline safety and rig
114	114	protection;
115	115	(18) in connection with port authority surveillance
116	116	and security;
117	117	(19) if the image is captured by a registered
118	118	professional land surveyor in connection with the practice of
119	119	professional surveying, as those terms are defined by Section
120	120	1071.002, Occupations Code, provided that no individual is
121	121	identifiable in the image;
122	122	(20) if the image is captured by a professional
123	123	engineer licensed under Subchapter G, Chapter 1001, Occupations
124	124	Code, in connection with the practice of engineering, as defined by
125	125	Section 1001.003, Occupations Code, provided that no individual is
126	126	identifiable in the image; or
127	127	(21) if:
128	128	(A) the image is captured by an employee of an
129	129	insurance company or of an affiliate of the company in connection
130	130	with the underwriting of an insurance policy, or the rating or
131	131	adjusting of an insurance claim, regarding real property or a
132	132	structure on real property; and
133	133	(B) the operator of the unmanned aircraft is
134	134	authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct
135	135	operations within the airspace from which the image is captured; or
136	136	(22) if:
137	137	(A) the image is captured for the purpose of
138	138	news-gathering by:
139	139	(i) a radio or television broadcast station
140	140	licensed by the Federal Communications Commission;
141	141	(ii) a newspaper of general circulation
142	142	published in this state; or
143	143	(iii) another bona fide news organization;
144	144	and
145	145	(B) any identifiable person captured in the image
146	146	was not in a place where that person had a reasonable expectation
147	147	of privacy.
148	148	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.