TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 18 (UPI) -- A bill that would limit how local law enforcement can use unmanned drones is headed for the desk of Florida Gov. Rick Scott, officials said.
Scott has praised the bill and said he will sign it, The Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times reported.
The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Joe Negro, bars local officials from using drones without a warrant or threat of a terrorist attack and also prohibits information collected by drones to be used as evidence in court.
Police could still get search warrants for aerial video spying on specific people, locations or vehicles, and the drones could still be used in the case of a missing person or a hostage situation, The Florida Current reported.
The bill passed the House Wednesday and the Senate unanimously last week without debate.
The Miami-Dade Police Department became one of the first major metro police agencies to get permission to operate drones two years ago, and sheriff's deputies in Orange County also have approval to use two drones.
