People would be prohibited from flying drones over schools under a wide-ranging school safety bill approved by the Florida Senate on Monday.
The ban on flying drones over campuses would apply to public and private schools, unless a person was granted permission by school officials or the drone is being operated by law enforcement.
Senators voted unanimously to pass the measure (HB 1473) Monday, but with a change that will require it to go back to the House for final approval before it could be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Read: Federal Court Rejects Florida Gov. DeSantis’ “Stop WOKE” Restrictions
The House initially passed the measure last month. The legislation also would impose penalties for violations of drone ban.
Penalties would be more severe for people who fly drones over schools for the purposes of capturing video.
Florida law currently bars people from operating drones over what are known as “critical infrastructure” facilities, which include power generation or transmission facilities, wastewater treatment plants, airports and seaports.
The school safety measure also includes various changes that are aimed at bolstering school security. A change adopted by the Senate added exceptions to a provision requiring gates or access points on school campuses to remain closed and locked while students are present.
The exceptions would include situations involving “shared-use” agreements that allow local governments or nonprofits to use school facilities.
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