An Indiana state lawmaker is working to keep one of his bills alive regarding the unauthorized use of drones over farms and ag properties.
“Basically, if you have a drone on someone else’s property without permission, and you’re flying over a livestock facility—including farmers and their animals—that becomes a felony with higher penalties,” says State Representative Kendell Culp (R-Rensselaer) talking with Hoosier Ag Today about House Bill 1064.
“That bill came to me from some poultry farmers in the northeastern part of Indiana—Jay and Adams counties,” he says. “Last year, they saw many strange drones. They didn’t know who they were. They appeared on their property flying hovering around, and within a few days they broke with Bird Flu.”
Culp’s bill was assigned to the House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code, which heard some compelling testimony from an eyewitness.
“We had a farmer who testified that two miles north of him was a poultry farmer with two million birds, and two miles south of him was another poultry farmer with two million birds. The farmer says he saw a drone flying beside his building. The curtain was down and was spraying a liquid substance into the barn. The other thing was that his young daughter was out playing along the barn and she was sprayed as well. She was sick for the next week with respiratory issues, and within four days, they broke with bird flu. The result was they lost two million birds. Every member of that committee were on the edge of their seats listening to that a very compelling testimony,” says Culp.
Even though the bill did not advance in committee—Culp says he is looking for another way to his legislation pushed through during this shortened session.
“We were told that there were some constitutional issues with this bill,” he says. “We’re looking for a home for that. We’re meeting with the attorneys to try to figure out exactly how we can hone in on that, because I was told everything should be able to be constitutional and covered with this legislation. So, from that girl being sick, those birds being killed, and having strange drones flying over your home and on your property, something needs to be done.”
CLICK HERE to read more about House Bill 1064.
CLICK BELOW to watch the testimony before the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee on House Bill 1064 (Courtesy of Indy Reporter’s Facebook page):
