As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 597

2025-2026

To amend section 4561.50 and to enact section 4561.54 of the Revised Code to prohibit the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles over schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 4561.50 be amended and section 4561.54 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 4561.50. As used in sections 4561.50 to ~~4561.53~~ 4561.54 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Critical facility" means any of the following:

(1) A critical infrastructure facility as defined in section 2911.21 of the Revised Code;

(2) A commercial distribution center;

(3) A federal, state, county, or municipal court;

(4) A police station, sheriff's office, state highway patrol station, or premises controlled by the bureau of criminal identification and investigation;

(5) A federal, state, county, or municipal jail or prison or any other facility in which persons are incarcerated;

(6) A federal or state military installation or facility;

(7) A hospital that receives air ambulance services.

(B) "Unmanned aerial vehicle" means a powered, aerial vehicle to which all of the following apply:

(1) The vehicle does not carry a human operator and is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the vehicle;

(2) The vehicle uses aerodynamic forces to provide lift;

(3) The vehicle can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely;

(4) The vehicle is either expendable or recoverable.

"Unmanned aerial vehicle" is commonly referred to as a drone and does not include a satellite.

(C) "Unmanned aerial vehicle system" means an unmanned aerial vehicle and associated elements, including communication links and components that control the unmanned aerial vehicle and that are required for the remote pilot in command to operate the vehicle in the air space over this state.

(D) "Park district" means a park district created in accordance with Chapter 1545. of the Revised Code.

(E) "School" means all of the following:

(a) A city, exempted village, local, or joint vocational school district;

(b) A community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code;

(d) A chartered nonpublic school;

(e) An educational service center, on behalf of a school or district.

Sec. 4561.54. (A) No person shall knowingly operate an unmanned aerial vehicle over a school.

(B) Division (A) of this section does not apply to any of the following:

(1) A person under contract with or otherwise acting under the direction of or on behalf of the federal government, the state government, another governmental entity, or a law enforcement agency;

(2) An operator of an unmanned aerial vehicle that is being used for a legitimate commercial purpose, provided the operator has obtained all required federal aviation administration authorizations;

(3) A person who has the prior written consent of the principal, vice principal, or school resource officer or peace officer assigned to the school;

(4) A person who is younger than fourteen years of age.

(C) If the principal, the vice principal, or a school resource officer or peace officer assigned to a school witnesses the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle over the school, the principal, vice principal, or resource officer or peace officer may temporarily take possession of the unmanned aerial vehicle for the purpose of providing the unmanned aerial vehicle to a local law enforcement agency as evidence of a violation of division (A) of this section.

(D)(1) The court may dismiss a charge for a violation of division (A) of this section if both of the following apply:

(a) The defendant is younger than seventeen years of age at the time of the offense;

(b) The judge finds that, in committing the offense, the defendant did not intend to use the unmanned aerial vehicle to cause physical harm to another person or damage to school property.

(2) Before dismissing a charge under division (D)(1) of this section, the judge shall issue to the defendant a warning and refer the defendant to an educational program on unmanned aerial vehicle safety and aviation laws, the duration and contents of which shall be established by the director of transportation.

(E) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on the first offense and a fourth degree misdemeanor on each subsequent offense.

Section 2. That existing section 4561.50 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.