GOVERNMENT CODE

TITLE 4. EXECUTIVE BRANCH

SUBTITLE B. LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC PROTECTION

CHAPTER 423. USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT

Sec. 423.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "image" means any

capturing of sound waves, thermal, infrared, ultraviolet, visible light,

or other electromagnetic waves, odor, or other conditions existing on or

about real property in this state or an individual located on that

property.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1390 (H.B. 912), Sec. 2, eff.

September 1, 2013.

This section was amended by the 84th Legislature. Pending publication of

the current statutes, see H.B. 2167, 84th Legislature, Regular Session,

for amendments affecting this section.

Sec. 423.002. NONAPPLICABILITY. (a) It is lawful to capture an

image using an unmanned aircraft in this state:

(1) for purposes of professional or scholarly research and

development by a person acting on behalf of an institution of higher

education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, including a

person who:

(A) is a professor, employee, or student of the

institution; or

(B) is under contract with or otherwise acting under the

direction or on behalf of the institution;

(2) in airspace designated as a test site or range authorized

by the Federal Aviation Administration for the purpose of integrating

unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace;

(3) as part of an operation, exercise, or mission of any branch

of the United States military;

(4) if the image is captured by a satellite for the purposes of

mapping;
(5) if the image is captured by or for an electric or natural

gas utility:

(A) for operations and maintenance of utility facilities

for the purpose of maintaining utility system reliability and integrity;

(B) for inspecting utility facilities to determine repair,

maintenance, or replacement needs during and after construction of such

facilities;

(C) for assessing vegetation growth for the purpose of

maintaining clearances on utility easements; and

(D) for utility facility routing and siting for the

purpose of providing utility service;

(6) with the consent of the individual who owns or lawfully

occupies the real property captured in the image;

(7) pursuant to a valid search or arrest warrant;

(8) if the image is captured by a law enforcement authority or

a person who is under contract with or otherwise acting under the

direction or on behalf of a law enforcement authority:

(A) in immediate pursuit of a person law enforcement

officers have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to suspect has

committed an offense, not including misdemeanors or offenses punishable

by a fine only;

(B) for the purpose of documenting a crime scene where an

offense, not including misdemeanors or offenses punishable by a fine

only, has been committed;

(C) for the purpose of investigating the scene of:

(i) a human fatality;

(ii) a motor vehicle accident causing death or serious

bodily injury to a person; or

(iii) any motor vehicle accident on a state highway or

federal interstate or highway;

(D) in connection with the search for a missing person;

(E) for the purpose of conducting a high-risk tactical

operation that poses a threat to human life; or

(F) of private property that is generally open to the

public where the property owner consents to law enforcement public safety

responsibilities;

(9) if the image is captured by state or local law enforcement

authorities, or a person who is under contract with or otherwise acting
under the direction or on behalf of state authorities, for the purpose

of:

(A) surveying the scene of a catastrophe or other damage

to determine whether a state of emergency should be declared;

(B) preserving public safety, protecting property, or

surveying damage or contamination during a lawfully declared state of

emergency; or

(C) conducting routine air quality sampling and

monitoring, as provided by state or local law;

(10) at the scene of a spill, or a suspected spill, of

hazardous materials;

(11) for the purpose of fire suppression;

(12) for the purpose of rescuing a person whose life or wellbeing is in imminent danger;

(13) if the image is captured by a Texas licensed real estate

broker in connection with the marketing, sale, or financing of real

property, provided that no individual is identifiable in the image;

(14) of real property or a person on real property that is

within 25 miles of the United States border;

(15) from a height no more than eight feet above ground level

in a public place, if the image was captured without using any

electronic, mechanical, or other means to amplify the image beyond normal

human perception;

(16) of public real property or a person on that property;

(17) if the image is captured by the owner or operator of an

oil, gas, water, or other pipeline for the purpose of inspecting,

maintaining, or repairing pipelines or other related facilities, and is

captured without the intent to conduct surveillance on an individual or

real property located in this state;

(18) in connection with oil pipeline safety and rig protection;

or

(19) in connection with port authority surveillance and

security.

(b) This chapter does not apply to the manufacture, assembly,

distribution, or sale of an unmanned aircraft.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1390 (H.B. 912), Sec. 2, eff.

September 1, 2013.
Sec. 423.003. OFFENSE: ILLEGAL USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT TO CAPTURE

IMAGE. (a) A person commits an offense if the person uses an unmanned

aircraft to capture an image of an individual or privately owned real

property in this state with the intent to conduct surveillance on the

individual or property captured in the image.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

(c) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the

person destroyed the image:

(1) as soon as the person had knowledge that the image was

captured in violation of this section; and

(2) without disclosing, displaying, or distributing the image

to a third party.

(d) In this section, "intent" has the meaning assigned by Section

6.03, Penal Code.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1390 (H.B. 912), Sec. 2, eff.

September 1, 2013.

Sec. 423.004. OFFENSE: POSSESSION, DISCLOSURE, DISPLAY,

DISTRIBUTION, OR USE OF IMAGE. (a) A person commits an offense if the

person:

(1) captures an image in violation of Section 423.003; and

(2) possesses, discloses, displays, distributes, or otherwise

uses that image.

(b) An offense under this section for the possession of an image is

a Class C misdemeanor. An offense under this section for the disclosure,

display, distribution, or other use of an image is a Class B misdemeanor.

(c) Each image a person possesses, discloses, displays,

distributes, or otherwise uses in violation of this section is a separate

offense.

(d) It is a defense to prosecution under this section for the

possession of an image that the person destroyed the image as soon as the

person had knowledge that the image was captured in violation of Section

423.003.

(e) It is a defense to prosecution under this section for the

disclosure, display, distribution, or other use of an image that the

person stopped disclosing, displaying, distributing, or otherwise using
the image as soon as the person had knowledge that the image was captured

in violation of Section 423.003.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1390 (H.B. 912), Sec. 2, eff.

September 1, 2013.

Sec. 423.005. ILLEGALLY OR INCIDENTALLY CAPTURED IMAGES NOT SUBJECT

TO DISCLOSURE. (a) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (b), an

image captured in violation of Section 423.003, or an image captured by

an unmanned aircraft that was incidental to the lawful capturing of an

image:

(1) may not be used as evidence in any criminal or juvenile

proceeding, civil action, or administrative proceeding;

(2) is not subject to disclosure, inspection, or copying under

Chapter 552; and

(3) is not subject to discovery, subpoena, or other means of

legal compulsion for its release.

(b) An image described by Subsection (a) may be disclosed and used

as evidence to prove a violation of this chapter and is subject to

discovery, subpoena, or other means of legal compulsion for that purpose.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1390 (H.B. 912), Sec. 2, eff.

September 1, 2013.

Sec. 423.006. CIVIL ACTION. (a) An owner or tenant of privately

owned real property located in this state may bring against a person who,

in violation of Section 423.003, captured an image of the property or the

owner or tenant while on the property an action to:

(1) enjoin a violation or imminent violation of Section 423.003

or 423.004;

(2) recover a civil penalty of:

(A) $5,000 for all images captured in a single episode in

violation of Section 423.003; or

(B) $10,000 for disclosure, display, distribution, or

other use of any images captured in a single episode in violation of

Section 423.004; or

(3) recover actual damages if the person who captured the image

in violation of Section 423.003 discloses, displays, or distributes the
image with malice.

(b) For purposes of recovering the civil penalty or actual damages

under Subsection (a), all owners of a parcel of real property are

considered to be a single owner and all tenants of a parcel of real

property are considered to be a single tenant.

(c) In this section, "malice" has the meaning assigned by Section

41.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

(d) In addition to any civil penalties authorized under this

section, the court shall award court costs and reasonable attorney's fees

to the prevailing party.

(e) Venue for an action under this section is governed by Chapter

15, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

(f) An action brought under this section must be commenced within

two years from the date the image was:

(1) captured in violation of Section 423.003; or

(2) initially disclosed, displayed, distributed, or otherwise

used in violation of Section 423.004.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1390 (H.B. 912), Sec. 2, eff.

September 1, 2013.

Sec. 423.007. RULES FOR USE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. The Department of

Public Safety shall adopt rules and guidelines for use of an unmanned

aircraft by a law enforcement authority in this state.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1390 (H.B. 912), Sec. 2, eff.

September 1, 2013.

Sec. 423.008. REPORTING BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. (a) Not earlier

than January 1 and not later than January 15 of each odd-numbered year,

each state law enforcement agency and each county or municipal law

enforcement agency located in a county or municipality, as applicable,

with a population greater than 150,000, that used or operated an unmanned

aircraft during the preceding 24 months shall issue a written report to

the governor, the lieutenant governor, and each member of the legislature

and shall:

(1) retain the report for public viewing; and

(2) post the report on the law enforcement agency's publicly
accessible website, if one exists.

(b) The report must include:

(1) the number of times an unmanned aircraft was used,

organized by date, time, location, and the types of incidents and types

of justification for the use;

(2) the number of criminal investigations aided by the use of

an unmanned aircraft and a description of how the unmanned aircraft aided

each investigation;

(3) the number of times an unmanned aircraft was used for a law

enforcement operation other than a criminal investigation, the dates and

locations of those operations, and a description of how the unmanned

aircraft aided each operation;

(4) the type of information collected on an individual,

residence, property, or area that was not the subject of a law

enforcement operation and the frequency of the collection of this

information; and

(5) the total cost of acquiring, maintaining, repairing, and

operating or otherwise using each unmanned aircraft for the preceding 24

months.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1390 (H.B. 912), Sec. 2, eff.

September 1, 2013.