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Mason Cole
Hill
TPSP P1
20 September 2015
Research Proposal: United States Civil Drone Legislation
The aim of this research project is to analyze and determine the best approach for
legislating new drone laws regarding civilian drone usage in the United States. Legislation is
lagging far behind the rapid proliferation of civilian drone technology and usage in the United
States. As a result, issues regarding drone usage such as flying drones over football games in
stadiums, attaching weapons to drones and interfering with helicopters putting out forest fires
make the news almost daily. Current drone legislation is inadequate and proposed legislation is
highly controversial. The lack of adequate regulation regarding drone laws has led to many
civilians abusing the technology. Laws must be created that balance drone use with safety,
privacy, and social issues in order to ensure public safety and the constitutional rights of all
citizens. For example, a man was forced to pay for his neighbors drone after shooting it down
for the mistaken belief it was spying on him. If this happened today, FAA laws would apply,
and he would face the same consequences as a terrorist who shot down a passenger plane.
In order to conduct this research, several types of sources must be employed. Legal
research concerning past and present FAA laws and drone laws must be conducted. In addition,
the rights and needs of individuals to use drones must be balanced with the right to safety and
privacy. Analyzing and balancing these needs will require the collection and analysis of
qualitative data on the aforementioned social issues. The controversy over drone law is far
reaching. On one extreme, some feel civilians should not have drones; while on the other

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extreme some feel civilians should have the right to do what they want with drones without
limitation. There are many opinions that fell along the continuum between these two extremes.
To determine the best approach for revising drone laws, I will conduct research in law libraries
and obtain qualitative data through articles in the news. The inherent risk of this research project
is that, as a highly contested issue, it is sure to offend someone. Key references will include
United States FAA rules, current drone laws, and laws on safety and privacy. Current drone laws
are a serious problem and need to be revised.