AB 1160
Military equipment.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Appropriations
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill restricts law enforcement agencies in California from purchasing or using certain unmanned aerial or ground vehicles, often referred to as drones. Starting January 1, 2027, agencies must ensure these vehicles have the option to disable data collection programs and utilize American data storage companies to house all collected data, including video and photographic images. Existing agencies with such vehicles must transition to American data storage after their current contracts expire, with restrictions on data sharing.
Key provisions
- Prohibits purchase of certain unmanned vehicles after January 1, 2027, unless data collection options are available.
- Requires use of American data storage companies for all collected data.
- Applies to vehicles purchased on or after January 1, 2026, with exceptions for existing vehicles.
- Requires contracts with data storage companies to prohibit data sharing with other entities.
- Defines ‘American data storage company’ based on location and security measures.
- Mandates the ability to turn off data collection programs on the vehicles.
- Requires data to remain under the control of the law enforcement agency.
- Addresses data storage for vehicles owned prior to January 1, 2026.
Who is affected
- Law enforcement agencies
- California residents
- Technology companies (data storage providers)
- Government entities
- Data security firms
Notable changes
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AB1160:v97#DOCUMENT
Bill Start
| Amended IN Assembly May 05, 2025 |
| Amended IN Assembly March 24, 2025 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1160
| Introduced by Assembly Member Wilson |
| February 20, 2025 |
An act to add Section 7073.5 to the Government Code, relating to law enforcement.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1160, as amended, Wilson. Military equipment.
Existing law requires a law enforcement agency, as defined, to obtain specific approval of a governing body prior to acquiring military equipment, as specified. Existing law defines “military equipment” to include an unmanned, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle.
This bill would prohibit a law enforcement agency from purchasing, on or after January 1, 2027, an unmanned, uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle unless the vehicle contains an option to turn off any data collection programs that are not necessary for the vehicle to function or and the law enforcement agency uses an American data storage company, as defined, to house all data collected, including, but not limited to, video and photographic images, as specified, or both. For uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicles purchased on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2027, the bill would require a law enforcement agency to use an American data storage company. For uncrewed aerial or ground vehicles owned or possessed by a law enforcement agency prior to January 1, 2026, the bill would require the law enforcement agency to use an American data storage company after the current contract to house the data expires. The bill would require contracts entered into pursuant to these provisions with an American data storage company to prohibit the American data storage company from using, selling, renting, trading, or otherwise sharing this data with any other entity.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 7073.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:
7073.5.
(a) (1) A law enforcement agency shall not purchase an unmanned, uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle unless one or both of the following conditions are met:
(1)
(A) The vehicle contains an option to turn off any data collection programs that are not necessary for the vehicle to function.
(2)
(B) The law enforcement agency uses an American data storage company to house all data collected, including, but not limited to, video and photographic images.
(b)
(2) The restriction and conditions pursuant to subdivision (a) paragraph (1) shall only apply to an unmanned, uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle purchased on or after January 1, 2027, and shall not restrict a law enforcement agency’s ability to maintain ownership or possession of an unmanned, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle purchased prior to January 1, 2027. 2027.
(b) For uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicles purchased by a law enforcement agency on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2027, the law enforcement agency shall use an American data storage company to house all data collected, including, but not limited to, video and photographic images.(c) A law enforcement agency that maintains ownership or possession of an uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle prior to January 1, 2026, shall exclusively use an American data storage company to house all data collected, including, but not limited to, video and photographic images, after any existing contract to house the data expires.(d) A contract entered into pursuant to this section shall prohibit the American data storage company that is under contract to house the data collected by the uncrewed vehicles from using, selling, renting, trading, or otherwise sharing the data with any other entity. The data remains under the sole ownership and control of the law enforcement agency that collected the data.
(c)
(e) For purposes of this section, an “American data storage company” means a partnership, corporation, limited liability company, or other business entity formed under the laws of, and headquartered in, this state or the laws of any other state of the United States or the District of Columbia, that provides services related to storing digital data, including, but not limited to, through cloud storage, and has adopted security measures to protect stored data from unauthorized access, modification, or destruction, and that has dedicated servers or hard drives located in the United States.