Bill Text: NJ AR174 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Biden Administration to provide resources and funding to assist with drone response.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee [AR174 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-AR174-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Biden Administration to provide resources and funding to assist with drone response.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging President Biden's Administration to make federal resources and funding available to the State to ensure effective State and local law enforcement response to the incursion of unidentified drone flights across the State.
Whereas, Each evening since November 18, 2024, countless residents and State and local officials have reported sighting unmanned aircraft, commonly referred to as "drones," over more than a dozen counties and many sensitive locations across the State, including Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County, Round Valley in Hunterdon County, the State's largest reservoir which provides potable drinking water to 1.5 million State residents, and a residence of the President-elect, Trump National Golf Club in Somerset County; and
Whereas, Based on reported sightings, many of the drones appear to be quite large and operated in a manner not typical to hobby or commercial drones; and
Whereas, The source of the drones remains a mystery and the ongoing phenomenon is causing alarm among New Jersey residents, who continue to witness the flights each evening without officials being able to provide any material information concerning the nature of the flights and whether they pose a threat; and
Whereas, The federal government retains authority over the nation's airspace, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) relies on State and local law enforcement agencies to observe and report to federal authorities suspicious or unlawful activity in airspace; and
Whereas, The volume of sightings each evening and the number of reports to State and local officials made by residents who have spotted drones and, in some cases, have reported potential downed drones, have required significant State and local law enforcement response and expenditure of resources, and this high level of response is necessary as the drone flights continue; and
Whereas, It is fitting and proper for the federal government to provide additional resources and funding to the State to ensure that State and local law enforcement authorities are able to effectively respond to this and any future emerging threats and protect New Jersey residents from potential risks posed by drones; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature of New Jersey respectfully urges the federal government to provide the State with additional resources and funding to assist in the State's response to the current and any future phenomena of unidentified drones operating in the airspace of the State.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and every member of Congress from this State.
STATEMENT
In response to the ongoing phenomenon of unidentified drones operating nightly over the State requiring significant State and local law enforcement response, this resolution urges the federal government to provide the State with additional resources and funding to ensure that State and local law enforcement authorities are able to respond effectively to emerging threats and protect New Jersey residents from potential risks posed by these drones.
