Jackson's measure was one of several drone-related bills vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown expressed concern that drone hobbyists might be caught up in litigation resulting from the legislation.
But Brown's hesitance on the issue does not appear to be dissuading lawmakers from trying. In addition to Jackson's bill, several other lawmakers have authored drone legislation.
Among them is Republican state Sen. Ted Gaines. Brown also vetoed several of his drone bills last year, including measures prohibiting drones from being flown above schools and prisons. But Gaines is bringing those measures back. He's also adding four more into the mix.
In the Assembly, Democrat Ed Chau is backing a bill that would require drone owners to come forward if their drones are involved in an accident. And Democrat Mike Gatto has announced legislation that would require drones to be registered and insured. Drones would also have to meet a certain size requirement, be equipped with GPS monitoring and have automatic shut-off technology.
In a statement, Gatto says drones should be regulated like cars.
“One could imagine the auto industry balking at the idea of registration requirements at the turn of the century, but the industry survived,” Gatto said. "As technology evolves, so must our laws in order to protect our citizenry."
In October, the Los Angeles Times reported there were nearly 200 reports of close encounters between drones and aircraft in California since April 2014.
In December, a California Highway Patrol helicopter tracking a suspected stolen vehicle almost collided with a drone hovering above the East Bay city of Martinez.
The U.S. Forest Service also said drones interfered with firefighting aircraft battling California wildfires last year, prompting U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire to introduce the Wildfire and Emergency Airspace Protection Act.
