US: Law proposed in Illinois to criminalize laser pointing
Wed, Jan 26 2011 Filed in: Bans & Restrictions
An Illinois state representative introduced HB0167, which amends the state criminal code to make “discharging a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft” a Class A misdemeanor. Republican Dave Winters of Shirland is a pilot who wants to give state police jurisdiction over the crime.
HB0167 is similar to HR 387, a bill currently in the U.S. House of Representatives. One difference is that the state bill criminalizes using any “laser” that illuminates a cockpit, while the federal bill only applies to “laser pointers”. Another difference is that HB0167 contains two of the three exceptions in HR 387. While it provides an exemption for R&D and flight tests, and for the Defense and Homeland Security Departments, it does not provide any exemption for lasers used to signal in emergency rescue situations.
The full text of the bill, along with the status and other information, is available from the Illinois General Assembly.
From the Chicago Tribune (Jan. 26 2011) and St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Feb. 17 2011).
HB0167 is similar to HR 387, a bill currently in the U.S. House of Representatives. One difference is that the state bill criminalizes using any “laser” that illuminates a cockpit, while the federal bill only applies to “laser pointers”. Another difference is that HB0167 contains two of the three exceptions in HR 387. While it provides an exemption for R&D and flight tests, and for the Defense and Homeland Security Departments, it does not provide any exemption for lasers used to signal in emergency rescue situations.
The full text of the bill, along with the status and other information, is available from the Illinois General Assembly.
From the Chicago Tribune (Jan. 26 2011) and St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Feb. 17 2011).