This bill amends RSA 644:23 to criminalize the use of small unmanned aircraft systems (drones) for video voyeurism and the invasion of privacy. It introduces a new paragraph (VIII) that establishes penalties for individuals who knowingly use drones to trespass onto another person's land or airspace to capture visual images, sound recordings, or other impressions of private activities without permission. Such actions would be classified as a class A misdemeanor, while the transmission or public use of any obtained material would escalate the offense to a class B felony. The bill also clarifies that lawful activities conducted by law enforcement or governmental employees in the course of their duties are exempt from these prohibitions.

Additionally, the bill defines "private, personal, and familial activity" to include intimate details of a person's life, interactions with family or significant others, activities on residential property, and other private affairs where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. The effective date for this legislation is set for January 1, 2027. The fiscal impact of the bill is indeterminable, as it may affect judicial and correctional systems, potentially influencing costs related to prosecution, incarceration, and probation for the state and local governments.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 644:23
HB1289 text: 644:23