Texans Would Be Allowed To Shoot Down Drones On Their Property If Legislature Passes Bill

Have you ever had a drone trespassing over your property? For most Texans, the answer is probably "no", but some have and others worry about their own privacy went someone's drone if flying into their back yard.

Currently, it's illegal to shoot down a drone, but State Representative Jeff Leach has filed legislation that would change that.

According to TheTexan.News, Leach filed House Bill 2916 which, if passed, would allow a property owner in Texas to "disable, destroy, or damage" a drone flying over their property. TheTexan reports that the legislation would play off of Sections 28.03 and 28.04 of the Texas Penal Code. Those sections deal with what constitutes an illegal action when destroying someone else's property. Since a drone is considered someone's property, even if it's flying over your property, you are not allowed to destroy it.

Leach's bill would require three areas to be met before someone is allowed to shoot down a drone. First, the drone must be located on property that is either owned or legally occupied by the shooter. Second, the person who used the firearm did not authorize the drone to be over or on the property, and third, the person who shot the drone had not been previously been prohibited from discharging the firearm.

Does This Mean All Texans Will Be Able To Shoot Down Drones?

Probably not and here's where the catch comes in. The legislation doesn't address the law that prohibits reckless discharge of a firearm in cities with more than 100,000 residents. That means Texans in at least 43 cities would not be able to shoot down drones. And can you imagine the chaos if people in a large city just started firing at objects in the sky?

Does Federal Law Allow For Drones To Be Shot Down?

No. It's against federal law to shoot down a drone. And they are pretty serious about it too.