A Kentucky state representative who has co-sponsored legislation that limits the use of surveillance drones says the bill provides an exemption for the use of drones by businesses, like the ones that Amazon plans to use for the delivery of products.
State Rep. Brent Yonts of Greenville says the bill’s intent is to make sure drones aren't invading Kentuckians’ privacy - not to stifle the use of non-surveillance drones.
“There are a lot of business uses for drones. For example, at certain heights that are low to the ground, they’re used in agriculture purposes to look for bugs in crops, for drought areas that might need to be irrigated and any number of things that are cheap and quick and efficient," Yonts said of the bipartisan bill which he co-sponsored with Republican state Rep. Diane St. Onge.
“The imagination is the limit on what they can potentially be used for," Yonts said. "They might for example be used to deliver medical supplies to an isolated area that one cannot get through by land.”
The drones Amazon plans to begin using as early as 2015 are capable of delivering 5 lb packages to a location within 10 miles of one of its distribution centers. Kentucky has a number of these centers that are closer to urban areas like Lexington and Louisville.
