Military equipment., the official text

An act to add Section 7073.5 to the Government Code, relating to law enforcement.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law requires a law enforcement agency, as defined, to obtain specific approval of a governing body prior to acquiring military equipment, as specified. Existing law defines “military equipment” to include an unmanned, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle.
This bill would prohibit a law enforcement agency from purchasing, on or after January 1, 2027, an uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle unless the vehicle contains an option to turn off any data collection programs that are not necessary for the vehicle to function and the law enforcement agency uses an American data storage company, as defined, to house all data collected, including, but not limited to, video and photographic images, as specified, or both. For uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicles purchased on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2027, the bill would require a law enforcement agency to use an American data storage company. For uncrewed aerial or ground vehicles owned or possessed by a law enforcement agency prior to January 1, 2026, the bill would require the law enforcement agency to use an American data storage company after the current contract to house the data expires. The bill would require contracts entered into pursuant to these provisions with an American data storage company to prohibit the American data storage company from using, selling, renting, trading, or otherwise sharing this data with any other entity.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 7073.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:
7073.5.
(a) (1) A law enforcement agency shall not purchase an uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle unless both of the following conditions are met:
(A) The vehicle contains an option to turn off any data collection programs that are not necessary for the vehicle to function.
(B) The law enforcement agency uses an American data storage company to house all data collected, including, but not limited to, video and photographic images.
(2) The restriction and conditions pursuant to paragraph (1) shall only apply to an uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle purchased on or after January 1, 2027.
(b) For uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicles purchased by a law enforcement agency on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2027, the law enforcement agency shall use an American data storage company to house all data collected, including, but not limited to, video and photographic images.
(c) A law enforcement agency that maintains ownership or possession of an uncrewed, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicle prior to January 1, 2026, shall exclusively use an American data storage company to house all data collected, including, but not limited to, video and photographic images, after any existing contract to house the data expires.
(d) A contract entered into pursuant to this section shall prohibit the American data storage company that is under contract to house the data collected by the uncrewed vehicles from using, selling, renting, trading, or otherwise sharing the data with any other entity. The data remains under the sole ownership and control of the law enforcement agency that collected the data.
(e) For purposes of this section, an “American data storage company” means a partnership, corporation, limited liability company, or other business entity formed under the laws of, and headquartered in, this state or the laws of any other state of the United States or the District of Columbia, that provides services related to storing digital data, including, but not limited to, through cloud storage, and has adopted security measures to protect stored data from unauthorized access, modification, or destruction, and that has dedicated servers or hard drives located in the United States.