Los Angeles, CA – At a public event today at Fire Station 88 in Los Angeles, the mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti joined Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo), Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Encino), and Assemblyman Steven Bradford (D-Gardenia) calling on Governor Jerry Brown to sign Assembly Bill 1327, also known as the Drone Privacy Protection Act of 2014, which can be seen as a model for the rest of the country. The bill was passed by both houses of the state legislature with strong bipartisan support at the end of August, and is currently on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature.

“The role of government is above all to serve and protect the people we represent, and we can’t do this without trust and transparency,” stated Mayor Eric Garcetti. “I am proud to support AB 1327, and I urge the governor to sign this bill.”

AB 1327 places strict restrictions on how government agencies may use drones in California. Law enforcement would be required to first get warrants before conducting surveillance, state and local agencies must publicly announce their intent to purchase and use drones, and data received from drones would be required to be destroyed after a set period of time.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been mandated to authorize and integrate drones into the airspace by 2015. It is estimated that over 20,000 drones will fill the nation’s skies within the next decade.

“The future of aviation is unmanned,” stated Assemblyman Jeff Gorell, who authored the legislation. “As we prepare for this next generation and new frontier, we must ensure all Californians that the state has put forth guidelines to protect their civil liberties and privacy rights.”

AB 1327 received broad bipartisan support in the State Legislature and has been endorsed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and a number of media outlets including The Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, Sacramento Bee, and Ventura County Star. Recently, 41 law professors from across the nation publicly announced their support for the bill, including Erwin Chemerinsky, the Founding Dean of the UC Irvine School of Law and a renowned constitutional law professor.