Relating to the operation of an unmanned aircraft over a spaceport; creating a criminal offense.
HB 3272 expands Texas Penal Code Section 42.15, which currently prohibits certain conduct involving unmanned aircraft over airports and military installations, to also cover spaceports. The bill defines “spaceport” as a property or facility used for the launch, landing, or recovery of spacecraft and that is either licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration or operated by a spaceport development corporation under Chapter 507 of the Local Government Code.
Under the bill, a person commits an offense if they intentionally or knowingly operate an unmanned aircraft over a spaceport, allow one to make contact with a spaceport or anything or anyone on its premises, or operate one in a way that interferes with or disturbs spaceport operations. The bill also carries forward the existing defenses to prosecution, including conduct by government entities, law enforcement, authorized contractors, and persons with prior written or electronic authorization from the owner/operator, the FAA, or the property owner/occupant.
The bill’s main legal effect is to amend criminal law by adding spaceports to the list of protected facilities in Section 42.15 of the Penal Code. It would create a new offense category for drone activity near spaceport operations and apply only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025. Existing law would remain in effect for earlier conduct.
The available legislative context shows no recorded committee transcript discussion or vote details, and the bill was ultimately laid on the table subject to call in the House on April 28, 2025. Based on the text and status, the bill appears to have been treated as a public-safety and infrastructure-protection measure, with no documented opposition or debate in the provided materials.
Notable points of potential contention are limited in the record, but the bill could raise questions about the scope of drone restrictions, enforcement around spaceport property boundaries, and how authorization exceptions would work in practice. Any concern would likely center on balancing aerospace security and operational safety against lawful drone use and property access rights.
HB 3272 would amend Section 42.15 of the Texas Penal Code to add spaceports to the facilities protected from certain unmanned aircraft activity, alongside airports and military installations. It would create a criminal offense for operating a drone over a spaceport, causing contact with a spaceport or persons/objects on the premises, or interfering with spaceport operations, while preserving existing defenses and authorization exceptions. The bill would affect drone operators, spaceport owners and operators, contractors, law enforcement, and property owners/occupants near spaceport facilities, and would apply prospectively to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025.
The bill’s apparent sentiment is generally supportive and safety-oriented, reflecting an effort to extend existing drone restrictions to a newer category of critical infrastructure. However, the legislative record provided is sparse: there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes, and the bill was laid on the table subject to call in the House. That status suggests the measure did not advance cleanly, but the available materials do not show explicit opposition or detailed debate.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or votes. Based on the bill text, any disagreement would likely focus on whether spaceports should receive the same criminal-law protections as airports and military installations, how broad the prohibited airspace or premises coverage should be, and whether the authorization defenses are sufficiently clear for commercial, research, or hobbyist drone use. Stakeholders most likely to care include spaceport operators, drone users, aerospace businesses, law enforcement, and property owners near launch facilities.