Weapons: robotic devices.

Senator Weber Pierson's proposal to regulate weaponized robotic devices in California establishes new restrictions on operating robots equipped with weapons while carving out specific exemptions for government, research, and entertainment purposes.

The legislation creates an infraction-level offense for operating any robotic device - defined as a mechanical device capable of remote movement or navigation - that is equipped with weapons, including firearms, deadly weapons, or incapacitation devices like stun guns and chemical agents. Violations would result in fines ranging from $100 to $2,000. The bill exempts several categories of operators, including government employees acting within their official duties, researchers developing devices for government use, participants in supervised robot competitions using non-firearm weapons, entertainment industry professionals using blank-firing props, and academic researchers at California higher education institutions.

While instituting these new controls on weaponized robots, the legislation explicitly preserves governmental entities' existing authority regarding robotic device procurement and operation. The bill also addresses fiscal impacts by noting that local agencies will not require state reimbursement for enforcement costs, as the creation of a new infraction falls under established exemptions in the state constitution.