FAA plans for temporary flight restrictions in NY

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday night that the Federal Aviation Administration is planning to grant temporary flight restrictions over some of New York's critical infrastructure sites.

The governor said the move is precautionary and there is no threat to these sites. She said in-part that Congress should "pass legislation to give states and local law enforcement the authority and resources they need to manage this evolving technology."

The FAA also temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey where critical infrastructure is located. FAA officials said the flight restrictions were requested by federal security agencies and are effective through Jan. 17.

The new directive gives the government the right to use "deadly force" against the drones if they pose a threat. Some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are trying to take action, but a bill that would allow local officials to counter drone threats failed in the Senate on Wednesday due to privacy concerns among republicans despite the bill having strong support within the drone industry.

"Been pushing for rules that expand the current authorities of what we call detection and mitigation," Auvsi Assoc. VP Scott Shtofman said.

Ultimately, experts are split about why there's been such an uptick in drone sightings; however, most agree that more needs to be done to determine if there's a risk and how to stop it.