On Friday, a few weeks short of one year since the mass shooting in Highland Park, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill giving law enforcement greater leeway to use surveillance drones at events such as races, concerts and parades.

Illinois Sen. Julie Morrison, who was walking in the Highland Park July Fourth parade when gunfire rained down from a rooftop, killing seven, and injuring dozens of others, said it an emailed statement that “It’s simple: drones will save lives.”

“As we enter parade and festival season, it’s more pertinent than ever that law enforcement are equipped with the most modern tools and training to keep communities safe,” said Morrison, a Deerfield Democrat.

Illinois law previously limited drone use by law enforcement to instances that included where it was needed to counter “a high risk of a terrorist attack,” if a specific probable cause warrant was issued, or to assist in disaster response.

The allowed uses by law enforcement will be expanded to include planned special events such as parades and races, non-crime related search and rescue operations and to conduct infrastructure inspections if requested to do so by another public agency.

Many restrictions still apply. Drones cannot be weaponized, can only be operated by a law enforcement agency and cannot be used at political events. In addition, the public would have to be notified when they were in use at public events.

“This is not going to be just a drone that can be in anyone’s community for whatever reason,” Democratic Rep. Barbara Hernandez of Aurora and the bill’s chief sponsor in the House said during floor debate. “This is a specific purpose.”

The bill passed in the House by a 84-7 vote after an earlier 56-1 vote in the Senate.

Democratic state Sen. Rachel Ventura of Joliet, the chamber’s lone no vote, said in an interview that she fears that “when we pass legislation that allows law enforcement to potentially overstep privacy, I get a little wary about the slippery slope of what that could look like.”

“My heart goes out to everyone who was out at the Highland (Park) parade that day and I can’t imagine the terror and trauma it is,” she said. “But at the same point, we have to find that balance on the spectrum between freedom and safety.”

Democratic Rep. Curtis Tarver of Chicago expressed frustration that this bill was not proposed after a mass shooting in one of Chicago’s Black neighborhoods.

Democratic Sen. Linda Holmes of Aurora, the bill’s chief sponsor in the Senate, said the measure “gives police and other first responders critical information in a chaotic situation where lives are at stake.”

“This could spare another community the suffering and trauma we experienced here — it has the potential to prevent more chaos and death,” she said.

The new law includes extensive language regulating the facial recognition capabilities of law enforcement drones, allowing it only in cases where there is a identifiable “high risk of a terrorist attack” or to “prevent imminent harm to life.”

Morrison said the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois was concerned that facial recognition could be used to track immigrants who are in the country without legal permission and have them turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Also under the measure, drone footage must be erased after 24 hours except in specific cases, such as if the footage contains evidence of a crime. A report must also be made by a law enforcement agency as to why, where and when a drone was used.

“This may be one of the most important bills I’ve worked on in my Senate career because it can make a difference in how law enforcement and first responders can gather information and take lifesaving actions swiftly,” Holmes said.

hsanders@chicagotribune.com