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The Spreading Wings S800 drone is displayed at the Dajiang Innovation Technology Inc. booth during the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, DJI Nevada, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014.

(Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg)

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie scrapped a bill Tuesday that would require law enforcement officers to get a warrant each time they use a drone to investigate a crime.

The bill was one of 44 that Christie "pocket vetoed" Tuesday by letting it expire without taking action. The governor also signed 100 bills into law.

As with nearly all of the bills signed or vetoed Tuesday, he did not outline his reasons for refusing to sign the drone bill (S2702), which had bipartisan sponsors and passed the state Senate and Assembly overwhelmingly.

A spokesman for the governor could not immediately be reached for comment today.

Udi Ofer, executive director of the New Jersey American Civil Liberties Union, said Tuesday that his organization was “disappointed that Governor Christie has chosen to let the clock run out on a bill that would have given New Jerseyans some of the strongest civil liberties protections in the nation against abusive drone surveillance.”

Drones –widely used by the military – are not currently flying in New Jersey, but have been touted for all kinds of domestic uses beyond military and law enforcement. Congress had called on the FAA to draw up regulations for their use by 2015. And New Jersey in December was chosen as one of six states where drone technology will be developed and tested.

State Police spokesman Lt. Stephen Jones told the Star-Ledger in May that state police already has a fleet of sensor-equipped helicopters used in rescue missions, searches for fleeing people, disaster assessments, and nuclear power plant monitoring. Jones said drones are not currently being considered.

Lt. Stephen Jones, a spokesman for the State Police, said the state already has a fleet of helicopters equipped with heat sensors for use in rescue operations, the monitoring of nuclear plants, disaster assessments, and to search for fleeing people or vehicles.

The bill would have required warrants for the use of drones during law enforcement investigations except in the instance of “exigent circumstances exist making it unreasonable to obtain a warrant,” or if the person under surveillance gives written consent authorizing its use. It would not have banned drone use for emergencies, search and rescue missions, or monitoring forest fires. And it would have banned anyone from equipping drones with weapons.

State Sen. Nicholas Sacco (D-Hudson), a sponsor, said he plans to reintroduce the bill in the new legislative session.

"I believe that there must be safeguards put in place to protect New Jersey residents' rights from this new technology," he said in a statement. "Drone technology exists and is certainly coming to our state sooner or later and my l would have created vital protections for our citizens. I would like to know why the bill wasn't signed and if there are any modifications that can be made to it that would not undermine its overall intent."

Star-Ledger staff writer Salvador Rizzo contributed to this report.

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