Some municipalities have already taken action to limit law enforcement use of drones; it's also been discussed at the state and national level. Now the Texas legislature has passed a bill that would ban the private use of drones to take photos of individuals or property "with the intent to conduct surveillance."

Texas appears to be the first such state to take legal action against the private use of drones.

The state Senate passed the bill 26-5 late Sunday, the Houston Chronicle reported, and the bill has now been sent to the governor for signing. The Texas House of Representatives also passed the bill, 140-4.

The proposed law would make it a misdemeanor to have a drone photograph "an individual or privately owned real property... with the intent to conduct surveillance on the individual or property captured in the image." There's a $500 fine attached, which can be averted if the drone owner destroys the images upon being notified of the violation. Private lawsuits over the issue would have to prove malice, a high bar.

The bill has many exemptions, including images made "in connection with oil pipeline safety and rig protection" and images made by real estate agents for marketing purposes. It also makes clear that police, other first responders, and the military have wide leeway to use drones legally, both with and without warrants.

One exemption that's getting some attention: a provision that allows surveillance of properties and people "within 25 miles of the US border." Texas State Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-McAllen) told the Chronicle that he was worried that anti-immigrant groups like the Minutemen Militia would cite that exemption and use drones. A Republican state senator said the border exemption was for meant for law enforcement, not private citizen surveillance.

Drones used by Texas cities and counties with populations greater than 150,000 will be required to make annual reports about drone use by law enforcement under the new law.

Texas Governor Rick Perry won't be the only state leader with a drone ban bill on his desk. In Illinois, the state legislature just passed a bill banning the use of drones "to interfere with someone's hunting and fishing." According to the Quad-City Times, The bill was apparently created in response to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which said in an April press release it was shopping for "one or more drone aircraft with which to monitor those who are out in the woods with death on their minds."