When the state’s Department of Natural Resources came to Senator Julie Morrison and asked her to sponsor a ban on using drones for hunting, she agreed, thinking it was a simple idea that would be supported by both hunters and environmentalists as it had in other states.

As far as it went, that much was true: Hunters see using drones as cheating, and environmentalists like that animals get a more sporting chance to escape. What neither Morrison nor the department anticipated is that every group interested in using drones would see the legislation as the first move toward state regulation of the new technology.

“I was honestly shocked by how many people called and wrote to me about drones,” Morrison, a Deerfield Democrat, said. “Most of them weren’t interested in or concerned about the hunting ban. They wanted to have a wider conversation about the role of drones in our society.”

Instead of banning drones for hunting, Morrison began working with Representative Brandon Phelps, from Harrisburg in far southern Illinois, to put together a commission to write comprehensive rules for the use of drones in Illinois.

By the time Morrison and Phelps finished negotiating the composition of the task force, the legislation called for a dizzying and diverse array of stakeholders from across the state and from almost every industry and interest imaginable. Should the measure become law, the group will include obvious members, like representatives of law enforcement, the aviation industry and economic development authorities. However, it will also have some more surprising members, including farmers, utility company executives and railroad company representatives.

“This is a new technology that could be abused in ways that would endanger people’s health and privacy. It needs some commonsense regulations to keep people safe,” Morrison said. “This task force should craft a comprehensive law that will answer all questions about drones for both the public and drone operators.”

The legislation is Senate Bill 44. It has passed both the Illinois House and Senate and now goes to the governor for his consideration. The task force would be required to submit its recommendations by July 1, 2016.