CONCORD - The House Wednesday tabled legislation forbidding photographs of personal residences to be taken from the air, such as is often the case in online maps.

Sponsored by Rep. Neal Kurk, R-Weare, the bill prohibits such photographs to be taken from the air "by a satellite, drone or any device not supported by the ground."

The prohibition does not apply as long as the image is not close enough to reveal "forms identifiable as human beings or man-made objects.

It also does not apply under certain circumstances relating to national security.

A violation would be a Class A misdemeanor.

The Judicial Branch objected to the bill, saying it would be costly to the state's already-stretched general fund.

Rep. Steve Vaillancourt, R-Manchester, wrote on behalf of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Majority that New Hampshire "may be the first state to pass a bill of this kind, but by a wide margin (of 16-2), the committee believes that we should be proud in going where no state has gone before."

He wrote that the bill "could become a model for other states when it comes to regulating drones which, more and more as technology advances, could pose a threat to individual privacy."

"We delight in being in the forefront of stopping Big Brother from making inroads here," Vaillancourt wrote.