Cellular service providers would be required to provide limited cell phone data to police departments in emergency situations like missing persons cases under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on May 24.
The Kelsey Smith Act is named for an 18-year-old woman who was abducted and murdered in 2007. Smith was missing for four days before police officers were able to obtain location data from her cellular carrier. After the data was provided, her body was recovered in 45 minutes.
The bill would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require cellular providers to provide location data “in an emergency situation involving risk or death or serious physical harm” or to respond to a user’s call for emergency services. Twenty-two states have already enacted similar laws.
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), who introduced the bill with U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Deb Fischer (R-NE), said no family should have to endure the same “agonizing delay” as the Smith family did after they reported their daughter missing in 2007.
“This measure will help law enforcement save lives by expediting search efforts for victims who are in imminent danger,” Blunt said. “It is a narrowly-crafted exception that balances the needs of law enforcement with the privacy of individuals and brings federal law in line with 22 states, including Missouri, that have similar laws on the books. The Smith family has turned an unspeakable tragedy into a nationwide campaign to save lives. I urge my Senate colleagues to join us in honoring Kelsey’s life and the Smith family’s tireless advocacy by getting this bill to the president’s desk.”