A bill heading to Governor Tony Evers’ desk aims to give you more peace of mind if a loved one goes missing. The Wisconsin State Senate approved Assembly Bill 960 by a 29-3 vote that would require wireless providers to turn over device location information to law enforcement without a warrant. It could only occur if a customer or subscriber consents, if the provider believes an emergency involves a possible death or serious bodily harm, and if the location information is relevant and crucial. Over 30 states across the country have similar laws on the books. Rep. Joel Kitchens says he worked with the American Civil Liberties Union to iron out certain aspects of the bill to address privacy concerns.

The bill is also known as the Kelsey Smith Act, named after a Kansas teenager who was abducted and murdered in 2007. It is believed that using location data would have helped track down Smith sooner, but her cell phone provider was apprehensive about sharing the data. Kitchens credited Connor Waterstreet, a member of the Door County YMCA Youth in Government organization, with bringing the law to his attention.

Photo courtesy of State Rep. Joel Kitchens