To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require providers of a covered service to provide location information concerning the telecommunications device of a user of such service to an investigative or law enforcement officer or an employee or other agent of a public safety answering point in an emergency situation involving risk of death or serious physical harm or in order to respond to the user’s call for emergency services.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · December 15, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
The Kelsey Smith Act amends federal telecommunications law to require mobile service providers and internet-based voice service providers to immediately disclose a phone's location to law enforcement and emergency responders in urgent situations. Specifically, providers must share location data when law enforcement requests it for a phone that placed a 911 call in the past 48 hours or when there is reasonable suspicion that the device belongs to someone in an emergency involving risk of death or serious injury. The law requires law enforcement agencies to keep records of all location requests, documenting the officer's name, the reason for the request, and how it meets the emergency criteria. The bill protects telecommunications companies from legal liability for providing this information and does not prevent states from enacting stronger privacy protections. The legislation applies to commercial mobile services and internet-based phone services.
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