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House approves emergency call‑location bill after citing Kelsey Smith case
Summary
HB104 passed the Utah House 65–5 on Feb. 21, 2013, enabling law enforcement to obtain wireless location information when someone is at risk of death or serious physical harm; sponsor cited delayed provider responses in the Kelsey Smith case as rationale.
The Utah House passed House Bill 104 on Feb. 21, 2013, which authorizes law enforcement to quickly obtain wireless call‑location information for a telecommunication device when the agency determines a person is at risk of death or serious physical harm. Representative Mark Wheatley, sponsor, described multiple instances in other states where access to cell‑signal location data helped find people in danger and cited the 2012 abduction and death of Kelsey Smith as an example of delayed records production that hindered search efforts.
Wheatley said that when providers delayed handing over ping records, authorities could not act quickly; he said faster access to location information has saved lives in other states. Representative McHale, a practicing attorney, spoke in support, recounting an instance where pinging a phone helped locate a person attempting suicide. After brief discussion, the House passed HB104 by recorded vote, 65 yeas to 5 nays, and transmitted it to the Senate.
