Right, Kelsey Smith. Her phone's pings led searchers to her.The Kansas Senate Utilities Committee has recommended that the Senate pass Substitute for House 2126, known as the Kelsey Smith Act last Friday.
The bill, introduced by Representative Rob Olson (R), would require wireless telecommunications companies to release location information to law enforcement of a missing person’s cell phone in a timely manner in emergency situations.
Cell phones transmit signals, known as “pings”, whenever they are in use, while receiving or sending a call or message. The “ping” is received by the nearest cell phone tower of the phone's service provider. This allows investigators to pinpoint the general location of that cell phone.
The bill was prompted by Verizon's (Kelsey Smith's cell phone provider) foot-dragging in providing the "ping" data to law enforcement during their search for Kelsey. Greg and Missey Smith, Kelsey's parents, testified in hearings in the Kansas House and Senate.
Kansas Bureau of Investigation will be required to collect contact information for all wireless telecommunications companies authorized to do business in Kansas and then share that contact information with law enforcement agencies and 911 call centers. This requirement was an amendment added to the bill last week.
The bill now goes to full Kansas Senate for a vote. If passed, the bill will go to the governor for signature.
As Kelsey was found in neighboring Missouri, a similar law should be passed there as well.
UPDATE (3/24/09) from the Kelsey Smith Foundation:
The Kelsey Smith Act passed the Kansas Senate today by a vote of 40-0. The bill will now go to a joint conference committee to work out differences between the House version of the bill and the Senate version of the bill.
Once it clears the committee it will be voted on again by the House and Senate. The bill will then go to the governor for signature.
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