WASHINGTON, DC - Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) today issued the following statement after the House of Representatives failed to pass H.R. 4889, the Kelsey Smith Act:
“The time was now to act. The time was now to help families find abducted children and I’m disappointed my colleagues could not support this narrowly written bill," said Walden. “We worked diligently to make this a bill that balanced privacy concerns with the importance of saving lives. It’s modeled after the law of the State of Oregon that passed unanimously through a Democratic legislature and was signed by a Democratic governor. The majority of the House supported this measure, so, I’m frustrated with my colleagues who voted against providing law enforcement with a critical tool to protect the public in urgent situations where every second counts. This bill respected the rights of the state and local legislatures to determine for themselves the appropriate procedures for law enforcement to protect their citizens privacy. I will continue to work to see this life saving tool made available nationwide."
The Kelsey Smith Act, authored by Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS), would require telecommunications carriers to share location data if law enforcement believes that someone is in danger of death or serious harm.
