© 2024 KOSU
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Oklahoma Senate Approves Bill To Help Find Kidnapped Victims Faster

LLUDO / FLICKR (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

A bill to help find kidnapped victims faster was approved by the state Senate on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 272 requires cell phone companies to provide phone location information to law enforcement in emergency situations, such as an abduction.

Senator Darrell Weaver (R-Moore) said his legislation is named after Kelsey Smith, an 18-year-old from Kansas who was abducted from a store parking lot in 2007.

"When minutes count, having the ability to ping and locate a cell phone quickly can mean the difference between life and death, and that’s why Kelsey’s parents have taken on this cause—they don’t want another family to go through something like this," Weaver said. "In that case, police couldn’t get the information they needed until it was too late. This legislation can help us save lives."

Weaver said the measure would only apply to emergency situations involving risk of death or serious physical harm. Additionally, the cell service provider would have to notify the customer within 30 days saying the phone had been pinged to help find a missing person.

The measure passed by a vote of 44 to 2, which Senators Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) and George Young (D-Oklahoma City) voting against. It now heads to the House for consideration.

---

Support this vital local reporting with a donation to KOSU. Click here to give.

Michael Cross is the host of KOSU's Morning Edition.
KOSU is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.
Related Content