Legislation to help protect Minnesotans and aid law enforcement in cases of missing person was passed Tuesday in the Minnesota Senate.
Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL-Duluth) is the author of the bill.
The legislation is commonly referred to as the "Kelsey Smith Act." Kelsey Smith was an 18-year-old from Kansas who was abducted and murdered in 2007.
Her parents, Greg and Missey, along with police, begged their cell phone company to hand over the "ping" records that would show the location of her cell phone.
It took four days before law enforcement received the records and within 45 minutes authorities located Kelsey's body.
A similar bill passed in Kansas last year.
The Smiths testified in favor of a similar Nebraska bill earlier this year. That legislation was signed into law on March 17.
"I commend the Smiths for their work on this issue," Sen. Prettner Solon said. "This bill will give law enforcement another tool to protect Minnesotans."
This legislation would require cell phone providers to hand over cell phone records to law enforcement in the case of a missing person when there is a risk or threat of death or serious physical harm.
"Minnesota has the chance to be one of the early states to enact a common sense law," Sen. Prettner Salon said. "Hopefully we can send a message to other states to consider similar legislation to safeguard the public."
The Smiths testified before the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications in February.
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