US House rejects phone-tracking bill spurred by teen's death

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. House has voted down legislation prompted by the death of a Kansas teenager that would have made it easier for law enforcement to track people's cellphones in emergencies.

The measure rejected Monday is similar to laws enacted in more than 20 states since the 2007 abduction and killing of 18-year-old Kelsey Smith of Overland Park, Kansas, The Topeka Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/1OTZr7r ) reported. It would have allowed police to more quickly locate a phone without a search warrant in situations involving "risk of death or serious physical injury."

Smith's parents have cited a delay in getting their daughter's cellphone provider to cooperate with police. Cellphone signals did help lead police to her body in a wooded area of Missouri four days after she was abducted from a Target store parking lot. While Smith's parents have said they don't believe releasing the information more quickly would have saved her life, they think the legislation could help others.

Civil liberties groups, however, raised concerns about the measure.

"While written with the best intentions, this bill would breach the privacy of millions of Americans by giving law enforcement an unprecedented level of access to the movement, whereabouts and location of targeted individuals," the Campaign for Liberty, a libertarian group, said in a statement.

The House attempted to pass the bill under a tactic that expedites the voting process but requires a two-thirds majority. The measure fell 61 votes short of the 290 it needed to pass.

"It's clear the Kelsey Smith Act has the support of the majority of the House of Representatives," said Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder of Kansas, the bill's sponsor. He said he was disappointed in the vote but looked forward to the bill being brought back to the House floor when it could get passed with a simple majority vote.

A similar version was introduced last month in the Senate but hasn't yet received a hearing.

___

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

The Gayly - 5/24/2016 @12:36 p.m. CDT