A bill to help law enforcement locate kidnap victims faster has been signed into law. 

Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, and Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, are the principal authors of Senate Bill 272, the “Kelsey Smith Act,” which will require cell phone companies to provide phone location information to law enforcement in emergency situations, such as an abduction.

The Kelsey Smith Act is named for an 18-year-old from Kansas who was abducted from a store parking lot in 2007. By the time police finally got the information on Kelsey’s cell phone pings, it was too late – she was found murdered four days later. 

 Since Kelsey’s death, her parents, Greg and Missey Smith, have been working to pass legislation throughout the country to give law enforcement emergency access to information to locate the cell phone of an abducted person. 

Smith said Oklahoma is now the 28th state to adopt legislation in remembrance of Kelsey.   The measure would only apply to emergency situations involving risk of death or serious physical harm. 

SB 272 officially takes effect on November 1.