Week ahead: Senate panel takes up location data bill

by TheHill.com - 06/27/16 6:00 AM ET

The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday will mark up legislation that makes it easier for law enforcement to obtain location data for a phone in the event of an emergency.

The move gives new energy to the bill, the Kelsey Smith Act, which failed to pass the House under suspension of the rules.

The legislation is named for a young woman who was killed after being abducted in 2007.

The bill appeared to be moving toward passage in the House last month, having been put on the floor under suspension, which requires a two-thirds vote to pass and is usually only utilized when leadership believes a bill will be approved without opposition.

But the bill failed after lobbying from privacy advocates on both sides of the ideological spectrum who believe there aren’t enough safeguards in the legislation.

At the time, House Energy and Commerce Committee tech subcommittee chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said he hoped to move the bill again but wouldn’t commit to when that would take place.

The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday is also going to consider a slate of other telecom bills and the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, a recently introduced bill addressing research funding.

“Sen. [Cory] Gardner and Sen. [Gary] Peters rolled up their sleeves to gather necessary input for a pro-science, pro-taxpayer bill,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.). “I’m pleased the committee will soon have an opportunity to consider this important legislation.”

On Thursday, National Security Agency chief Mike Rogers will testify in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee about cyber and encryption challenges for national security. However, the meeting will be closed to the public and the press.

While the Senate will have a busy week, there’s no action, tech or otherwise, in the House as it gaveled out of session for the Fourth of July break. Republicans decided to leave town early after Democrats’ sit-in on the House floor to push for gun control votes.

Monday is also the deadline for reply comments on the FCC’s broadband privacy rules.