House Bill 603 is the first in the nation to require state and local officials to obtain a warrant before obtaining information from people’s electronic devices remotely.
The new law defines an electronic device as “[a] device that enables access to or use of an electronic communication service, remote computing service, or location information service.”
Representative Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, introduced the bill to the state legislature in April. Governor Steve Bullock signed the bill into law in May.
Zolnikov wanted to limit the government’s ability to intrude into people’s electronic lives before Snowden became international news.
“The NSA reports hadn’t even come out at that time,” Senator Chas Vincent, R-Libby told The Western News .
The new law does include exceptions, such as when someone’s life is in immediate danger. Owners of electronic devices, such as cellphones and laptops, can provide consent to gather electronic data. The law also excludes devices that have been reported stolen.
Zolnikov felt inspired by a similar law in Texas that was recently defeated.
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