Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0061 Compare Versions

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55 2025 -- S 0061
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99 S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
1010 IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1111 JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
1212 ____________
1313
1414 A N A C T
1515 RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- ELECTRONIC INFORMATION AND DATA
1616 PRIVACY ACT
1717 Introduced By: Senators de la Cruz, Burke, Raptakis, and Rogers
1818 Date Introduced: January 23, 2025
1919 Referred To: Senate Judiciary
2020
2121
2222 It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
2323 SECTION 1. Title 12 of the General Laws entitled "CRIMINAL PROCEDURE" is hereby 1
2424 amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 2
2525 CHAPTER 34 3
2626 ELECTRONIC INFORMATION AND DATA PRIVACY ACT 4
2727 12-34-1. Short title. 5
2828 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Electronic Information and Data 6
2929 Privacy Act". 7
3030 12-34-2. Definitions. 8
3131 As used in this chapter: 9
3232 (1) "Electronic communication service" means a service that provides to users of the 10
3333 service the ability to send or receive wire or electronic communications. 11
3434 (2) "Electronic device" means a device that enables access to or use of an electronic 12
3535 communication service, remote computing service, or location information service. 13
3636 (3) "Electronic information or data" means information or data including a sign, signal, 14
3737 writing, image, sound or intelligence of any nature transmitted or stored in whole or in part by a 15
3838 wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo-electronic, or photo-optical system: 16
3939 (i) "Electronic information or data" includes the location information, stored data, or 17
4040 transmitted data of an electronic device; 18
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4444 (ii) "Electronic information or data" does not include: 1
4545 (A) A wire or oral communication; 2
4646 (B) A communication made through a tone-only paging device; or 3
4747 (C) Electronic funds transfer information stored by a financial institution in a 4
4848 communications system used for the electronic storage and transfer of money. 5
4949 (4) "Law enforcement agency" means an entity of the state or a political subdivision of the 6
5050 state including any municipality within the state, or any agency acting on their behalf, that exists 7
5151 primarily to prevent, detect, or prosecute crime and enforce criminal statutes or ordinances. 8
5252 (5) "Location information" means information obtained by means of a tracking device, 9
5353 concerning the location of an electronic device that, in whole or in part, is generated or derived 10
5454 from or obtained from the operation of an electronic device. 11
5555 (6) "Location information service" means the provision of a global positioning service or 12
5656 other mapping, location, or directional information service. 13
5757 (7) "Oral communication" means any oral communication uttered by a person exhibiting 14
5858 an expectation that the communication is not subject to interception under circumstances justifying 15
5959 that expectation. 16
6060 (8) "Remote computing service" means the provision to the public of computer storage or 17
6161 processing services by means of an electronic communication system. 18
6262 (9) "Transmitted data" means electronic information or data that is transmitted wirelessly 19
6363 from: 20
6464 (i) An electronic device to another electronic device without the use of an intermediate 21
6565 connection or relay; or 22
6666 (ii) An electronic device to a nearby antenna. 23
6767 (10) "Wire communications" means any aural transfer made in whole or in part through 24
6868 the use of facilities for the transmission of communications by the aid of wire, cable, or other like 25
6969 connection between the point of origin and the point of reception, (including the use of the 26
7070 connection in a switching station) furnished or operated by any person engaged in providing or 27
7171 operating the facilities for the transmission of communications. The term includes any electronic 28
7272 storage of the communication. 29
7373 12-34-3. Electronic information or data privacy-Warrant required for disclosure. 30
7474 (a) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, for a criminal investigation or 31
7575 prosecution, a law enforcement agency may not obtain, without a search warrant issued by a court 32
7676 upon a finding of probable cause: 33
7777 (1) The location information, stored data, or transmitted data of an electronic device; or 34
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8181 (2) Electronic information or data transmitted by the owner of the electronic information 1
8282 or data to a remote computing service provider. 2
8383 (b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, a law enforcement agency may not 3
8484 use, copy, or disclose, for any purpose, the location information, stored data, transmitted data of an 4
8585 electronic device, or electronic information or data provided by a remote computing service 5
8686 provider, that: 6
8787 (1) Is not the subject of the warrant; and 7
8888 (2) Is collected as part of an effort to obtain the location information, stored data, 8
8989 transmitted data of an electronic device, or electronic information or data provided by a remote 9
9090 computing service provider that is the subject of the warrant described in subsection (a) of this 10
9191 section. 11
9292 (c) A law enforcement agency may use, copy, or disclose the transmitted data of an 12
9393 electronic device used to communicate with the electronic device that is the subject of the warrant 13
9494 if the law enforcement agency reasonably believes that the transmitted data is necessary to achieve 14
9595 the objective of the warrant. 15
9696 (d) The electronic information or data described in subsection (b) of this section shall be 16
9797 destroyed in an unrecoverable manner by the law enforcement agency as soon as reasonably 17
9898 possible after the electronic information is collected. 18
9999 (e) A law enforcement agency may obtain location information without a warrant for an 19
100100 electronic device: 20
101101 (1) If the device is reported stolen by the owner; 21
102102 (2) With the informed, affirmative consent of the owner or user of the electronic device; 22
103103 (3) In accordance with a judicially recognized exception to the warrant requirement; 23
104104 (4) If the owner has voluntarily and publicly disclosed the location information; or 24
105105 (5) From the remote computing service provider if the remote computing service provider 25
106106 voluntarily discloses the location information: 26
107107 (i) Under a belief that an emergency exists involving an imminent risk to an individual of 27
108108 death, serious physical injury, sexual abuse, live-streamed sexual exploitation, kidnapping, or 28
109109 human trafficking; or 29
110110 (ii) That is inadvertently discovered by the remote computing service provider and appears 30
111111 to pertain to the commission of a felony, or of a misdemeanor involving physical violence, sexual 31
112112 abuse, or dishonesty. 32
113113 (f) A law enforcement agency may obtain stored or transmitted data from an electronic 33
114114 device, or electronic information or data transmitted by the owner of the electronic information or 34
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118118 data to a remote computing service provider, without a warrant: 1
119119 (1) With the informed consent of the owner of the electronic device or electronic 2
120120 information or data; 3
121121 (2) In accordance with a judicially recognized exception to the warrant requirement; 4
122122 (3) In connection with a report forwarded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited 5
123123 Children under 18 U.S.C. § 2258(A); or 6
124124 (4) From the remote computing service provider if the remote computing service provider 7
125125 voluntarily discloses the location information: 8
126126 (i) Under a belief that an emergency exists involving an imminent risk to an individual of 9
127127 death, serious physical injury, sexual abuse, live-streamed sexual exploitation, kidnapping, or 10
128128 human trafficking; or 11
129129 (ii) That is inadvertently discovered by the remote computing service provider and appears 12
130130 to pertain to the commission of a felony, or of a misdemeanor involving physical violence, sexual 13
131131 abuse, or dishonesty. 14
132132 (g) A prosecutor, may obtain a judicial order based on a finding of probable cause, 15
133133 consistent with 18 U.S.C. § 2702 and 18 U.S.C. § 2703, to the electronic communications system 16
134134 or service or remote computing service provider that owns or controls the Internet protocol address, 17
135135 websites, email address, or service to a specific telephone number, requiring the production of the 18
136136 following information, if available, upon providing in the court order the Internet protocol address, 19
137137 email address, telephone number, or other identifier, and the dates and times the address, telephone 20
138138 number, or other identifier suspected of being used in the commission of the offense; 21
139139 (1) Names of subscribers, service customers, and users; 22
140140 (2) Addresses of subscribers, service customers, and users; 23
141141 (3) Records of session times and durations; 24
142142 (4) Length of service, including the start date and types of service utilized; and 25
143143 (5) Telephone or other instrument subscriber numbers or other subscriber identifiers, 26
144144 including any temporarily assigned network address. 27
145145 (h) An electronic communication service provider or remote computing service provider, 28
146146 their officers, agents, employees or other specified individuals acting pursuant to and in accordance 29
147147 with the provisions of this chapter, may not be held liable for providing information, facilities, or 30
148148 assistance in good faith reliance on the terms of the warrant or without a warrant in accordance 31
149149 with subsections (e) and (f) of this section. 32
150150 (i) Nothing in this chapter affects the provisions of chapter 2 of title 38, (access to public 33
151151 records act,) or limits or affects the rights of an employer to voluntarily provide location 34
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155155 information, stored or transmitted data from an electronic device, or electronic information or data 1
156156 transmitted by an employee utilizing an electronic device owned by the employer. 2
157157 12-34-4. Notification required - Delayed notification. 3
158158 (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a law enforcement agency that 4
159159 executes a warrant pursuant to this chapter, shall, within fourteen (14) days after the day on which 5
160160 the electronic information or data that is the subject of the warrant is obtained by the law 6
161161 enforcement agency, issue a notification to the owner of the electronic device or electronic 7
162162 information or data specified in the warrant that includes the following information: 8
163163 (1) That a warrant was applied for and granted; 9
164164 (2) The kind of warrant issued; 10
165165 (3) The period of time during which the collection of the electronic information or data was 11
166166 authorized; 12
167167 (4) The offense specified in the application for the warrant; 13
168168 (5) The identity of the law enforcement agency that filed the application; and 14
169169 (6) The identity of the judge or magistrate who issued the warrant. 15
170170 (b) The notification requirement of subsection (a) of this section, shall not be triggered 16
171171 until the owner of the electronic device or electronic information or data specified in the warrant is 17
172172 known, or could reasonably be identified, by the law enforcement agency. 18
173173 (c) A law enforcement agency seeking a warrant pursuant to this chapter may submit a 19
174174 request, and the court may grant permission, to delay notification required by subsection (a) of this 20
175175 section for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days, if the court determines that there is reasonable 21
176176 cause to believe that the notification may: 22
177177 (1) Endanger the life or physical safety of an individual; 23
178178 (2) Cause a person to flee from prosecution; 24
179179 (3) Lead to the destruction of evidence; 25
180180 (4) Intimidate a potential witness; or 26
181181 (5) Otherwise seriously jeopardize an investigation or unduly delay a trial. 27
182182 (d) When a delay of notification is granted under subsection (c) of this section and upon 28
183183 application by the law enforcement agency, the court may grant additional extensions of up to thirty 29
184184 (30) days each. 30
185185 (e) Notwithstanding subsection (d) of this section, when a delay of notification is granted 31
186186 under subsection (c) of this section, and upon application by a law enforcement agency, the court 32
187187 may grant an additional extension of up to sixty (60) days if the court determines that a delayed 33
188188 notification is justified because the investigation involving the warrant: 34
189189
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192192 (1) Is interstate in nature and sufficiently complex; or 1
193193 (2) Is likely to extend up to or beyond an additional sixty (60) days. 2
194194 (f) Upon expiration of the period of delayed notification granted under subsections (c) or 3
195195 (d) of this section, the law enforcement agency shall serve upon or deliver by first-class mail, or by 4
196196 other means if delivery is impracticable, to the owner of the electronic device or electronic 5
197197 information or data a copy of the warrant together with notice that: 6
198198 (1) States with reasonable specificity the nature of the law enforcement inquiry including: 7
199199 (i) The information described in subsection (a) of this section; 8
200200 (ii) A statement that notification of the search was delayed; 9
201201 (iii) The name of the court that authorized the delay of notification; and 10
202202 (iv) A reference to the provision of this chapter that allowed the delay of notification. 11
203203 (g) A law enforcement agency is not required to notify the owner of the electronic device 12
204204 or electronic information or data if the owner is located outside of the United States. 13
205205 12-34-5. Third-party electronic information or data. 14
206206 (a) As used in this section, "subscriber record" means a record or information of a provider 15
207207 of an electronic communication service or remote computing service that reveals the subscriber's 16
208208 or customer's: 17
209209 (1) Name; 18
210210 (2) Address; 19
211211 (3) Local and long distance telephone connection record, or record of session time and 20
212212 duration; 21
213213 (4) Length of service, including the start date; 22
214214 (5) Type of service used; 23
215215 (6) Telephone number, instrument number, or other subscriber or customer number or 24
216216 identification, including a temporarily assigned network address; and 25
217217 (7) Means and source of payment for the service, including credit card or bank account 26
218218 numbers. 27
219219 (b) Except for purposes of grand jury testimony or use at trial after indictment, a law 28
220220 enforcement agency may not obtain, use, copy or disclose a subscriber record. 29
221221 (c) A law enforcement agency may not obtain, use, copy or disclose, for a criminal 30
222222 investigation or prosecution, any record or information, other than a subscriber record, of a provider 31
223223 of an electronic communication service or remote computing service related to a subscriber or 32
224224 customer without a warrant. 33
225225 (d) Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a law enforcement agency may 34
226226
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229229 obtain, use, copy or disclose a subscriber record, or other record or information related to a 1
230230 subscriber or customer, without a warrant: 2
231231 (1) With the informed, affirmed consent of the subscriber or customer; 3
232232 (2) In accordance with a judicially recognized exception to warrant requirements; 4
233233 (3) If the subscriber or customer voluntarily discloses the record in a manner that is publicly 5
234234 accessible; or 6
235235 (4) If the provider of an electronic communication service or remote computing service 7
236236 voluntarily discloses the record: 8
237237 (i) Under a belief that an emergency exists involving the imminent risk to an individual of: 9
238238 (A) Death; 10
239239 (B) Serious physical injury; 11
240240 (C) Sexual abuse; 12
241241 (D) Live-streamed sexual exploitation; 13
242242 (E) Kidnapping; or 14
243243 (F) Human trafficking; 15
244244 (ii) That is inadvertently discovered by the provider, if the record appears to pertain to the 16
245245 commission of: 17
246246 (A) A felony; or 18
247247 (B) A misdemeanor involving physical violence, sexual abuse or dishonesty; or 19
248248 (iii) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, as otherwise permitted under 18 U.S.C. § 20
249249 2702. 21
250250 (e) A provider of an electronic communication service or remote computing service, or the 22
251251 provider's officers, agents, or other specified persons may not be held liable for providing 23
252252 information facilities, or assistance in good faith reliance on the terms of a warrant issued under 24
253253 this section, or without a warrant in accordance with subsection (d) of this section. 25
254254 12-34-6. Exclusion of records. 26
255255 All electronic information or data and records of a provider of an electronic communication 27
256256 service or remote computing service pertaining to a subscriber or customer that are obtained in 28
257257 violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the rules governing exclusion as if the 29
258258 records were obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and 30
259259 Article 1, Section 6 of the Rhode Island Constitution. 31
260260 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 32
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267267 EXPLANATION
268268 BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
269269 OF
270270 A N A C T
271271 RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- ELECTRONIC INFORMATION AND DATA
272272 PRIVACY ACT
273273 ***
274274 This act would require law enforcement agencies to obtain search warrants for electronic 1
275275 information, data, location information and other identifying information of subscribers and 2
276276 customers, except in specified circumstances. 3
277277 This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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