In a 33-1 vote, on May 13, the state Senate approved Senator Mark Leno's bill that would require state law enforcement officials to obtain a search warrant before asking service providers to disclose the contents of their customers' emails. This approval came after Senator Leno agreed to allow for an exemption to the warrant requirement if evidence is at risk of being destroyed or if the individual consents to law enforcement reading his or her emails. Senator Leno, at the hearing, argued that "What this bill will do is one consistent, clear, clean, reasonable policy, which says before any of our emails can be accessed by law enforcement, a warrant will be needed." S.B. 467 will now head to the California Assembly for review.

For more information, read S.B. 467.