Enlarge / Cops. (credit: Erland Grøtberg / Getty Images News)

The New York Civil Liberties Union is pushing a new state bill that would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant prior to deploying a cell-site simulator, or stingray. The bill also includes other new restrictions.

Cell-site simulators, or fake cell towers, are often used by police to locate criminal suspects by tricking their phones into giving up their location. In some cases, simulators can also be used to intercept phone calls and text messages. Use of these devices has been heavily scrutinized in recent years—in September 2015, the Department of Justice said it would require its federal agents to seek a warrant before deployment.

The proposed law was inspired by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California’s successful efforts in 2015. The New York law was introduced in 2016, but it didn’t get far. New York Assembly Bill 1895 was re-introduced on January 13, 2017 but hasn’t had any hearings as of yet. To become law, the bill would have to pass the Assembly and the state Senate before being signed by the governor.