Will Texas Pass Nation's Strongest Email Privacy Bill?

On Tuesday, a Texas bill (HB 2268) that requires state law enforcement agencies to get a warrant for all emails, regardless of their age, was sent to Gov. Rick Perry, who has until June 16 to sign or veto it, Ars Technica reported. If he neither signs nor vetoes HB 2268, it will pass automatically and take effect on Sept. 1, 2013.

Though the bill -- which passed both the Texas House and Senate earlier this year -- would give citizens more inbox protection from state-level investigations, it would not protect against federal searches.

If the bill goes into effect, Texas law will be more privacy-conscious than the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), under which federal law enforcement agencies must only obtain a warrant to access recent emails before they are opened by the recipient.

Photo of Texas Gov. Rick Perry via Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC