It’s generally clear what happens to your physical assets when you die but what about online assets including a Facebook or email account.

A bill in the Illinois Senate is looking to bring some balance to the law that for now can leave those accounts closed. Senate Bill 1376 wants to give a court appointed trustee access to online accounts to help settle estates. Senator Jason Barickman, a Bloomington Republican, is a co-sponsor of the bill and says that current law leaves many assets unsettled.

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Barickman says digital assets are bigger than just a Facebook account, saying access to email accounts for important documents is critical and what he wants to see is a smooth transition in settling estates.

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Barickman calls the bill a work in progress - hearing opposition from tech companies and others who worry about privacy and controlling data.

Tech companies and others are opposed to the current bill as they worry about privacy and controlling data.