H.R. 2024: Smartphone Theft Prevention Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-04-23 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-04-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [D-NY-15] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Smartphone Theft Prevention Act of 2015

Plain summary

Smartphone Theft Prevention Act of 2015 Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require commercial mobile service providers to make available on smartphones, in coordination with smartphone manufacturers and operating system providers, a function that an account holder may use remotely to: (1) delete or render inaccessible all information on the smartphone relating to the account holder, (2) render the smartphone inoperable on the global networks of such service providers, (3) prevent reactivation or reprogramming without a passcode or similar authorization after the smartphone has been rendered inoperable or has been subject to an unauthorized factory reset, and (4) restore personal information from the smartphone onto a compatible or interoperable device. Requires service providers to ensure that smartphones: (1) prompt the account holder to enable such functions during the initial setup process, and (2) allow only the account holder to opt out. Prohibits a smartphone from being manufactured in the United States or imported into the United States for sale or resale to the public, unless the smartphone is configured in such a manner that a service provider may comply with such functionality requirements. Prohibits service providers from charging a fee for making available such functions, the initial prompt, and the ability to opt out. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a common national framework for smartphone anti-theft measures to protect consumers. Requires the FCC to determine whether this Act should apply to tablets with commercial mobile services.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Smartphone Theft Prevention Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [D-NY-15] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Juan Vargas (D-CA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr2024.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr2024 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114