II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1949 

To make it unlawful to alter or remove the unique equipment identification 

number of a mobile device. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 5, 2015 

Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, and Mrs. 

BOXER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To make it unlawful to alter or remove the unique equipment 

identification number of a mobile device. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mobile Device Theft 

5 Deterrence Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ALTERING OR REMOVING MOBILE DEVICE UNIQUE 

7 EQUIPMENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 25 of title 18, United 

9 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol10 lowing: 


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2 

•S 1949 IS

1 ‘‘§ 515. Altering or removing unique mobile device 

2 equipment identification numbers 

3 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

4 ‘‘(1) the term ‘manufacturer’ means a person 

5 who has lawfully obtained the right to assign a mo6 bile device equipment identification number to a mo7 bile device before the initial sale of the mobile device; 

8 and 

9 ‘‘(2) the term ‘unique mobile device equipment 

10 identification number’ means— 

11 ‘‘(A) an international mobile equipment 

12 identity number; 

13 ‘‘(B) electronic serial number; or 

14 ‘‘(C) any other number or signal— 

15 ‘‘(i) that identifies a specific mobile 

16 wireless communications device; and 

17 ‘‘(ii) has the same function and pur18 poses as a number described in subpara19 graph (A) or (B). 

20 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION.—Except as provided in sub21 section (d), it shall be unlawful to— 

22 ‘‘(1) knowingly remove, obliterate, tamper with, 

23 or alter a mobile device identification number; or 

24 ‘‘(2) knowingly use, produce, traffic in, have 

25 control or custody of, or possess hardware or softVerDate Sep 11 2014 17:57 Aug 11, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1949.IS S1949

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•S 1949 IS

1 ware, knowing it has been configured to engage in 

2 the conduct described in paragraph (1). 

3 ‘‘(c) PENALTY.—Any person who violates subsection 

4 (b) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more 

5 than 5 years, or both. 

6 ‘‘(d) EXCEPTION.—Subsection (b) shall not apply to 

7 the manufacturer of a mobile device, a person that engi8 neers, tests, repairs, or refurbishes a mobile device, or a 

9 person that implements technologies for the purpose of 

10 protecting the security and privacy of mobile device end 

11 users while allowing the transmission of the mobile device 

12 identification number to service providers, unless the man13 ufacturer or person knows that the mobile device or part 

14 involved is stolen.’’. 

15 (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 

16 The table of sections for chapter 25 of title 18, United 

17 States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relat18 ing to section 514 the following: 

‘‘515. Altering or removing unique mobile device equipment identification numbers.’’. 

Æ 


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