(1) 
mobile 
device 
theft 
costs 
consumers 
$30,000,000,000 each year, according to the Federal 
Communications Commission; 
(2) 1 in 3 robberies include the theft of a mo-
bile device; 
(3) carriers, manufacturers, law enforcement, 
and the Federal Communications Commission have 
worked to address the growing trend of mobile de-
vice theft, but more remains to be done; 
(4) consumers deserve to have the most secure 
technology available to protect them and their infor-
mation; 
(5) technological protections continue to de-
velop, evolve, and improve in ways that are good for 
the economy and the consumers of the United 
States, and for public safety in the United States; 
(6) the wireless industry should work with law 
enforcement to educate consumers about the security 
tools that are available to them and how to keep 
their data, their devices, and themselves safe; and 
(7) because engineering and security needs 
change rapidly, the mobile device industry, law en-
forcement, and consumer advocates are best suited 
to proactively develop solutions to protect con-
sumers, drive innovation, and deter theft. 
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SEC. 3. FUNCTION FOR STOLEN MOBILE DEVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part I of title III of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 343. FUNCTION FOR STOLEN MOBILE DEVICES. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
‘‘(1) the term ‘account holder’, with respect to 
a mobile device— 
‘‘(A) means the person who holds the ac-
count through which commercial mobile service 
or commercial mobile data service is provided 
on the device; and 
‘‘(B) includes a person authorized by the 
person described in subparagraph (A) to take 
actions with respect to the device; 
‘‘(2) the term ‘commercial mobile data service’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 6001 of 
the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act 
of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401); 
‘‘(3) the term ‘commercial mobile service’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 332; and 
‘‘(4) the term ‘mobile device’ means a personal 
electronic device on which commercial mobile service 
or commercial mobile data service is provided. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.— 
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‘‘(1) FUNCTION.—A provider of commercial mo-
bile service or commercial mobile data service on a 
mobile device shall make available on the device a 
function that— 
‘‘(A) may only be used by the account 
holder; and 
‘‘(B) includes the capability to remotely— 
‘‘(i) delete or render inaccessible from 
the device all information relating to the 
account holder that has been placed on the 
device; 
‘‘(ii) render the device inoperable on 
the network of any provider of commercial 
mobile service or commercial mobile data 
service globally, even if the device is turned 
off or has the data storage medium re-
moved; 
‘‘(iii) prevent the device from being 
reactivated or reprogrammed without a 
passcode or similar authorization after the 
device has been— 
‘‘(I) rendered inoperable as de-
scribed in clause (ii); or 
‘‘(II) subject to an unauthorized 
factory reset; and 
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‘‘(iv) reverse any action described in 
clause (i), (ii), or (iii) if the device is recov-
ered by the account holder. 
‘‘(2) DEVICE STANDARDS.—A person may not 
manufacture in the United States, or import into the 
United States for sale or resale to the public, a mo-
bile device unless the device is configured in such a 
manner that the provider of commercial mobile serv-
ice or commercial mobile data service on the device 
may make available on the device the function re-
quired under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) EXEMPTIONS FOR FUNCTIONALLY EQUIVA-
LENT TECHNOLOGY.— 
‘‘(A) MOBILE SERVICE PROVIDERS.—The 
Commission may exempt a provider of commer-
cial mobile service or commercial mobile data 
service on a mobile device from the requirement 
under paragraph (1), with respect to that de-
vice, if the provider makes available on the de-
vice technology that accomplishes the functional 
equivalent of the function required under para-
graph (1). 
‘‘(B) MANUFACTURERS AND IMPORTERS.— 
The Commission may exempt a person from the 
requirement under paragraph (2), with respect 
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to a mobile device that the person manufactures 
in the United States or imports into the United 
States for sale or resale to the public, if the de-
vice is configured in such a manner that the 
provider of commercial mobile service or com-
mercial mobile data service on the device may 
make available on the device technology that ac-
complishes the functional equivalent of the 
function required under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(4) WAIVER FOR LOW-COST, VOICE-ONLY MO-
BILE DEVICES.—The Commission may waive the ap-
plicability of the requirements under paragraphs (1) 
and (2) with respect to any low-cost mobile device 
that— 
‘‘(A) is intended for primarily voice-only 
mobile service; and 
‘‘(B) may have limited data consumption 
functions focused on text messaging or short 
message service. 
‘‘(c) NO FEE.—A provider of commercial mobile serv-
ice or commercial mobile data service on a mobile device 
may not charge the account holder any fee for making the 
function described in subsection (b)(1), or any equivalent 
technology described in subsection (b)(3)(A), available to 
the account holder. 
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‘‘(d) FORFEITURE PENALTY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any person that is deter-
mined by the Commission, in accordance with para-
graphs (3) and (4) of section 503(b), to have vio-
lated subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall be lia-
ble to the United States for a forfeiture penalty, in 
an amount to be determined by the Commission. 
‘‘(2) OTHER PENALTIES.—A forfeiture penalty 
under this subsection shall be in addition to any 
other penalty provided for in this Act. 
‘‘(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to prohibit a manufacturer of mo-
bile devices, or a provider of commercial mobile service or 
commercial mobile data service, from taking actions not 
described in this section to protect consumers from the 
theft of mobile devices.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY OF FUNCTION REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘‘mobile device’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 343 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
added by subsection (a). 
(2) APPLICABILITY.—Except as provided in 
paragraph (3), section 343 of the Communications 
Act of 1934, as added by subsection (a), shall apply 
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