PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Apr 25, 2013
Cell Phone Theft Prevention Act of 2013 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit a provider of commercial mobile or commercial mobile data service from providing service on a mobile device that has been reported to such provider as stolen: (1) by the person who holds the account with respect to such service, or (2) by another service provider receiving a report that the device has been stolen.
Requires service providers receiving a report that a device has been stolen to inform all other providers.
Directs service providers to make available to the account holders the capability of deleting, from a remote location, all information that was placed on a mobile device after its manufacture.
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Prohibits the manufacturing of a mobile device, or the importation of such a device into the United States for sale or resale to the public, unless the device is equipped with an identification number and configured with remote deletion capability.
Establishes criminal penalties for the alteration or removal of a mobile device identification number or for the knowing use, production, trafficking in, control, custody, or possession of hardware or software configured to engage in the alteration or removal of such numbers.
People & committees
Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16] · D–NY
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 12, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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