SR0231 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0231 LRB099 11430 MST 32395 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Smartphone device sales are on the rise with almost 1 billion units sold in the world in 2013; and

WHEREAS, Smartphone theft has increased in Illinois and the United States; in 2013, 3.1 million American consumers were victims of smartphone theft, according to Consumer Reports Magazine (double the number reported in 2012); and

WHEREAS, 113 smartphones are stolen every minute in the United States; in New York City, those thefts account for 14% of all crime; the Federal Trade Commission cites one out of 3 robberies nationwide involves the theft of a mobile phone; and

WHEREAS, Secure Our Smartphones (SOS), an initiative spearheaded by a coalition of law enforcement officials co-chaired by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, is comprised of consumer groups, law enforcement agencies, and elected leaders from across the country, including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan; SOS advocates a "kill switch", such as featured on the latest iPhone operating system, that allows the rightful owner to wipe all data from a stolen phone, thus rendering any stolen smartphone inoperable on any network, anywhere in the world, eliminating the incentive to steal smartphones; and

WHEREAS, This issue is a national problem in all 50 states and should not be dealt with on a state by state basis; and

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon this legislative body to add its support to such a commonsense solution for all 50 states, especially in the face of mounting evidence that such incidents of smartphone thefts are becoming increasingly violent; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we call upon the Federal Communications Commission to expeditiously promulgate such rules and regulations in the interest of public safety that will mandate the installation of software in smartphones that would render them inoperable if they have been stolen; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be prepared and presented to the members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Tom Wheeler, and the other members of the Federal Communications Commission.