[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3186 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3186

 To make it unlawful to alter or remove the identification number of a 
                             mobile device.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 15, 2012

  Mr. Schumer 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 identification number of a 
                             mobile device.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mobile Device Theft Deterrence Act 
of 2012''.

SEC. 2. ALTERING OR REMOVING CELLULAR TELEPHONE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 25 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 515. Altering or removing mobile device identification numbers
    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
            ``(1) the term `manufacturer' means a person who has 
        lawfully obtained the right to assign a mobile device 
        identification number to a mobile device before the initial 
        sale of the mobile device; and
            ``(2) the term `mobile device identification number' means 
        an international mobile equipment identity number, electronic 
        serial number, or any other number or signal that identifies a 
        specific mobile wireless communications device.
    ``(b) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (d), it shall 
be unlawful to--
            ``(1) knowingly remove, obliterate, tamper with, or alter a 
        mobile device identification number; or
            ``(2) knowingly use, produce, traffic in, have control or 
        custody of, or possess hardware or software, knowing it has 
        been configured to engage in the conduct described in paragraph 
        (1).
    ``(c) Penalty.--Any person who violates subsection (b) shall be 
fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
    ``(d) Exception.--Subsection (b) shall not apply to the 
manufacturer of a mobile device or a person who repairs or refurbishes 
a mobile device unless the manufacturer or person knows that the mobile 
device or part involved is stolen.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
chapter 25 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 514 the following:

``515. Altering or removing mobile device identification numbers.''.
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