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1		SENATE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, Smartphone device sales are on the rise with
3		almost 1 billion units sold in the world in 2013; and
4		WHEREAS, Smartphone theft has increased in Illinois and the
5		United States; in 2013, 3.1 million American consumers were
6		victims of smartphone theft, according to Consumer Reports
7		Magazine (double the number reported in 2012); and
8		WHEREAS, 113 smartphones are stolen every minute in the
9		United States; in New York City, those thefts account for 14%
10		of all crime; the Federal Trade Commission cites one out of 3
11		robberies nationwide involves the theft of a mobile phone; and
12		WHEREAS, Secure Our Smartphones (SOS), an initiative
13		spearheaded by a coalition of law enforcement officials
14		co-chaired by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and
15		San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, is comprised of
16		consumer groups, law enforcement agencies, and elected leaders
17		from across the country, including Illinois Attorney General
18		Lisa Madigan; SOS advocates a "kill switch", such as featured
19		on the latest iPhone operating system, that allows the rightful
20		owner to wipe all data from a stolen phone, thus rendering any
21		stolen smartphone inoperable on any network, anywhere in the
22		world, eliminating the incentive to steal smartphones; and

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1		WHEREAS, This issue is a national problem in all 50 states
2		and should not be dealt with on a state by state basis; and
3		WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon this legislative body to add
4		its support to such a commonsense solution for all 50 states,
5		especially in the face of mounting evidence that such incidents
6		of smartphone thefts are becoming increasingly violent;
7		therefore, be it
8		RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
9		ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we call upon the
10		Federal Communications Commission to expeditiously promulgate
11		such rules and regulations in the interest of public safety
12		that will mandate the installation of software in smartphones
13		that would render them inoperable if they have been stolen; and
14		be it further
15		RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16		prepared and presented to the members of the Illinois
17		Congressional Delegation, the Chairman of the Federal
18		Communications Commission Tom Wheeler, and the other members of
19		the Federal Communications Commission.