House Democrat to Reintroduce Kill Switch Bill

Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., will reintroduce the Smartphone Theft Prevention Act (HR-4065) in this Congress, his spokeswoman told us. The bill would require smartphone manufacturers to include a kill switch on the device, and has become a source of debate at the state and federal levels over the past year. Serrano is still deciding when to reintroduce the legislation, the spokeswoman said. Serrano’s bill in the 113th Congress had 17 co-sponsors, all Democrats. It was referred to the Communications Subcommittee in February, but it never advanced.