Cell phone theft is a growing problem, but a group of California lawmakers think they have a solution.

State Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) on Friday is expected to introduce legislation requiring all smartphones and tablets sold in the state to contain a so-called "kill switch," which would render the device inoperable if it was lost or stolen. The bill, which is sponsored by San Francisco Attorney General George Gascón, would apply to any device sold after Jan. 1, 2015.

As first a reported by the The New York Times, companies that sold phones without the kill switch software would face fines of up to $2,500 for each device sold. If passed, the bill would only apply to phones sold in California, though it would likely cause smartphone markers to add the software to all their devices sold in the U.S.

"With robberies of smartphones reaching an all-time high, California cannot continue to stand by when a solution to the problem is readily available," Leno said in a statement. "Today we are officially stepping in and requiring the cellphone industry to take the necessary steps to curb violent smartphone thefts and protect the safety of the very consumers they rely upon to support their businesses."

Leno and Gascón first announced plans to introduce the bill late last year. The move comes after previous efforts to add a kill switch to cell phones were sidelined due to opposition from cell phone carriers.

CTIA, the wireless trade association that represents all the major U.S. carriers, said last year that kill switches pose "very serious risks." A disabled device would not be able to make emergency calls, CTIA has said, while those who disable lost phones would have to pay hundreds of dollars for a new device, even if they found the old phone.

Apple incorporated a kill switch of sorts for iOS 7 devices; stolen or lost gadgets cannot be reactivated without the owner's Apple ID and password. The approach earned rave reviews from Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. Samsung has also been working on its own option.

Cell phone thefts currently account for 30 to 40 percent of all robberies nationwide, and cost U.S. consumers more than $30 billion in 2012, according to Leno and Gascón, citing data from the Federal Communications Commission.

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