On Tuesday , members of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee unanimously approve several amendment to a popular House anti - robocall poster aim at set the screws to those annoying robotic annoyances that have caused millions of Americans to simply barricade answering their phones .
So far , there come out to be small opposition to the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act , a bipartisan bill put forth last workweek by Congressmen Frank Pallone , Jr. and Greg Walden , chair and ranking member , respectively , of the Energy and Commerce Committee . The throwaway ’s central aim is requiring the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) to prescribe new ordinance to rule the use of robocalls , namely by force the callers to obtain the consent of those they wish to trace .
two-way amendment adopted by the members during a half - 60 minutes hearing on Tuesday immensely enhanced the visor , sum up , for example , a requirement for FCC to publish a account on headphone carrier ’ participation in efforts to hound the origin of suspected wrongful calls .
Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 16, 2018Photo: Andrew Harnik / AP
https://gizmodo.com/new-bill-prohibits-phone-companies-from-charging-custom-1835708260
One amendment , offered by Congressmen A. Donald McEachin and Pete Olsen will want the FCC to submit evidence of certain violations to the Justice Department for vicious prosecution . It also requires the FCC to make information about those referral useable to the public . The amendment was primitively introduced as a standalone bill called the Locking Up Robocallers Act of 2019 .
Another requires the FCC to make a process by which phone carriers ’ efforts to place and fascinate robocallers receive certification . The purpose is to start the FCC some oversight over the efforts of secret companies engaged in tracing the origins of wrongful robocalls , as well as to name phone companies not actively doing so . Those not aiding in the effort to catch robocallers would be publicly identify .
Other amendments assay to crack down on so - called“one - closed chain ” scams — whereby dupe are trick into call back knowing Book of Numbers that result in substantial charges — and create an interagency workings group between the FCC and Attorney General ’s post to study enforcement of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ( TCPA ) , the principal U.S. law restricting the activities of telemarketers and other telephone solicitations .
The Stopping Bad Robocalls Act amends portions of the Communications Act , from which the FCC ’s enforcement magnate are descend . At present tense , the law include several exemptions : emergency services , obviously , but also phone that have no commercial purpose . Because of this , debt collectors who make economic consumption of automatic telephone set dialing systems and other robocall technology are currently unaffected by the new bill . That could commute shortly , however .
Representative Anna Eshoo , Democrat of California , concisely introduced an amendment designed to ensure the Modern robocall restrictions would impact businesses attempt to collect on Union loans , including student loan . The amendment had no Republican supporters , however .
Eshoo opt to withdraw the amendment rather than force it to a voter turnout after she obtained promises from Republicans Greg Walden and Bob Latta to cooperate on a two-party solution . Eshoo ’s debt - collector amendment will likely be re - introduced when the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act goes for markup before the full Energy and Commerce Committee next month .
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 relieve from sure TCPA restrictions calls “ made solely to collect a debt owe to , or guarantee by , the United States . ”
“ My amendment simply reascends that loophole , ” Eshoo said .
“ I can apportion with you a whole sight of anecdotes , ” Eshoo added . “ I do n’t think anyone ’s gon na raise their paw and say , ‘ Anna , please read them all out , ’ but they are real stories of what ’s happen to the great unwashed . It ’s across the country . It ’s mystifying , it ’s broad , and it lead mightily to this gigantic routine of robocalls that are made . ”
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