Stopping Bad Robocalls Act

This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take certain actions to protect consumers from robocalls.

Specifically, the FCC must

• update regulations exempting certain robocalls from criminal liability to include identified parties who may make such calls, parties who may be called, and how many times they may be called;
• require implementation of call authentication technology;
• initiate a proceeding to protect called parties from one-ring scams;
• establish the Hospital Robocall Protection Group to develop best practices for combating robocalls made to hospitals and to devise strategies for hospitals to protect against such calls;
• establish a single consortium to conduct private-led robocall tracing efforts and implement a streamlined process for private entities to voluntarily share information with the FCC;
• ensure robocall blocking services provided on an opt-out basis are free of cost and include transparency and redress options; and
• provide the Department of Justice (DOJ) with evidence of any willful, knowing, and repeated robocall violation made with an intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.

Additionally, the bill allows a forfeiture penalty to be imposed without a prior citation where illegal robocalls were made intentionally and where inaccurate caller identification information has been provided.

Further, the DOJ must assemble an interagency working group to study and report on the prohibition of robocalls with a focus on bettering enforcement against robocalls.

Stopping Bad Robocalls Act

This bill updates various policies and regulations relating to robocalls. Specifically, the bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect consumer privacy as it relates to robocalls.

The FCC must update regulations involving certain robocalls that are exempt from criminal liability to include specific requirements identifying classes of parties who may make such calls, parties who may be called, and how many times they may be called.

Additionally, the bill removes the requirement that a citation be issued prior to a forfeiture penalty being imposed in cases where violations involving illegal robocalls have been intentional and where inaccurate caller identification information has been provided. The bill also implements a three-year statute of limitation for such violations requiring notice, and a four-year statute of limitation where an intentional violation has occurred.

The FCC must promulgate regulations to address requirements for effective call authentication technology as well as to establish a process to streamline the ways in which a private entity may voluntarily share with FCC information relating to an illegal call or text or for calls with misleading or inaccurate caller identification information.

Finally, the bill requires the FCC to ensure robocall blocking services provided on an opt-out basis are provided free of cost with transparency and redress options for consumers and callers.