House Passes Gianforte Bill Combating Illegal Robocalls

Press Release

The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed the bipartisan Stopping Bad Robocalls Act which included Congressman Greg Gianforte's Tracing Back and Catching Unlawful Robocalls Act.

Gianforte spoke on the House floor encouraging lawmakers to pass the bill. "Too many robocalls are deceptive and destructive -- from bogus insurance offers to threats of legal action. Scam artists scheme to steal hardworking Montanans' private personal and financial information," Gianforte said.

"Today, we take a big step toward stopping illegal robocalls. We're empowering consumers. Phone companies will provide consumers with call-authentication tools and blocking services at no cost. Illegal callers will face more jail time and higher fines," Gianforte said. "Let's get robocall relief across the finish line for the American people."

During his remarks on the House floor, Gianforte told lawmakers the story of a young woman in Bozeman who received a robocall from the number of her recently deceased younger brother.

The Stopping Bad Robocalls Act requires the Federal Communications Commission to adopt critical consumer protections, requires all providers to implement a new technology to make sure that caller-ID information is authenticated at no additional cost to consumers, and allows the blocking of calls without an extra charge. The bill also increases criminal penalties for illegal robocalls.

Gianforte's bipartisan Tracing Back and Catching Unlawful Robocalls Act, which was a part of the larger bill, assists in the identification and prosecution of companies who participate in illegal robocalls. Gianforte's bill was unanimously adopted by the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology as an amendment to the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act in June.

The Stopping Bad Robocalls Act passed the House on Wednesday on a 429-3 vote.

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