Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-04) today supported H.R. 3375, the Stop Bad Robocalls Act, which further protects Americans from illegal robocalls that often promote fraud and jeopardize personal privacy. This bipartisan legislation passed the House 429-3 and will be sent to the Senate for further consideration.
“Illegal robocalls are insidious in nature and prey on seniors and other groups with dishonest and fraudulent claims,” said Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler.
“They violate our privacy and are an unsolicited burden to many of my constituents. This legislation helps rein these calls in,” added Hartzler, who noted that there have been 29.3 billion illegal robocalls in 2019 alone and a 64% increase since 2016.
Specifically, the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act will support new technology to ensure the authentication of calls and the blocking of illegal calls without an extra line-item charge to consumers. It also implements new procedures for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to rapidly fine first-time offenders and catch illegal callers. The FCC will also be able to implement new consumer protections and report to Congress on the status of illegal robocalls. Finally, the act will give protection to the healthcare system, which is undermined by malicious calls to providers, hospitals and patients.
“The inconvenience and burden of illegal robocalls is something that everyone can empathize with,” said Hartzler. “It is time to protect citizens from these attacks and bolster our capability to block illegal robocalls,” added Hartzler.
No comments:
Post a Comment