The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act on Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 429-3, requiring phone carriers to take further action to stop robocalls from reaching customers. Congressman Hal Rogers cosponsored the bipartisan legislation to enhance on-going efforts to accurately block scammers.
Last month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also mandated phone carriers use caller verification at the network level to verify the legitimacy of a call.
The Stopping Bad Robocalls Act expands the FCC's ruling by requiring phone carriers to use authentication equipment to block calls and prohibits companies from charging customers for the added service. The bill also ensures adequate resources are available to help carriers implement the technology in rural areas.
"Robocalls are becoming more sophisticated, manipulating out-going numbers to display local area codes and doubling down on efforts to steal your personal information and your money. That's why it is vital that phone carriers stay ahead of the curve and actively work to stop scammers before they can reach your phone," said Rogers, who voted for the bill. "We must do more to protect senior citizens who are often the targets of phone scams."
An estimated 47.8 billion robocalls were automated across the country in 2018, according to the FCC.
Similar legislation passed the U.S. Senate earlier this year.
(provided by U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers)
