S. 2666: Foreign Robocall Elimination Act

The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act aims to combat the issue of unlawful robocalls, particularly those originating from outside the United States. The bill proposes the creation of a taskforce by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to address this problem effectively. Below are the main components of the bill:

Taskforce Establishment

The FCC is required to establish a taskforce within 270 days of the bill's enactment. This taskforce will work in consultation with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Attorney General.

Taskforce Membership

The taskforce will consist of:

• Representatives from various federal agencies, as determined appropriate by the FCC Chairman.
• Seven representatives from the private sector with relevant expertise, including:
  • Voice service providers
  • Analytics providers
  • Technologists and technology experts
  • A spokesperson from the Consortium referenced in existing law
  • A representative from a marketing business that uses telephone communications
  • A representative from a non-profit organization that communicates for non-marketing purposes
  • A customer advocacy organization representative with experience in combating robocalls

Taskforce Responsibilities

The taskforce will be responsible for preparing a report that includes:

• Recommendations for federal agencies and Congress on effectively combating unlawful robocalls.
• Comparative analysis of unlawful robocalls made within versus outside the U.S.
• Identification of countries that are the primary sources of these robocalls.
• Analyzing the financial impact and identity theft occurrences linked to these robocalls.
• Exploring measures for improving international collaboration to combat robocalls.
• Examining the effectiveness of existing call authentication technologies.
• Providing recommendations for enhancing law enforcement in this area.
• Identifying best practices for call identification and blocking for telecom providers.

Timeline for Report

The taskforce must submit this report to Congress no later than 360 days after its establishment.

Funding Provisions

The bill permits federal agencies involved to use existing funds to support their participation and coordination within the taskforce.

Termination of Taskforce

The taskforce will be dissolved 90 days after submitting its report to Congress.

FCC Notice Provision

The bill also modifies existing requirements by changing the frequency of FCC notices from once a year to once every three years.

Relevant Companies

None found.