ROBOCOP Act
Latest action · Apr 15, 2016 Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 13, 2016
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act or the ROBOCOP Act
This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to expand the prohibition against knowingly transmitting inaccurate caller identification information to apply to: (1) persons outside the United States if the recipient is within the United States, or (2) text messages.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must prescribe regulations that require providers of telecommunications services or IP-enabled voice services, for no additional charge, to enable technology for: (1) subscribers originating a telephone call to verify the accuracy of their caller identification information; and (2) subscribers receiving a call to use, with the option to disable, technology to determine that an incoming call is verified as providing caller identification information that accurately identifies the person originating the call or to prevent the subscriber from receiving such a call. Service providers must also offer a free option for subscribers receiving a call to: (1) identify a call as originating from an automatic telephone dialing system or as using an artificial or prerecorded voice, and (2) prevent themselves from receiving such a call unless it is made by a public safety entity or the subscriber provides prior consent to receive the call.
The FCC must provide an exemption process for subscribers originating a call to demonstrate: (1) their legitimate need to provide misleading or inaccurate information (such as a call to conduct an activity of a domestic violence shelter or medical practice), or (2) that the FCC has exempted a call for law enforcement purposes or because of a court order.
The bill allows private actions to enjoin or recover damages for violations of the FCC's caller identification technology standards. States may bring civil actions for a pattern or practice of a failure to provide such technology or options.
The bill also subjects to civil forfeiture penalties, criminal fines, or state actions persons who intentionally cause call-blocking technology to: (1) incorrectly identify calls as originating from an automatic dialing system or using an artificial or prerecorded voice, or (2) prevent the called party from receiving a call made by a public safety entity or a call to which it has provided its prior consent.
Cosponsors 21
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 13, 2016 to Dec 7, 2016; 2 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Original | Apr 13, 2016 |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Original | Apr 13, 2016 |
| D-CA | Mark DeSaulnier | Apr 15, 2016 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Apr 18, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Sam Farr | Apr 19, 2016 | |
| D-FL | Alcee L. Hastings | Apr 26, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Jared Huffman | Apr 26, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Mark Takano | Apr 29, 2016 | |
| D-MI | Debbie Dingell | May 10, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Janice Hahn | May 10, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Julia Brownley | May 25, 2016 | |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | Jul 7, 2016 | |
| D-MA | Niki Tsongas | Jul 8, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Charles B. Rangel | Jul 12, 2016 | |
| D-IL | Janice D. Schakowsky | Jul 14, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Mike Thompson | Sep 6, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Alan S. Lowenthal | Sep 21, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Adam B. Schiff | Sep 26, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Michael M. Honda | Sep 28, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Zoe Lofgren | Dec 6, 2016 | |
| D-IN | Peter J. Visclosky | Dec 7, 2016 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Apr 13, 2016 |
| Communications and Technology Subcommittee | Referred Apr 15, 2016 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 15, 2016Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
- Apr 13, 2016Introduced in House
- Apr 13, 2016Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 162, no. 56, April 13, 2016, page H1680.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 114-560 | THE TELEPHONE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT AT 25: EFFECTS ON CONSUMERS AND BUSINESS124 pages | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | May 18, 2016 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 2669 | Anti-Spoofing Act of 2016 | Related bill | Nov 15, 2016 |
| S 3026 | ROBOCOP Act | Related bill | Jun 7, 2016 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to expand and clarify the prohibition on inaccurate caller identification information and to require providers of telephone service to offer technology to subscribers to reduce the incidence of unwanted telephone calls, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- ROBOCOP Act
- Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Administrative remedies
- Civil actions and liability
- Congressional oversight
- Consumer affairs
- Domestic violence and child abuse
- Emergency communications systems
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Fraud offenses and financial crimes
- Government information and archives
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Telephone and wireless communication
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 13, 2016Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
