A bipartisan bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that would stiffen the penalties for violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, essentially criminalizing violations in situations where the actions were willful and knowing, while also introducing longer jail terms for repeat violators.
A copy of the proposed legislation, H.R. 800, the Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone Calls (DO NOT CALL) Act can be accessed by clicking here.
The bill was introduced by Rep. David Kustoff [R-Tenn.] and Rep. Deborah Ross [D-N.C.]. This is not the first time that a version of this bill has been introduced and who knows whether it will gain the necessary momentum to pass in the House and then again in the Senate.
Individuals found to have knowingly or willfully violated the TCPA by harassing consumers could face jail terms of up to one year. Repeat offenders could face up to three years in prison. Individuals who commit an “aggravated” offense, such as by making 100,000 calls in a 24-hour period, 1 million calls in a 30-day period, or 10 million calls in a one-year period would also face up to three years in prison. Financial penalties in the bill are doubled from what is currently in the TCPA, to $20,000 for falsifying caller ID information.
“I introduced the DO NOT Call Act with Congresswoman Ross to give our judicial system more authority to protect Americans from receiving these calls, and from being scammed and defrauded as a result,” said Rep. Kustoff in a statement. “I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to support this crucial legislation and provide Americans much needed relief from harassing robocalls and scams.”
