I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5573 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to expand and clarify the prohibi-
tion on inaccurate caller identification information and to require pro-
viders of telephone service to offer technology to subscribers to reduce 
the incidence of unwanted telephone calls and text messages, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 18, 2018 
Ms. SPEIER (for herself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. COHEN, Mr. SHER-
MAN, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. GRIJALVA, and 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
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 text messages, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Repeated Objectionable 
Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act’’ or the 
‘‘ROBOCOP Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The incidence of unwanted telephone calls 
and text messages is a nationwide nuisance. 
(2) The Federal Trade Commission received 
more than— 
(A) 5,300,000 complaints about unwanted 
telephone calls in fiscal year 2016; and 
(B) 7,000,000 such complaints in fiscal 
year 2017. 
(3) Telephone scammers target vulnerable con-
sumers, particularly the elderly. 
(4) The national ‘‘do-not-call’’ registry has ef-
fectively addressed unwanted telephone calls from le-
gitimate companies, but consumers continue to be 
subject to unwanted calls originating from sources 
outside the United States and illegitimate operators. 
(5) Telemarketing fraud cost consumers an es-
timated $350,000,000 in 2011. 
(6) Existing Federal law is inadequate to ad-
dress this problem. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(7) Preventing unwanted telephone calls and 
text messages from reaching consumers requires 2 
approaches: 
(A) Identifying unwanted calls and text 
messages. 
(B) Giving the consumers the ability to 
block or filter unwanted calls and text mes-
sages. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CALLER
IDENTIFICATION
INFORMATION; 
TEXT
MESSAGE.—The terms ‘‘caller identification 
information’’ and ‘‘text message’’ have the meanings 
given those terms in section 227(a) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227(a)), as amend-
ed by this Act. 
(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
SEC. 4. EXPANDING AND CLARIFYING PROHIBITION ON IN-
ACCURATE CALLER ID INFORMATION. 
(a) TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE.—Section 227 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227), as amend-
ed by section 503(a) of division P of the Consolidated Ap-
propriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115–141), is amend-
ed— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), 
(4), and (5) as paragraphs (4), (5), (6), and 
(9), respectively; 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 
following: 
‘‘(2) The term ‘caller identification information’ 
means information provided by a caller identification 
service regarding the telephone number of, or other 
information regarding the origination of— 
‘‘(A) a call made using a voice service; or 
‘‘(B) a text message sent using a text mes-
saging service. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘caller identification service’— 
‘‘(A) means any service or device designed 
to provide the user of the service or device with 
the telephone number of, or other information 
regarding the origination of— 
‘‘(i) a call made using a voice service; 
or 
‘‘(ii) a text message sent using a text 
messaging service; and 
‘‘(B) includes automatic number identifica-
tion services.’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(C) by inserting after paragraph (6), as so 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(7) The term ‘text message’— 
‘‘(A) means a real-time or near real-time 
digital message consisting of text, images, 
sounds, or other information that is transmitted 
from or received by a device that is identified 
as the transmitting or receiving device by 
means of a telephone number; 
‘‘(B) includes— 
‘‘(i) a short message service (com-
monly referred to as ‘SMS’) message; 
‘‘(ii) an enhanced message service 
(commonly referred to as ‘EMS’) message; 
and 
‘‘(iii) a multimedia message service 
(commonly referred to as ‘MMS’) message; 
and 
‘‘(C) does not include a real-time, 2-way 
voice or video communication. 
‘‘(8) The term ‘text messaging service’ means a 
service that permits the transmission or receipt of a 
text message, including a service provided as part of 
or in connection with a telecommunications service 
or an IP-enabled voice service.’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(10) The term ‘voice service’— 
‘‘(A) means any service that— 
‘‘(i) is interconnected with the public 
switched telephone network; and 
‘‘(ii) furnishes voice communications 
to an end user using resources from the 
North American Numbering Plan or any 
successor to the North American Num-
bering Plan adopted by the Commission 
under section 251(e)(1); and 
‘‘(B) includes transmissions from a tele-
phone facsimile machine, computer, or other de-
vice to a telephone facsimile machine.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (8); and 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (9) as 
paragraph (8). 
(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 
prescribe regulations to implement the amendments made 
by this section. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date that is 180 days 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
after the date on which the Commission prescribes regula-
tions under subsection (b). 
SEC. 5. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 227(d) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227(d)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) TECHNOLOGY OFFERED BY PROVIDERS.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) ORIGINATING
PROVIDER.—The 
term ‘originating provider’ means a pro-
vider of a voice service or text messaging 
service that permits a subscriber to origi-
nate a call or text message that may be 
transmitted on the public switched tele-
phone network. 
‘‘(ii) 
RECEIVING
PROVIDER.—The 
term ‘receiving provider’ means a provider 
of a voice service or text messaging service 
that permits a subscriber to receive a call 
or text message originating, or that may be 
transmitted, on the public switched tele-
phone network. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS
TO
OFFER
TECH-
NOLOGY.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
‘‘(i) ORIGINATING
PROVIDERS.—The 
Commission shall by regulation establish 
technical and procedural standards to re-
quire an originating provider to enable, for 
each subscriber of the provider and for no 
additional charge, technology that verifies, 
for any call or text message originated by 
the subscriber, that the caller identification 
information indicated for the call or text 
message accurately identifies the sub-
scriber unless— 
‘‘(I) the call or text message is 
exempted, under regulations described 
in clause (ii) or (iii) of subsection 
(e)(3)(B), from the prohibition under 
subsection (e)(1); or 
‘‘(II) the subscriber requests that 
the originating provider not display 
caller identification that accurately 
identifies the subscriber for a call or 
text message originated by the sub-
scriber, in which case the caller identi-
fication information shall state, ‘Call-
er ID Blocked’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
require each receiving provider to 
allow each subscriber of the receiving 
provider to receive calls or text mes-
sages originating from the essential 
services subscriber unless the sub-
scriber of the receiving provider has 
requested 
under 
subparagraph 
(B)(ii)(III) that the receiving provider 
prevent the subscriber from receiving 
calls and text messages originating 
from that essential services sub-
scriber. 
‘‘(III) DEFINITION
OF
ESSEN-
TIAL
SERVICES.—The 
Commission 
shall by regulation define the term 
‘essential services’ for purposes of this 
clause. 
‘‘(iii) 
UNBLOCKING
SYSTEM
AND 
DATABASE.— 
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—In order to 
carry out this subparagraph and en-
sure that consumers are in control of 
the calls and text messages they re-
ceive, the Commission shall establish 
a nationwide unblocking system that 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
includes a database, to be known as 
the ‘Unblocking Database’, of sub-
scribers whose identity the Commis-
sion has confirmed under clause 
(ii)(II). 
‘‘(II) FUNDING.—The Commis-
sion shall— 
‘‘(aa) assess a fee on any 
subscriber that wishes to partici-
pate in the nationwide unblocking 
system; and 
‘‘(bb) use amounts collected 
under item (aa) to fund the oper-
ation of the nationwide unblock-
ing system. 
‘‘(D) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—A person ag-
grieved by a violation of the regulations 
prescribed under clause (i) or (ii) of sub-
paragraph (B) may bring an action in an 
appropriate district court of the United 
States, or, if otherwise permitted by the 
laws or rules of court of a State, in an ap-
propriate court of that State, to— 
‘‘(I) enjoin the violation; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
‘‘(II) recover the greater of— 
‘‘(aa) actual damages; or 
‘‘(bb) $500 per violation. 
‘‘(ii) ENHANCED
AWARDS.—If the 
court finds in an action brought under 
clause (i) that the defendant willfully or 
knowingly violated the regulations de-
scribed in that clause, the court may in-
crease the amount of the award to an 
amount equal to not more than 3 times the 
amount available under subclause (II) of 
that clause. 
‘‘(E) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.— 
‘‘(i) PREVENTION OF CALLS OR TEXT 
MESSAGES.—For purposes of a regulation 
prescribed under this paragraph, a call or 
text message shall be considered to be pre-
vented even if the call or text message is 
recorded or redirected in a manner that al-
lows the called party or intended recipient 
to— 
‘‘(I) be notified of the attempt to 
make the call or send the text mes-
sage; or 
‘‘(II) have access to— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
‘‘(aa) a message left by the 
calling party; or 
‘‘(bb) the text message. 
‘‘(ii) BLOCKING CALLER IDENTIFICA-
TION
INFORMATION.—Nothing 
in 
this 
paragraph may be construed to require an 
originating provider to prevent or restrict 
any person from blocking the capability of 
any caller identification service to transmit 
caller identification information.’’. 
(b) EXEMPTIONS FROM INACCURATE CALLER ID 
PROHIBITION.—Section 227(e)(3)(B) of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227(e)(3)(B)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iii) EXEMPTION PROCESS FOR LE-
GITIMATE
NEED.—The 
regulations 
re-
quired under subparagraph (A) shall pro-
vide for a process under which a person 
may demonstrate that the person has a le-
gitimate need to provide misleading or in-
accurate information for certain calls or 
text messages, such as a call made or text 
message sent to conduct an activity of a 
domestic violence shelter or medical prac-
tice.’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(c) ACTIONS BY STATES.—Section 227(g)(1) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227(g)(1)) is 
amended— 
(1) by inserting after ‘‘regulations prescribed 
under this section,’’ the following: ‘‘, a pattern or 
practice of failure to provide the technology required 
under subsection (d)(4)(A)(i) that threatens or ad-
versely affects an interest of such residents, or a 
pattern or practice of failure to provide to such resi-
dents the technology or the options, as applicable, 
required under subsection (d)(4)(A)(ii),’’; and 
(2) by inserting after ‘‘to enjoin such calls’’ the 
following: ‘‘or such a failure’’. 
(d) REGULATIONS.—The Commission shall prescribe 
the regulations required under the amendments made by 
subsections (a) and (b) not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date that is 180 days 
after the date on which the Commission prescribes regula-
tions under subsection (d). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
SEC. 6. INTENTIONAL INTERFERENCE WITH CALL-BLOCK-
ING TECHNOLOGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 227 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(i) INTENTIONAL
INTERFERENCE
WITH
CALL- 
BLOCKING TECHNOLOGY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—It shall be unlawful for any 
person within the United States, or any person out-
side the United States if the recipient is within the 
United States, with the intent to cause harm, to 
take any action that causes the technology offered 
under subsection (d)(4)(A)(ii)(II) to— 
‘‘(A) incorrectly identify calls or text mes-
sages as originating or probably originating 
from an automatic telephone dialing system; or 
‘‘(B) prevent (as that term is used in sub-
section (d)(4)) the called party from receiving a 
call, or the intended recipient from receiving a 
text message— 
‘‘(i) that is made or sent by a public 
safety entity, including a— 
‘‘(I) 
public 
safety 
answering 
point (as defined in section 222(h)); 
‘‘(II) emergency operations cen-
ter; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
‘‘(III) law enforcement agency; or 
‘‘(ii) to which the called party or in-
tended recipient has provided prior express 
consent. 
‘‘(2) PENALTIES; ACTIONS
BY
STATES.—Any 
person who violates this subsection or the regula-
tions prescribed under this subsection shall be sub-
ject to the penalties under paragraph (5) of sub-
section (e), and to actions by States under para-
graph (6) of that subsection, in the same manner 
and to the same extent as if the person had violated 
that subsection or the regulations prescribed under 
that subsection.’’. 
(b) DEADLINE FOR REGULATIONS.—The Commis-
sion shall prescribe regulations to implement subsection 
(i) of section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 227), as added by this section, not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall take effect on the date that is 180 days 
after the date on which the Commission prescribes regula-
tions under subsection (b). 
SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this 
Act shall be construed to limit any authority of the Com-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
mission to determine that, for purposes of section 227 of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227), a call 
includes a text message or any similar message. 
SEC. 8. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) CALLER NAME FALSIFICATION.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Com-
mission shall, in consultation with the Federal Trade 
Commission, submit to Congress and make available on 
a public website a report containing the findings and con-
clusions of a study determining how to minimize the extent 
to which the names of persons making calls or sending 
text messages are falsified in caller identification name 
databases. 
(b) TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and every 4 years 
thereafter until the date of termination described in 
paragraph (2), the Commission shall submit to Con-
gress and make available on a public website a re-
port that contains the following information: 
(A) The extent to which subscribers con-
tinue to receive calls or text messages with mis-
leading or inaccurate caller identification infor-
mation (except for calls or text messages ex-
empted under clause (ii) of section 227(e)(3)(B) 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
227(e)(3)(B)) or clause (iii) of that section (as 
added by section 5)), including a quantitative 
assessment of the difference between the num-
ber of complaints made to the Commission re-
garding such calls and text messages— 
(i) before the effective date of the reg-
ulations required under paragraph (4)(B) 
of section 227(d) of that Act, as added by 
section 5; and 
(ii) after the effective date described 
in clause (i). 
(B) The extent to which subscribers that 
choose to enable technology offered under para-
graph (4)(B)(ii)(II) of section 227(d) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
227(d)), as added by section 5, continue to re-
ceive calls or text messages originating from an 
automatic telephone dialing system (except for 
calls or text messages from a public safety enti-
ty and calls or text messages to which sub-
scribers have provided prior express consent), 
including a quantitative assessment of the dif-
ference between the number of complaints made 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00022
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
to the Commission regarding such calls and text 
messages— 
(i) before the effective date of the reg-
ulations required under that paragraph; 
and 
(ii) after the effective date described 
in clause (i). 
(C) An assessment of— 
(i) whether the standards set forth in 
the regulations required under paragraph 
(4)(B) of section 227(d) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227(d)), 
as added by section 5, have been successful 
in reducing the number of the calls and 
text messages described in each of sub-
paragraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph 
received by subscribers; and 
(ii) whether there have been any prob-
lems with the standards described in clause 
(i) or the technology required by those 
standards, such as the prevention of calls 
or text messages— 
(I) from public safety entities; or 
(II) to which subscribers have 
provided prior express consent. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(D) Any recommendations for legislative or 
regulatory action to improve the standards de-
scribed in subparagraph (C). 
(2) TERMINATION.—The date of termination 
described in this paragraph is the date on which the 
Commission, in consultation with the Federal Trade 
Commission, determines that the report required 
under paragraph (1) is no longer necessary because 
of a substantial reduction in the number of calls and 
text messages described in each of subparagraphs 
(A) and (B) of that paragraph. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:45 Apr 25, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5573.IH
H5573
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS