Title: Stop Harassing Calls Act of 2018
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Stop Harassing Calls Act of 2018
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to develop a plan and implement regulations that reduce the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls received by consumers.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7151 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7151

  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for measures to 
  reduce the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls 
             received by consumers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2018

Mr. Krishnamoorthi introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for measures to 
  reduce the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls 
             received by consumers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Harassing Calls Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. REDUCING THE NUMBER OF UNLAWFUL ROBOCALLS AND UNLAWFUL SPOOFED 
              CALLS.

    (a) Regulations.--
            (1) In general.--The Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
        151 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 227 the 
        following:

``SEC. 227A. MEASURES TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF UNLAWFUL ROBOCALLS AND 
              UNLAWFUL SPOOFED CALLS.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Commission shall promulgate regulations 
that require a provider of voice service or text messaging service to 
implement measures, to be specified by the Commission in such 
regulations, to reduce the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful 
spoofed calls received by consumers.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Unlawful robocall.--The term `unlawful robocall' 
        means a call made or a text message sent in violation of 
        section 227(b).
            ``(2) Unlawful spoofed call.--The term `unlawful spoofed 
        call' means a call or text message in connection with which a 
        caller identification service is caused to transmit misleading 
        or inaccurate caller identification information in violation of 
        section 227(e).
            ``(3) Other definitions.--The terms defined in section 
        227(e)(8) have the meanings given such terms in such 
        section.''.
            (2) Transitional rule regarding certain definitions.--
        Paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of section 227A of the 
        Communications Act of 1934, as added by paragraph (1) of this 
        subsection, shall apply before the effective date of the 
        amendment made to section 227(e)(8) of such Act (47 U.S.C. 
        227(e)(8)) by subparagraph (C) of section 503(a)(2) of division 
        P of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-
        141) as if such amendment were already in effect.
    (b) Development of Plan by FCC.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall develop a plan to 
        reduce the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed 
        calls received by consumers.
            (2) Required contents.--The plan developed under paragraph 
        (1) shall include the following:
                    (A) Steps that the Commission can take to increase 
                enforcement of subsections (b) and (e) of section 227 
                of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227).
                    (B) Recommendations to Congress for changes in law 
                to give the Commission additional authority to reduce 
                unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls.
                    (C) A strategy for outreach by the Commission to 
                consumers (with an emphasis on young consumers) to help 
                consumers identify calls that may be fraudulent.
            (3) Report to congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit 
        to Congress a report containing the plan developed under 
        paragraph (1).
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (2) Unlawful robocall; unlawful spoofed call.--The terms 
        ``unlawful robocall'' and ``unlawful spoofed call'' have the 
        meanings given such terms in section 227A(b) of the 
        Communications Act of 1934, as added by subsection (a)(1).
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