Title: To require the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to jointly establish a robocaller bounty pilot program, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to jointly establish a robocaller bounty pilot program to reduce covered calls. A covered call is generally one that (1) is made by an automatic dialing system, (2) uses an artificial or prerecorded voice and is not initiated for emergency purposes, or (3) violates the do-not-call-registry.
The FCC and the FTC must provide monetary compensation for the identification and prevention of covered calls and enable participants to share funds recovered from violations.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7343 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7343

To require the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade 
Commission to jointly establish a robocaller bounty pilot program, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2018

  Mr. Graves of Louisiana (for himself and Mr. Crist) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade 
Commission to jointly establish a robocaller bounty pilot program, 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. ROBOCALLER BOUNTY PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission and the 
Federal Trade Commission shall jointly establish a robocaller bounty 
pilot program to reduce violations of section 227 of the Communications 
Act of 1947 (47 U.S.C. 227) and the do-not-call registry.
    (b) Requirements.--In establishing the pilot program under 
subsection (a), the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal 
Trade Commission shall jointly--
            (1) provide monetary compensation for the identification, 
        apprehension, and prevention of future robocalls and fraudulent 
        callers;
            (2) develop an expeditious process for participants in the 
        pilot program to submit an expedited background check, as 
        determined by the Federal Communications Commission and the 
        Federal Trade Commission, and approval for participation into 
        the program;
            (3) develop a fee-sharing structure for participants to 
        share in funds recovered from violations in addition to payment 
        for participation in program;
            (4) consult with the Attorney General on how to ensure 
        participants of the pilot program are protected from 
        prosecution for specific activities authorized under the pilot 
        program;
            (5) award competitive contracts as necessary to manage the 
        pilot program and for addressing the vulnerabilities identified 
        as a consequence of the pilot program; and
            (6) solicit interested persons, including the private 
        sector, about the structure of the pilot program and 
        constructive feedback.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date on which the 
pilot program is complete, the Federal Communications Commission and 
the Federal Trade Commission shall submit a joint report to the 
Committees on Energy and Commerce and the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives and the Committees on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the Judiciary of the Senate. The report shall 
include the following:
            (1) The number of individuals and companies that were 
        approved and received compensation.
            (2) The number of identified and apprehended robocallers.
            (3) The number of identified vulnerabilities in existing 
        law, apprehension, and enforcement of robocallers.
            (4) The number of resulting prosecutions.
            (5) The recommendations for overseas identification and 
        apprehension of robocallers.
            (6) The obstacles encountered with apprehending robocallers 
        and any other lessons learned from the pilot program.
            (7) The payouts per participant.
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