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

Summary:
This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish a robocaller bounty pilot program to reduce covered calls by egregious violators. 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 FTC must provide monetary compensation for the identification and prevention of covered calls and enable participants to share funds recovered from violations.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1304 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1304

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 15, 2019

  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 Trade Commission, in consultation with the 
  Federal Communications Commission, to 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 Trade Commission, in consultation 
with the Federal Communications Commission, shall--
            (1) establish a robocaller bounty pilot program to reduce 
        covered calls by egregious violators; and
            (2) issue guidance about what constitutes an egregious 
        violation under paragraph (1).
    (b) Requirements.--In establishing the pilot program under 
subsection (a), the Federal Trade Commission, in consultation with the 
Federal Communications Commission, shall--
            (1) provide monetary compensation for the identification 
        and prevention of covered calls;
            (2) develop an expeditious process for participants in the 
        pilot program to submit an expedited background check, as 
        determined by the Federal Trade Commission, in consultation 
        with the Federal Communications Commission, and approval for 
        participation into the program;
            (3) develop a fee sharing structure for participants to 
        share in funds recovered from violations related to a covered 
        call in addition to payment for participation in program;
            (4) award competitive contracts as necessary to manage the 
        pilot program and for addressing the vulnerabilities identified 
        as a consequence of the pilot program; and
            (5) 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 Trade Commission, in 
consultation with the Federal Communications Commission, shall submit 
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 a report that includes 
the following:
            (1) The number of individuals and companies that were 
        approved to participate in the pilot program and received 
        compensation.
            (2) The number of covered calls identified, prosecuted, 
        prevented, and intercepted.
            (3) Changes needed in the law to address the enforcement 
        and apprehension related to covered calls.
            (4) The number of prosecutions that resulted because of the 
        program.
            (5) Recommendations for overseas identification and 
        apprehension of individuals making covered calls.
            (6) The obstacles encountered with apprehending individuals 
        making covered calls and any other lessons learned from the 
        pilot program.
            (7) The payout per participant under the program.
    (d) Definitions.--
            (1) Covered call.--The term ``covered call'' means a call 
        that is in violation of section 227 of the Communications Act 
        of 1947 (47 U.S.C. 227) or the do-not-call registry established 
        under section 3(a)(3)(A) of the Telemarketing and Consumer 
        Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act (15 U.S.C. 6102(a)(3)(A)).
            (2) Egregious violator.--The term ``egregious violator''--
                    (A) means a person that makes (or causes to be 
                made) covered calls; and
                    (B) does not include a person that has registered 
                with the Federal Trade Commission and demonstrated to 
                the Federal Trade Commission that adequate procedures 
                are in place to prevent making covered calls.
    (e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
as conveying to any participant in the pilot program any new right to 
seek discovery or issue subpoenas to communications service providers.
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