Title: Combating Pandemic Scams Act of 2020
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Combating Pandemic Scams Act of 2020This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in consultation with relevant agencies, to inform the public about mail, telemarketing, and internet scams related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The FTC must establish a national database for such information and must also disseminate information on how to report COVID-19-related scams to the appropriate agency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6435 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6435

   To direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate 
  information to the public about scams related to COVID-19, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 3, 2020

   Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Hudson, Ms. Kuster of New 
  Hampshire, and Ms. Blunt Rochester) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop and disseminate 
  information to the public about scams related to COVID-19, 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 ``Combating Pandemic Scams Act of 
2020''.

SEC. 2. INFORMATION ABOUT SCAMS RELATED TO COVID-19.

    (a) Dissemination of Information.--
            (1) In general.--As expeditiously as possible after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission, in 
        consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services, the Postmaster General, the Chief Postal 
        Inspector, and the Internet Crime Complaint Center, shall 
        develop and disseminate information to the public about scams 
        related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
            (2) Requirements.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
        Commission shall--
                    (A) include--
                            (i) information regarding mail, 
                        telemarketing, and internet fraud and illegal 
                        robocalls related to COVID-19 that identifies 
                        the most common scams; and
                            (ii) information regarding where and how to 
                        report instances of scams related to COVID-19, 
                        including instructions on how to file a 
                        complaint with the appropriate law enforcement 
                        agency;
                    (B) disseminate information under such paragraph in 
                a manner that prioritizes, and that is easily 
                accessible by and user-friendly to, senior citizens and 
                people with infirmities and disabilities;
                    (C) disseminate information under such paragraph on 
                an internet website of the Commission that serves as a 
                source of information for the public about scams 
                related to COVID-19; and
                    (D) regularly update the information developed and 
                disseminated under such paragraph to keep pace with the 
                changing nature of scams related to COVID-19.
    (b) Database.--As expeditiously as possible after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall, in consultation with State 
law enforcement agencies, the Director of the Bureau of Consumer 
Financial Protection, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, and other relevant Federal officials, establish a 
comprehensive national database, either within or separate from the 
Consumer Sentinel Network, that tracks instances of scams related to 
COVID-19.
    (c) Commission Defined.--In this section, the term ``Commission'' 
means the Federal Trade Commission.
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