Spam Calls Task Force Act of 2019

Spam Calls Task Force Act of 2019

This bill requires the Department of Justice to assemble an interagency working group to study and report to Congress on the enforcement of the prohibition of certain robocalls. Specifically, the working group will look into how to better enforce against robocalls by examining issues like the types of laws, policies, or constraints that could be inhibiting enforcement.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 721 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 721

To direct the Attorney General to convene an interagency working group 
to study the enforcement of section 227(b) of the Communications Act of 
                                 1934.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 23, 2019

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Attorney General to convene an interagency working group 
to study the enforcement of section 227(b) of the Communications Act of 
                                 1934.

    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 ``Spam Calls Task Force Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with the 
Federal Communications Commission, shall convene an interagency working 
group to study the enforcement of section 227(b) of the Communications 
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227(b)).
    (b) Duties.--In carrying out the study under subsection (a), the 
interagency working group shall--
            (1) determine whether, and if so how, any Federal law, 
        including regulations, policies, and practices, or budgetary or 
        jurisdictional constraints inhibit the enforcement of such 
        section;
            (2) identify existing and potential Federal policies and 
        programs that encourage and improve coordination among Federal 
        departments and agencies and States, and between States, in the 
        enforcement and prevention of the violation of such section;
            (3) identify existing and potential international policies 
        and programs that encourage and improve coordination between 
        countries in the enforcement and prevention of the violation of 
        such section (and laws of foreign countries prohibiting similar 
        conduct); and
            (4) consider--
                    (A) the benefit and potential sources of additional 
                resources for the Federal enforcement and prevention of 
                the violation of such section;
                    (B) whether memoranda of understanding regarding 
                the enforcement and prevention of the violation of such 
                section should be established between--
                            (i) the States;
                            (ii) the States and the Federal Government; 
                        and
                            (iii) the Federal Government and foreign 
                        governments;
                    (C) whether a process should be established to 
                allow States to request Federal subpoenas from the 
                Federal Communications Commission with respect to the 
                enforcement of such section;
                    (D) whether increased criminal penalties for the 
                violation of such section (including increasing the 
                amount of fines and increasing the maximum term of 
                imprisonment that may be imposed to a period greater 
                than 2 years) are appropriate;
                    (E) whether regulation of any entity that enters 
                into a business arrangement with a carrier for the 
                specific purpose of carrying, routing, or transmitting 
                a call that constitutes a violation of such section 
                would assist in the successful enforcement and 
                prevention of the violation of such section; and
                    (F) the extent to which the prosecution of certain 
                violations of such section (which result in economic, 
                physical, or emotional harm) pursuant to any Department 
                of Justice policy may inhibit or otherwise interfere 
                with the prosecution of other violations of such 
                section.
    (c) Members.--The interagency working group shall be composed of 
such representatives of Federal departments and agencies as the 
Attorney General considers appropriate, which may include--
            (1) the Department of Commerce;
            (2) the Department of State;
            (3) the Department of Homeland Security;
            (4) the Federal Communications Commission;
            (5) the Federal Trade Commission; and
            (6) the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.
    (d) Non-Federal Stakeholders.--In carrying out the study under 
subsection (a), the interagency working group shall consult with such 
non-Federal stakeholders as the Attorney General determines have 
relevant expertise, including the National Association of Attorneys 
General.
    (e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 9 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the interagency working group shall submit 
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives a report on the findings of the study under subsection 
(a), including--
            (1) any recommendations regarding the enforcement and 
        prevention of the violation of such section; and
            (2) a description of what process, if any, relevant Federal 
        departments and agencies have made in implementing the 
        recommendations under paragraph (1).
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