Press Release: 2019-03-11

Bipartisan Senate Support Builds for Thune-Markey Robocall Blocking Legislation

Washington (March 8, 2019) – This week, a new bipartisan group of ten U.S. senators officially co-sponsored the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, legislation recently introduced by Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), House author of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The TRACED Act gives regulators more time to find robocall scammers, increases penalties for violators, promotes call authentication and blocking adoption, and brings federal agencies and state attorneys general together to address obstacles to criminal prosecution of robocallers who intentionally flout laws.

 

The following Senators have now cosponsored the TRACED Act: Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.)

 

“With bipartisan support growing, the time to pass legislation to stop the scourge of robocalls has come,” said Senators Markey and Thune. “The groundswell of support for our TRACED Act – from state and territory attorneys general, to FCC and FTC Commissioners, to leading consumer groups, to major industry stakeholders – shows just how much the American people want Congress to act to stop harassing robocalls. We thank everyone for their support and look forward to quick consideration of the TRACED Act in Congress.”

 

Earlier this week, 54 state and territory attorneys general sent a letter of support for the TRACED Act, and last month all Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioners, major industry associations, and leading consumer groups put their support behind the legislation.

A copy of the TRACED Act can be found HERE.

 

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