A bill has been introduced in the Senate that would criminalize certain provisions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act while also increasing the maximum financial penalties for violating certain provisions of the Act.
The Details: The bill, called the Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone (DO NOT) Call Act was introduced by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto [D-Nev.] and co-sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-Minn.], Sen. Maggie Hassan [D-N.H.], and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-N.Y.].
What it Does: Individuals found to have willfully and knowingly violated Section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 will face up to one year in prison. Repeat offenders or those making more than 100,000 illegal calls in a 24-hour period, 1 million calls in a 30-day period, or 10 million calls in a one-year period could face up to three years in prison.
- As well, the penalty for using inaccurate Caller ID information would be doubled, to $20,000.
The Last Word: “Robocalls are obnoxious and disruptive,” said Sen. Gillibrand. “Scammers should not be allowed unfettered access to New Yorkers at all times of day and night. I am proud to be reintroducing this bill to crack down on robocalls and robotexts and impose stricter penalties for scammers by increasing fines and potential prison sentences. I look forward to getting it passed.”