Three bipartisan Fischer bills to modernize telecommunication laws clear Senate committee

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved three bipartisan bills on Tuesday that U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced to modernize and improve telecommunication laws.

The committee approved Kari’s Law, which would make it easier to dial 911 on multiline telephone systems, the Spoofing Prevention Act, which would crack down on phone scams, and the Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (DIGIT) Act, which drew input from private stakeholders on internet integration.

“Each of my bills approved in committee today makes simple, but necessary, updates to our telecommunications laws,” Fischer said. “With these common sense, bipartisan solutions, we have an opportunity to protect families, prevent fraud and spur innovation. I hope to see these measures quickly move to the Senate floor.”

Kari’s Law was named for Kari Hunt, a woman who was murdered in a hotel room after her daughter tried and failed to dial 911 from a hotel phone that required dialing a “9” for outside calls. The measure would require multiline telephone systems like those found in hotels and hospitals to provide direct dial for 911.

The Spoofing Prevention Act, which Fischer co-sponsored with U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), would close legal loopholes that enable scammers to use false caller ID information — known as “spoofing” — to defraud their victims.

The DIGIT Act, which Fischer introduced with U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), would establish a working group of private stakeholders to provide feedback on embedded and wearable internet technology, and it would direct the Federal Communications Commission to initiate the process of assessing spectrum needs to support the Internet of Things.