Walden, Latta unveil bipartisan bill to stop robocalls

U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Bob Latta (R-OH) on June 20 signed on as original cosponsors of a bipartisan bill to end the intrusively annoying robocalls.

“Americans deserve to be free of the daily danger and harassment of robocalls,” Rep. Walden said last week in a joint statement with U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), the bill’s sponsor. “It’s time we end the robocall epidemic and restore trust back into our phone system.”

Reps. Walden and Pallone, ranking member and chairman, respectively, of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, introduced the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act, H.R. 3375, in the committee last week to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to clarify the prohibitions on making robocalls, according to the text of the bill.

H.R. 3375 includes language from the bipartisan Support Tools to Obliterate Pesky (STOP) Robocalls Act, H.R. 2386, which Rep. Latta, ranking member on the U.S. Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee, introduced in April.

“I’m pleased my STOP Robocalls Act was included in this legislation and look forward to working with my colleagues to get it across the finish line,” Rep. Latta.

Rep. Walden and Pallone said H.R. 3375 offers American consumers “a way out” of receiving robocalls by ensuring that every call they get is verified.

“Americans should be able to block robocalls in a consistent and transparent way without being charged extra for it,” the lawmakers said. “Our legislation also gives the FCC and law enforcement the authority to enforce the law and quickly go after scammers.”

That language is from Rep. Latta’s bill, which would allow carriers to provide robocall blocking technologies to customers on an informed opt-out basis, according to his staff.

“As I crisscross the Fifth Congressional District, I hear the same feedback: they’re unwelcome and annoying and it’s time for them to stop,” said Rep. Latta.