Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Stop Harassing Calls Act of 2018”.
Stop Harassing Calls Act of 2018
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for measures to reduce the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls received by consumers, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Reducing the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls
Regulations—
In general— The Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 227 the following:
“227A. Measures to reduce the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls
“(a) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Commission shall promulgate regulations that require a provider of voice service or text messaging service to implement measures, to be specified by the Commission in such regulations, to reduce the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls received by consumers.
“(b) Definitions—In this section:
“(1) Unlawful robocall—The term “unlawful robocall” means a call made or a text message sent in violation of section 227(b).
“(2) Unlawful spoofed call—The term “unlawful spoofed call” means a call or text message in connection with which a caller identification service is caused to transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information in violation of section 227(e).
“(3) Other definitions—The terms defined in section 227(e)(8) have the meanings given such terms in such section.”
Transitional rule regarding certain definitions— Paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of section 227A of the Communications Act of 1934, as added by paragraph (1) of this subsection, shall apply before the effective date of the amendment made to section 227(e)(8) of such Act (47 U.S.C. 227(e)(8)) by subparagraph (C) of section 503(a)(2) of division P of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115–141) as if such amendment were already in effect.
Development of plan by FCC—
In general— The Commission shall develop a plan to reduce the number of unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls received by consumers.
Required contents— The plan developed under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
Steps that the Commission can take to increase enforcement of subsections (b) and (e) of section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227).
Recommendations to Congress for changes in law to give the Commission additional authority to reduce unlawful robocalls and unlawful spoofed calls.
A strategy for outreach by the Commission to consumers (with an emphasis on young consumers) to help consumers identify calls that may be fraudulent.
Report to Congress— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report containing the plan developed under paragraph (1).
Definitions— In this section:
Commission— The term “Commission” means the Federal Communications Commission.
Unlawful robocall; unlawful spoofed call— The terms “unlawful robocall” and “unlawful spoofed call” have the meanings given such terms in section 227A(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as added by subsection (a)(1).