Colorado Politics

Colorado’s congressional delegation gangs up on robocalls

Colorado lawmakers are among those taking a stand against robocalls, as the latest legislative attempt passed the U.S. House Wednesday.

Colorado’s U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner, a Republican, and Michael Bennet, a Democrat, were cosponsors of the Senate bill called the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence, or TRACED, Act, which passed the upper chamber in May. Wednesday’s vote was overwhelming, 417-3, with all of Colorado’s delegation in favor.

The new law would allow the FCC to level fines up to $10,000 a violation for those who spoof, or fake, phone numbers. Fines could be larger if the violator has an FCC license. The law steps up the government’s ability to trace suspected illegal robocalls to their origin, while protecting hospitals and emergency rooms from robocalls. Besides better caller-ID abilities, the new law aims to deliver better call-blocking services, as well.

The final bill is a compromise after the Senate passed its version 97-1, and the House also passed the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act in July.

“Coloradans are tired of receiving anonymous phone calls and feel helpless that there isn’t enough being done to stop the malpractice. Without the ability to trace the source the origin of robocalls, connecting with a real person is nearly impossible, making it difficult to put an end to receiving these types of calls,” Rep. Scott Tipton, a Republican from Cortez, said in a statement. “This bill is an important part of the House’s recent efforts to combat spoofing, misleading phone calls and other scammers’ efforts to steal personal information from Americans.”

Telemarketer robocall scam: legislation for smartphone with gavel
(Photo illustration by Bill Oxford, iStock)
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