Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) released the following statement on inclusion of his Spam Calls Task Force Act (H.R. 721) as an amendment to Chairman Frank Pallone’s (D-NJ) bipartisan Stopping Bad Robocalls Act (H.R. 3375), which passed the Communications and Technology Subcommittee under unanimous vote and is expected to be considered by the full Energy and Commerce committee in the coming weeks.

“What once started as a mild annoyance has become a full blown scourge that Americans experience day and night. Spam calls are not only an invasion of privacy, but a tool used by bad actors to deceive and take advantage of millions across the county. Today, I thank Congressman Soto for attaching my Spam Calls Task Force bill to the larger package of legislation that passed last night. It’s time the federal government steps in to crack down on spam calls, and I thank Chairman Pallone for his support and leadership on this issue.”

Background on the Spam Calls Task Force Act:

The legislation directs the Attorney General to work with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to convene an interagency working group with other federal and state agencies to address the following issues relating to spam calls:

• Determine if any Federal laws, regulations, or policies inhibit the enforcement of section of the Telephone Consumer Protections Act that prohibits spam/scam calls;
• Identify existing and potential policies and programs that encourage and improve coordination among departments, agencies, and states;
• Identify existing and potential international policies and programs;
• Consider if additional resources would be helpful;
• Consider if formal agreements between states and the federal government and/or foreign governments would be helpful; and
• Consider if increased criminal penalties or fines would serve as an increased deterrent.