Senate Dems push bill to make it easier for FCC to go after robocalls

A group of Senate Democrats is floating a bill that would make it easier for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to go after robocall scammers.

The Robocall Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2018, introduced by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) on Tuesday, would extend the statute of limitations for violations of robocall rules from one year to three years.

It would also lengthen the statute of limitations for “spoofing” violations — masking call origins with fake caller ID information — from two years to three years.

{mosads}“If there is one thing Americans can agree on, it’s that robocalls often cross the line,” Schatz, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce subcommittee on communications, said in a statement. “With this bill, the FCC will have the time and authority it needs to keep abusive robocalls in check.”

The bill is also being co-sponsored by the rest of the Democrats on the subcommittee. It was introduced on the same day that the Commerce Committee grilled Adrian Abramovich, a Florida man facing a record $120 million fine from the FCC for a massive robocalling scheme.

Senate Democrats on Wednesday also urged the FCC to step up its robocall enforcement efforts.