2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For Regulating Robocalls Through The FCC. In
July 2019, Fitzpatrick voted for a bill that would, according to
Congressional Quarterly, "require the Federal Communications Commission
to implement certain consumer regulations related to robocalls, or mass
telephone calls placed by an automatic dialer, including regulations
that would require phone companies to offer call authentication
technology at no cost to consumers. It would extend, from two years to
four years, the time period during which the FCC and law enforcement
agencies could prosecute illegal robocallers following the commission of
such a crime. It would require the FCC to submit evidence of certain
robocall violations to the Justice Department for potential criminal
prosecution. It would require the FCC to work with federal and state law
enforcement agencies and with foreign governments to address one-ring
scams and incentivize phone companies to stop calls made to perpetrate
one-ring scams. It would require the Justice Department and the FCC to
convene an interagency task force to study how best to enforce existing
law with respect to restrictions on the use of automated telephone
equipment. It would require the FCC to submit a series of reports to
Congress on robocalls and the transmission of misleading or inaccurate
caller identification information." The vote was on a motion to suspend
the rules and pass the bill. The House agreed to the motion and passed
the bill by a vote of 429-3. The bill was never taken up in the Senate.
[House Vote 502,
7/24/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/24/19;
Congressional Actions,
H.R.3375]