WASHINGTON, DC – The Energy and Commerce Committee today passed H.R. 2566, the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2016, and H.R. 2669, the Anti-Spoofing Act of 2015, advancing both bills to the full House of Representatives for consideration. Both bills originated out of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR).

H.R. 2566, introduced by Rep. David Young (R-IA), would;

• Require intermediate providers to register with the Federal Communications Commission and comply with the service quality standards set by the agency in order to improve call quality from long distance or wireless calls in rural areas throughout the country. Passed unanimously by voice vote.

H.R. 2669, introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and co-authored by Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), would;

• Strengthen the Truth In Caller ID Act and protect consumers from fraudulent actors and deceptive text messages by going after lawbreakers who seek to harass and defraud consumers. Passed unanimously by voice vote.

“Both of these bills are designed to hold bad actors accountable and protect consumers,” stated full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “Poor call quality and lost or failed calls are still a prevalent problem for our rural consumers in Southwest Michigan and around the country. I’ve heard directly from rural providers in my district as well as local small businesses that this issue is of great importance and today we took action.”

For more information on today’s markup, including a background memo, text of the legislation, and an archived webcast, click HERE.

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