The Senate yesterday passed the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act by unanimous consent. The House passed the bill earlier this month by a vote of 417-3.
The legislation is the result of a bipartisan, bicameral agreement produced by the two bodies, illustrating the importance with which Congress views reining in illegal robocalls. According to a press release, The Pallone-Thune TRACED Act would:
- Require carriers to offer call-authentication technology to consumers and small businesses in rural and urban America at no additional charge;
- Require opt-in or opt-out robocall blocking be offered at no additional charge to consumers;
- Give the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the ability to step up enforcement actions against unlawful robocalls with a longer statute of limitations and increased fines in certain cases;
- Push the Department of Justice to bring more criminal prosecutions against criminal robocallers;
- Require the FCC to work to stop one-ring scams;
- Help the FCC and responsible carriers traceback and cutoff suspect phone companies that are responsible for sending vast numbers of unlawful robocalls; and,
- Protect patients, doctors, and hospitals from unlawful robocalls.
AFSA expects the President to sign the bill into law, and we will continue to advocate on behalf of members to ensure that they can efficiently contact their customers.
TRACED Act Passes Senate
Dec 20, 2019
The Senate yesterday passed the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act by unanimous consent. The House passed the bill earlier this month by a vote of 417-3.
The legislation is the result of a bipartisan, bicameral agreement produced by the two bodies, … Read the rest
AFSA CEO UPDATE | Closing 2019
Dec 20, 2019
AFSA President & CEO Bill Himpler discusses some end-of-the-year topics and talks about ongoing work the association is undertaking moving into 2020.… Read the rest
Remembering Randy Lively
Dec 19, 2019
We were saddened to recently learn of the passing of Randy Lively, and as 2019 closes we take a moment to recognize his life and salute his service to our industry.
Born Howard Randolph Lively on November 24, 1934, Randy served as a leader in the… Read the rest
PRESS RELEASE | AFSA Promotes Key Association Voice
Dec 18, 2019
AFSA Promotes Key Association Voice
Celia Winslow to serve as Senior Vice President
WASHINGTON, DC (December 18, 2019) – The American Financial Services Association (AFSA) announced the promotion of Celia Winslow to Senior Vice … Read the rest
Legislation Would Deprive Consumers of Necessary Credit Options
Dec 17, 2019
Let’s call it the “Recurring Nightmare Before Christmas,” as Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Doug Jones (D-AL), and Tom Cotton (R-AR) reintroduce the Unsolicited Loan Act, a bill that would ban “live” checks.… Read the rest
LISTEN | Rohit Dewan on the AFSA Extra Credit Podcast
Dec 16, 2019
Get 2020 Started Right with AFSA Webinars
Dec 15, 2019
Join us on January 22, 2020 for Top Debt Collection Issues in 2020, presented by AFSA.
2020 is shaping up to be a very interesting year in the credit and collection space. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau hopes to have a final debt collection… Read the rest
Military Personnel are Losing Financial Services Options
Dec 13, 2019
The Credit Union Journal published a story (subscription required) regarding a provision excluded from the final version of the House-approved National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The language would have granted banks the same … Read the rest
AFSA Opposes Bill to Eliminate Key Part of Financial System
Dec 12, 2019
AFSA yesterday submitted a comment letter to Senate Committee on Banking Housing & Urban Affairs Chair Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH) opposing S. 2839, the Eliminating Corporate Shadow Banking Act of … Read the rest
FTC/CFPB Workshop on Accuracy in Consumer Reporting
Dec 11, 2019
AFSA staff attended the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)/Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Workshop on Accuracy in Consumer Reporting on December 10, 2019. The Workshop assembled panels to discuss various aspects of the credit… Read the rest