119-s1025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1025 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1025

 To authorize the Federal Communications Commission to enforce its own 
forfeiture penalties with respect to violations of restrictions on the 
 use of telephone equipment, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 13, 2025

 Mr. Lujan (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Welch, Mr. Schatz, Mr. 
 Durbin, and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced the following bill; which was 
 read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
 Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To authorize the Federal Communications Commission to enforce its own 
forfeiture penalties with respect to violations of restrictions on the 
 use of telephone equipment, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``FCC Legal Enforcement Act''.

SEC. 2. ENFORCEMENT OF FORFEITURE PENALTIES BY FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 
 COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--Title V of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 501 et seq.) is amended--

    (1) in 

section 503

    (b)

    (3)
        (B) (47 U.S.C. 503

    (b)

    (3)
        (B) ), by 
 striking ``In such action,'' and inserting the following: ``If, 
 during the 120-day period beginning on the date of a referral 
 of an unpaid forfeiture penalty imposed for a violation of 
 

section 227 (relating to restrictions on the use of telephone 
 equipment), the Attorney General does not commence an action to 
 recover the amount assessed, the Commission may commence and 
 supervise the litigation of such an action and any appeal of 
 such an action in its own name by any of its attorneys 
 designated by it for such purpose. In any action under this 
 subparagraph,''; and

    (2) in 

section 504

    (a) (47 U.S.C. 504

    (a) )--
        (A) by striking ``It shall be the duty'' and 
 inserting ``Except as provided in the subsequent 
 sentence, it shall be the duty''; and
        (B) by striking ``The costs and expenses of such 
 prosecutions'' and inserting the following: ``If, 
 during the 120-day period beginning on the date on 
 which the Commission refers an unpaid forfeiture 
 penalty imposed for a violation of 

section 227 
 (relating to restrictions on the use of telephone 
 equipment) to the Attorney General for prosecution 
 under this subsection, the Attorney General does not 
 commence such a prosecution, the Commission may 
 prosecute for the recovery of the forfeiture penalty. 
 The costs and expenses of a prosecution under this 
 subsection''.

    (b) Priority.--In carrying out the amendments made by subsection

    (a) of this section, the Federal Communications Commission shall 
prioritize enforcement of unpaid forfeiture penalties imposed for a 
violation of 

section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
227) (relating to restrictions on the use of telephone equipment) that 
are greater than $25,000,000.

SEC. 3. REGULATIONS FOR RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF AUTOMATED TELEPHONE 
 EQUIPMENT.

 

Section 227

    (b)

    (2) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
227

    (b)

    (2) ) is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph
        (A) , by 
inserting before the period the following: ``as necessary in the 
judgment of the Commission to protect subscribers from unwanted 
calls''.
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