A Republican bill with 11 Democratic cosponsors · See all 14 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "DO NOT Call Act," aims to modify penalties for violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1993. It introduces criminal penalties for individuals who willfully and knowingly violate these regulations. Under the new rules, violators could face up to one year in prison and fines. More severe penalties, including up to three years in prison, apply to aggravated offenses such as repeat violations or large-scale calling operations. The bill also increases the fines for providing inaccurate caller identification information.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +7
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill increases penalties for inaccurate caller identification and introduces criminal penalties for unlawful calling practices to protect consumers.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Increased penalties for calls causing financial loss provide greater protection for vulnerable individuals against telephone-based fraud.
- Scored +5
Would middle-income households be better off under this?
The bill provides stronger deterrence against intrusive and fraudulent telemarketing calls that target middle-income families.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?
The bill introduces new criminal penalties and increased prison terms for certain telephone communication violations.
- Scored -1
Does this get reliable internet to more people?
The bill's focus on regulating text messages and automated calls may create new compliance burdens for digital communication services.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Criminal Deterrence: The bill introduces criminal penalties, including potential imprisonment for up to one year, for those who willfully and knowingly violate the law (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 1).
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Higher Penalties for Large-Scale Offenders: It creates harsher punishments, including up to three years in prison, for aggravated offenses such as initiating massive volumes of calls (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 2, subparagraph B).
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Protection Against Criminal Intent: The bill targets offenders who use calls to further a felony or conspiracy (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 2, subparagraph C).
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Financial Loss Protection: The law provides for increased penalties for offenses that cause a loss of $5,000 or more to one or more persons (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 2, subparagraph D).
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Better Caller Identification: The bill increases the fines for providing inaccurate caller identification information from $10,000 to $20,000 (Section 2, subsection b).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Prison Time for Repeat or Large-Scale Callers: Individuals involved in high-volume calling operations—such as those exceeding 100,000 calls in a day—could face up to three years in prison (Section 2, subsection a, paragraph 2, subparagraph B).
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Increased Penalties for Inaccurate Information: Those providing caller identification information face a doubled fine of $20,000 if the information provided is inaccurate (Section 2, subsection b).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Increased penalties for calls causing financial loss provide greater protection for vulnerable individuals against telephone-based fraud. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides stronger deterrence against intrusive and fraudulent telemarketing calls that target middle-income families. Would high-income households be better off under this? — Stronger enforcement against large-scale calling operations provides increased peace of mind against unwanted communications. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Increased penalties for high-volume calling may reduce the density of automated nuisance calls in populated areas.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill increases penalties for inaccurate caller identification and introduces criminal penalties for unlawful calling practices to protect consumers.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill increases penalties for inaccurate caller identification, which helps ensure more truthful and transparent communication.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this shorten or soften prison sentences? — The bill introduces new criminal penalties and increased prison terms for certain telephone communication violations.
- Education And Technology
- Does this get reliable internet to more people? — The bill's focus on regulating text messages and automated calls may create new compliance burdens for digital communication services.
- 10/1/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/12/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/23/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 12/16/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/15/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/4/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 7 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Sharice DavidsDemocrat · Kansas
Charles FleischmannRepublican · Tennessee
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Marie PerezDemocrat · Washington
Laura GillenDemocrat · New York
Jared MoskowitzDemocrat · Florida
Kristen McDonald RivetDemocrat · Michigan
Johnny OlszewskiDemocrat · Maryland
Jimmy PanettaDemocrat · California
Chris PappasDemocrat · New Hampshire
Deborah RossDemocrat · North Carolina
Josh RileyDemocrat · New York
Dale StrongRepublican · Alabama
Eugene VindmanDemocrat · Virginia