Bill Text: NJ AR154 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Urges enactment of the "Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act" (ROBOCOP Act).

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2016-09-15 - Filed with Secretary of State [AR154 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2016-AR154-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 154

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 20, 2016

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  JOANN DOWNEY

District 11 (Monmouth)

Assemblywoman  L. GRACE SPENCER

District 29 (Essex)

Assemblyman  DANIEL R. BENSON

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Urges enactment of the "Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act" (ROBOCOP Act).

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee on September 8, 2016, with amendments.

  

An Assembly Resolution urging the enactment of the "Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act."

 

Whereas, The incidence of unwanted telephone calls is a nationwide nuisance, as demonstrated by the Federal Trade Commission receiving in 2015 more than 3.5 million complaints about unwanted calls; and

Whereas, The national 'do-not-call' registry has effectively addressed unwanted telephone calls from legitimate companies, but consumers continue to be subject to unwanted calls originating from sources outside the United States and illegitimate operators; and

Whereas, Telephone scammers target vulnerable consumers, particularly the elderly; and

Whereas, In April 2016, Congresswoman Speier introduced H.R. 4932, the "Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act," or the "ROBOCOP ¹[Act"] Act," and in June 2016 Senator Schumer introduced S. 3026, the companion bill¹; and

Whereas, Provisions of the ROBOCOP Act would expand and clarify the prohibition on inaccurate caller identification information and require that telephone service providers offer technology to subscribers to reduce the incidence of unwanted telephone calls; and

Whereas, The ROBOCOP Act would prevent unwanted calls from reaching consumers through two complementary approaches: by identifying the unwanted calls, and by giving the consumers the ability to block or filter those calls; and

Whereas, Under the ROBOCOP Act, each telecommunications service provider would give a subscriber, at no additional cost, technology to verify that the caller identification information indicated for a call accurately identifies the subscriber and caller; and

Whereas, The technology from the service provider would also accurately identify if a call originates from an automatic telephone dialing system or uses a prerecorded voice; and

Whereas, It is in the best interest of the people of this State and this nation to enable consumers to prevent unwanted and objectionable calls by supporting the enactment of the "Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act"; now, therefore,

 

     Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.    The United States Congress is respectfully urged to support and pass, and the President to sign into law, H.R. 4932 ¹and S. 3026¹ of 2016, the "Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act," or the "ROBOCOP Act."

 

     2.    Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United States of America, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, every sponsor of H.R. 4932 ¹and S. 3026¹ of 2016, the "Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act," and every member of Congress elected from this State.