WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) announced today the Senate’s passage of the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED Act). Sen. Kennedy is a cosponsor of the legislation.

Last year Americans received approximately 26 billion robocalls, a quarter of which were illegal.  The TRACED Act gives the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) more to time to catch scammers who ignore telemarketing restrictions and increases the penalties for those who are caught.

The legislation also pushes carriers to use call authentication technology to verify that incoming calls are legitimate before they reach consumers’ phones.

“Robocalls are a nuisance and an intrusion into family dinners, jobs, weddings, graduations and ballet recitals,” said Sen. Kennedy. “The TRACED Act equips the FCC to take action against robocallers who repeatedly flout the law and disrupt our daily lives.”

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