II
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION 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
MARCH13, 2025
Mr. L
UJA´N(for himself, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. WELCH, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr.
D
URBIN, 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 viola-
tions of restrictions on the use of telephone equipment,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘FCC Legal Enforce-4
ment Act’’. 5
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•S 1025 IS
SEC. 2. ENFORCEMENT OF FORFEITURE PENALTIES BY 1
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION. 2
(a) I
NGENERAL.—Title V of the Communications 3
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 501 et seq.) is amended— 4
(1) in section 503(b)(3)(B) (47 U.S.C. 5
503(b)(3)(B)), by striking ‘‘In such action,’’ and in-6
serting the following: ‘‘If, during the 120-day period 7
beginning on the date of a referral of an unpaid for-8
feiture penalty imposed for a violation of section 227 9
(relating to restrictions on the use of telephone 10
equipment), the Attorney General does not com-11
mence an action to recover the amount assessed, the 12
Commission may commence and supervise the litiga-13
tion of such an action and any appeal of such an ac-14
tion in its own name by any of its attorneys des-15
ignated by it for such purpose. In any action under 16
this subparagraph,’’; and 17
(2) in section 504(a) (47 U.S.C. 504(a))— 18
(A) by striking ‘‘It shall be the duty’’ and 19
inserting ‘‘Except as provided in the subsequent 20
sentence, it shall be the duty’’; and 21
(B) by striking ‘‘The costs and expenses of 22
such prosecutions’’ and inserting the following: 23
‘‘If, during the 120-day period beginning on the 24
date on which the Commission refers an unpaid 25
forfeiture penalty imposed for a violation of sec-26
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•S 1025 IS
tion 227 (relating to restrictions on the use of 1
telephone equipment) to the Attorney General 2
for prosecution under this subsection, the At-3
torney General does not commence such a pros-4
ecution, the Commission may prosecute for the 5
recovery of the forfeiture penalty. The costs and 6
expenses of a prosecution under this sub-7
section’’. 8
(b) P
RIORITY.—In carrying out the amendments 9
made by subsection (a) of this section, the Federal Com-10
munications Commission shall prioritize enforcement of 11
unpaid forfeiture penalties imposed for a violation of sec-12
tion 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 13
227) (relating to restrictions on the use of telephone 14
equipment) that are greater than $25,000,000. 15
SEC. 3. REGULATIONS FOR RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF 16
AUTOMATED TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT. 17
Section 227(b)(2) of the Communications Act of 18
1934 (47 U.S.C. 227(b)(2)) is amended, in the matter 19
preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting before the pe-20
riod the following: ‘‘as necessary in the judgment of the 21
Commission to protect subscribers from unwanted calls’’. 22
Æ
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