[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 8 (Thursday, February 3, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Robb, Ms. Collins, Mr. Helms, Mr. 
        Leahy, Mr. Reed, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. 
        Murray, and Mr. Hollings):
  S. 2029. A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit 
telemarketers from interfering with the caller identification service 
of any person to whom a telephone solicitation is made, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


                    THE KNOW YOUR CALLER ACT OF 2000

  Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, I'm pleased to join today with my friend 
from Tennessee, Senator Frist, to introduce the Know Your Caller Act of 
2000--a bill that will make a real and immediate difference in the 
lives of all Americans.
  Not a week goes by that I don't hear from Virginians about the 
intrusion of telemarketers into their homes. Although Congress passed 
the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA, in 1991, the law is 
widely abused--telemarketers openly disregard the law, refusing to 
identify themselves when asked, and ignoring requests to be placed on 
``do not call lists.''
  In recent years, consumers have turned to caller ID services to help 
them screen out unwanted calls and report those who violate current law 
to the authorities. Unfortunately, most telemarketers actively block 
their number from being displayed on caller ID systems, making it 
difficult to determine the name and employer of the telemarketer. We 
already require telemarketers to identify themselves when they call, 
and we should apply this same requirement to their caller ID 
information.
  The Know Your Caller Act of 2000 will prevent companies from blocking 
their identities on caller ID. Our legislation will require every phone 
solicitor to reveal the name of the telemarketer who is making the 
call, as well as a valid telephone number where that company can be 
reached for purposes of being placed on the do-not-call lists required 
under current law.
  It's time that we gave consumers a way to fight back against these 
intrusions into their homes, and this bill is the perfect way to do so: 
by putting an end to caller ID blocks, we can empower the consumer to 
take action against violators of the TCPA and regain control of their 
telephones. I urge all of my colleagues to join Senator Frist and me in 
supporting this important consumer protection bill.
                                 ______