[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         STOP SENIOR SCAMS ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 393, S. 149.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 149) to establish a Senior Scams Prevention 
     Advisory Council.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting 
clause and insert in lieu thereof the following

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Senior Scams Act''.

     SEC. 2. SENIOR SCAMS PREVENTION ADVISORY GROUP.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established a Senior Scams 
     Prevention Advisory Group (referred to in this Act as the 
     ``Advisory Group'').
       (b) Members.--The Advisory Group shall be composed of 
     stakeholders such as the following individuals or the 
     designees of those individuals:
       (1) The Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission.
       (2) The Secretary of the Treasury.
       (3) The Attorney General.
       (4) The Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial 
     Protection.
       (5) Representatives from each of the following sectors, 
     including trade associations, to be selected by Federal Trade 
     Commission:
       (A) Retail.
       (B) Gift cards.
       (C) Telecommunications.
       (D) Wire-transfer services.
       (E) Senior peer advocates.
       (F) Consumer advocacy organizations with efforts focused on 
     preventing seniors from becoming the victims of scams.
       (G) Financial services, including institutions that engage 
     in digital currency.
       (H) Prepaid cards.
       (6) A member of the Board of Governors of the Federal 
     Reserve System.
       (7) A prudential regulator, as defined in section 1002 of 
     the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (12 U.S.C. 
     5481).
       (8) The Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement 
     Network.
       (9) Any other Federal, State, or local agency, industry 
     representative, consumer advocate, or entity, as determined 
     by the Federal Trade Commission.
       (c) No Compensation for Members.--A member of the Advisory 
     Group shall serve without compensation in addition to any 
     compensation received for the service of the member as an 
     officer or employee of the United States, if applicable.
       (d) Duties.--
       (1) In general.--The Advisory Group shall--
       (A) collect information on the existence, use, and success 
     of educational materials and programs for retailers, 
     financial services, and wire-transfer companies, which--
       (i) may be used as a guide to educate employees on how to 
     identify and prevent scams that affect seniors; and
       (ii) include--

       (I) useful information for retailers, financial services, 
     and wire transfer companies for the purpose described in 
     clause (i);
       (II) training for employees on ways to identify and prevent 
     senior scams;
       (III) best practices for keeping employees up to date on 
     current scams;
       (IV) the most effective signage and placement in retail 
     locations to warn seniors about scammers' use of gift cards, 
     prepaid cards, and wire transfer services;
       (V) suggestions on effective collaborative community 
     education campaigns;
       (VI) available technology to assist in identifying possible 
     scams at the point of sale; and
       (VII) other information that would be helpful to retailers, 
     wire transfer companies, financial institutions, and their 
     employees as they work to prevent fraud affecting seniors; 
     and

       (B) based on the findings in subparagraph (A)--
       (i) identify inadequacies, omissions, or deficiencies in 
     those educational materials and programs for the categories 
     listed in subparagraph (A) and their execution in reaching 
     employees to protect older adults; and
       (ii) create model materials, best practices guidance, or 
     recommendations to fill those inadequacies, omissions, or 
     deficiencies that may be used by industry and others to help 
     protect older adults from scams.
       (2) Encouraged use.--The Chairman of the Federal Trade 
     Commission shall--
       (A) make the materials or guidance created by the Federal 
     Trade Commission described in paragraph (1) publicly 
     available; and
       (B) encourage the use and distribution of the materials 
     created under this subsection to prevent scams affecting 
     seniors by governmental agencies and the private sector.
       (e) Reports.--Section 101(c)(2) of the Elder Abuse 
     Prevention and Prosecution Act (34 U.S.C. 21711(c)(2)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(E) for the Federal Trade Commission, in relevant years, 
     information on--
       ``(i) the newly created materials, guidance, or 
     recommendations of the Senior Scams Prevention Advisory Group 
     established under section 2 of the Stop Senior Scams Act, and 
     any relevant views or considerations made by members of the 
     Advisory Group that were not included in the Advisory Group's 
     model materials or considered an official recommendation by 
     the Advisory Group;
       ``(ii) the Senior Scams Prevention Advisory Group's 
     findings about senior scams and industry educational 
     materials and programs; and
       ``(iii) any recommendations on ways stakeholders can 
     continue to work together to reduce scams affecting 
     seniors.''.
       (f) Termination.--This Act, and the amendments made by this 
     Act, ceases to be effective on the date that is 5 years after 
     the date of enactment of this Act.

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; the bill, as 
amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was 
agreed to.
  The bill (S. 149), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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