[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12501-12502]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  SENIORS FRAUD PREVENTION ACT OF 2017

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 191, S. 81.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 81) to establish an advisory office within the 
     Bureau of Consumer Protection of the Federal Trade Commission 
     to prevent fraud targeting seniors, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill 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.

[[Page 12502]]

  The bill (S. 81) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was 
read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 81

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Seniors Fraud Prevention Act 
     of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. OFFICE FOR THE PREVENTION OF FRAUD TARGETING SENIORS.

       (a) Establishment of Advisory Office.--The Federal Trade 
     Commission shall establish an office within the Bureau of 
     Consumer Protection for the purpose of advising the 
     Commission on the prevention of fraud targeting seniors and 
     to assist the Commission with the following:
       (1) Oversight.--The advisory office shall monitor the 
     market for mail, television, Internet, telemarketing, and 
     recorded message telephone call (hereinafter referred to as 
     ``robocall'') fraud targeting seniors and shall coordinate 
     with other relevant agencies regarding the requirements of 
     this section.
       (2) Consumer education.--The Commission through the 
     advisory office shall, in consultation with the Attorney 
     General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
     Postmaster General, the Chief Postal Inspector for the United 
     States Postal Inspection Service, and other relevant 
     agencies--
       (A) disseminate to seniors and families and caregivers of 
     seniors general information on mail, television, Internet, 
     telemarketing, and robocall fraud targeting seniors, 
     including descriptions of the most common fraud schemes;
       (B) disseminate to seniors and families and caregivers of 
     seniors information on reporting complaints of fraud 
     targeting seniors either to the national toll-free telephone 
     number established by the Commission for reporting such 
     complaints, or to the Consumer Sentinel Network, operated by 
     the Commission, where such complaints will become immediately 
     available to appropriate law enforcement agencies, including 
     the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the attorneys general 
     of the States;
       (C) in response to a specific request about a particular 
     entity or individual, provide publically available 
     information of enforcement action taken by the Commission for 
     mail, television, Internet, telemarketing, and robocall fraud 
     against such entity; and
       (D) maintain a website to serve as a resource for 
     information for seniors and families and caregivers of 
     seniors regarding mail, television, Internet, telemarketing, 
     robocall, and other identified fraud targeting seniors.
       (3) Complaints.--The Commission through the advisory office 
     shall, in consultation with the Attorney General, establish 
     procedures to--
       (A) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints by 
     individuals who believe they have been a victim of mail, 
     television, Internet, telemarketing, and robocall fraud in 
     the Consumer Sentinel Network, and shall make those 
     complaints immediately available to Federal, State, and local 
     law enforcement authorities; and
       (B) provide to individuals described in subparagraph (A), 
     and to any other persons, specific and general information on 
     mail, television, Internet, telemarketing, and robocall 
     fraud, including descriptions of the most common schemes 
     using such methods of communication.
       (b) Commencement.--The Commission shall commence carrying 
     out the requirements of this section not later than one year 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.

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