Four U.S. Senators – two from each side of the aisle – have introduced S. 594, the Anti-Spoofing Penalties Modernization Act of 2021.  The lead sponsor – Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) – is joined by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Josh Hawley (R- MO) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) (https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/bill-crack-down-deceptive-tactic-used-robocallers-introduced-senators-collins-sinema-0).

The proposal would double the penalties currently permitted under Section 227(e)(5) of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), as amended by the Truth In Caller ID Act, for illegal robocalls that spoof the telephone number for caller identification purposes.

The current civil forfeiture penalty for each violation would increase from $10,000 to $20,000, or three times that amount for each day of a continuing violation. The current $1,000,000 maximum penalty for any continuing violation would increase to $2,000,000.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, of which Senators Peters and Sinema are members.