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H.R. 2031, Anti-Swatting Act of 2015 1 (August 4, 2016)

handle is hein.congrec/cbo3138 and id is 1 raw text is: 



                  CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
                             COST ESTIMATE

                                                                    August 4, 2016



                                  H.R. 2031
                           Anti-Swatting Act of 2015

As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 28, 2016


Under current law, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the authority to
levy civil penalties and criminal fines against individuals that use false caller identification
information to defraud or harm another. H.R. 2031 would direct the FCC to levy additional
criminal penalties against violators who are determined to have the intent of triggering an
emergency response by a law enforcement agency or other emergency responder. The bill
also would make the violator liable for reimbursement payments to agencies that incur
expenses in responding to the incident.

On the basis of information from the FCC, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2031
would have an insignificant cost. Moreover, the FCC is authorized to collect fees sufficient
to offset the costs of its regulatory activities each year; therefore, CBO estimates that the
net effect on discretionary spending would be negligible, assuming appropriation actions
consistent with that authority.

H.R. 2031 would increase the criminal penalties associated with current laws relating to the
use of misleading or inaccurate caller identification information. Because those prosecuted
and convicted under H.R. 2031 could be subject to criminal fines, the federal government
might collect additional fines if the legislation is enacted. Criminal fines are recorded as
revenues, deposited in the Crime Victims Fund, and later spent without further
appropriation action. CBO expects that any additional revenues and subsequent direct
spending would not be significant because the legislation would probably affect only a
small number of cases. Because enacting H.R. 2031 would affect direct spending,
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2031 would not increase net direct spending or
on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.

H.R. 2031 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Stephen Rabent. The estimate was approved by
Theresa Gullo, Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

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