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H.R. 2669, Anti-Spoofing Act of 2016 1 (October 14, 2016)

handle is hein.congrec/cbo3247 and id is 1 raw text is: 




                  CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
                             COST ESTIMATE

                                                                  October 14, 2016


                                  H.R. 2669
                           Anti-Spoofing Act of 2016

        As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
                               on September 21, 2016


Under current law, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the authority to
levy penalties and criminal fines against individuals that use fake information about a
caller's identification to defraud or harm another. H.R. 2669 would expand that authority
to include the use of text messages and would apply the authority to violators outside of the
United States if the recipient is within the United States. The bill also would direct the FCC
to develop consumer education materials that provide information for consumers on
identifying fraudulent caller activities. Finally, H.R. 2669 would direct the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on actions taken by the FCC to combat the
provision of inaccurate caller information and identify additional steps that could be taken
by the agency.

Based on an analysis of information from the FCC about the agency's current enforcement
capabilities, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2669 would increase the agency's
costs by less than $500,000 to enforce the expanded prohibition and to update current
consumer education materials. 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. Based on the costs of similar reports conducted by GAO,
CBO estimates that the increased costs to conduct the required study would be
insignificant.

H.R. 2669 would broaden the coverage of current laws relating to the use of misleading or
inaccurate caller identification information. As a result, the government might be able to
pursue cases that it otherwise would not be able to prosecute. Because those prosecuted and
convicted under H.R. 2669 could be subject to criminal fines, the federal government
might collect additional fines. Criminal fines are recorded as revenues, deposited in the
Crime Victims Fund, and later spent without further appropriation action; therefore,
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. 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.

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