STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1527

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.C.R. No. 45

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 45 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO GRANT ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY TO THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION TO STOP UNWANTED AND ILLEGAL ROBOCALLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the United States Congress to grant additional authority to the Federal Communications Commission to stop unwanted and illegal robocalls.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from seven individuals.

Your Committee finds that robocalls, spoofing calls, and robocalls that employ spoofing technology are a major consumer issue. Robocalls are unsolicited prerecorded telemarketing calls through the use of a computerized autodialer. Spoofing calls are calls conducted with a deliberately falsified caller identification to disguise the identity of the number of the caller. United States consumers receive billions of robocalls, spoofing calls, and robocalls that employ spoofing technology each year.

Your Committee further finds that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the federal agency tasked with regulating interstate and international communications, including robocalls and spoofing calls. The FCC has made progress on curbing and deterring robocalls and spoofing calls. In penalizing parties that deploy robocalls and spoofing calls, the FCC has imposed millions of dollars in fines. Your Committee, however, finds that further legal authority and resources will allow the FCC to dramatically curb the practice of robocalls and spoofing calls.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 45 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair