116th CONGRESS 1st Session |
To repeal debt collection amendments made by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, and for other purposes.
February 28, 2019
Ms. Eshoo (for herself, Mr. Cooper, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Case, and Mr. Raskin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To repeal debt collection amendments made by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Help Americans Never Get Unwanted Phone calls Act of 2019” or the “HANGUP Act”.
SEC. 2. Repeal of debt collection amendments; clarifying coverage with respect to government contractors.
(a) In general.—The Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 3, by striking paragraph (39) and inserting the following:
“(39) PERSON.—The term ‘person’—
“(A) includes an individual, partnership, association, joint-stock company, trust, or corporation; and
“(B) for the purposes of section 227, includes a contractor of the United States Government with respect to a call that is made solely to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States.”; and
(i) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking “, unless such call is made solely to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States”; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “, is made solely pursuant to the collection of a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States,”; and
(i) in subparagraph (F)(ii), by adding “and” at the end;
(ii) in subparagraph (G)(ii), by striking “; and” at the end and inserting a period; and
(iii) by striking subparagraph (H).
(b) Regulations.—Section 301(b) of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (47 U.S.C. 227 note; Public Law 114–74) is repealed.