Cybersecurity Policy Report, House Committee Advances Robocall, Network Security Bills, (Sep 16, 2026)

By Jeff Williams

The House Energy and Commerce Committee today advanced the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act (HR 6152), introduced by Reps. Addison McDowell (R., N.C.) and Kelly Morrison (D., Minn.), by a vote of 37-0.

The bill would direct the FCC to establish an interagency task force on unlawful robocalls and authorize the FCC to require the posting of bonds up to $100,000 by companies seeking to file a certification in the agency’s Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) if deemed necessary to preserve the integrity of the RMD.

The committee also approved the AI for Secure Networks Act (HR 7294), which was introduced by Reps. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) and August Pfluger (R., Texas) and was approved 37-0.

It would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to conduct a study of the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on the security of telecommunications networks, including how AI can be used to improve networks and security.

By a vote of 26-1, the committee advanced the Open-Source AI Leadership Act (HR 10152), which would require the Commerce Department to support the adoption of American open AI models.

While Rep. Gabe Evans (R., Iowa), who introduced the bill, said the measure “takes a pro-active, not a reactive, approach to critical problems facing our country,” Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D., N.J.), the committee’s ranking member, and other Democrats opposed the measure, expressing consternation that Congress was not taking broader action to establish regulatory guardrails for AI development and deployment.

Mr. Pallone proposed to Rep. Brett Guthrie (R., Ky.), the committee’s chairman, that they meet before the November election to “move forward on AI safety initiatives that are meaningful and enforceable.”

The committee chairman committed to Mr. Pallone that "we’ll continue to be in conversation as we go and see what the right pathway is” regarding AI regulation.

News: FederalLegislation DataSecurity DataPrivacy AINews