Cybersecurity Policy Report, Legislative Options to Combat Robocalls Highlighted by CRS, (May 13, 2026)

By Jeff Williams

While Congress has provided the FCC and the telecom industry with the legal framework to combat illegal robocalls, “options for further action remain,” such as advancing the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act (S 2666), which would “shift the focus on fighting robocalls from technical and procedural tools to economic incentives,” the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in a report released today.

That measure, introduced by Sen. Ted Budd (R., N.C.), would direct the FCC to establish a task force to study and report on unlawful robocalls, foreign sources of such calls, ways to encourage the adoption of caller identification technology in foreign countries, and options for international cooperation in authenticating and verifying international calls.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved an amended version of the bill that included four amendments backed by Sen. Ed Markey (D., Mass.), including one that would require voice service providers to post a bond before they could register with the Robocall Mitigation Database (CPR, Oct. 21, 2025).

“Since some service providers profit from high call volumes, the bond requirement would give insurers incentive to rigorously vet companies they cover,” the report said. “If providers allow illegal, spoofed, or other scam traffic to pass through their networks, insurers can forfeit these bonds to pay consumer damages. This would provide carriers an incentive to block fraudulent calls.”

Among other options, the report said Congress could empower the FCC to impose civil fines for illegal calls and texts. Such legislation “could provide another financial incentive to deter would-be scammers,” CRS said, adding that Congress could also consider directing the Department of Justice to “prioritize robocall enforcement without altering the FCC’s authorities.”

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