What You Should Know:
– The Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) announces the formation of a new federal advisory committee, the Hospital Robocall Protection Group (“Group”).
– The FCC is seeking nominations for the Hospital Robocall Protection Group to establish best practices combat unlawful robocalls made to hospitals using unlawful robocall mitigation techniques.
The Federal Communications Commission today solicited nominations for the Hospital Robocall Protection Group, a new federal advisory committee dedicated to combatting robocalls to hospitals. The group will focus on issuing best practices on how phone companies can better combat unlawful robocalls made to hospitals, as well as how hospitals can better protect themselves from such calls. The creation of this group is a result of the TRACED Act, which gave the FCC additional tools and flexibility to combat malicious spoofing and scam robocalls.
The TRACED Act requires the Commission to establish the Group, for the purpose of issuing best practices regarding the following:
1. How voice service providers can better combat unlawful robocalls made to hospitals.
2. How hospitals can better protect themselves from such calls, including by using unlawful robocall mitigation techniques.
3. How the Federal Government and State governments can help combat such calls.
The Commission also seeks nominations for membership on and a Chairperson to the Group. The Commission intends to establish the Group by June 2020 consistent with the requirements of the TRACED Act and anticipates holding the first meeting of the group in July 2020.
Nominations for membership to the Hospital Robocall Protection Group should be submitted to the FCC no later than May 1, 2020.
“The idea that robocallers would clog up hospital phone lines with a flood of nuisance calls seems unthinkable, but it is a reality,” said Chairman Ajit Pai. “Health care facilities are critically important, especially in the face of the current pandemic, and the last thing they should have to worry about is receiving robocalls that distract from performing their mission—supporting the health and well-being of all Americans. By establishing the Hospital Robocall Protection Group, we’re focusing our efforts on the negative impacts robocalls can have on our health care system. I look forward to working with committee members to find ways to help those who help us.”
