FEDERALhearing transcript

Hearing on Modernizing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)

Original title: MODERNIZING THE TELEPHONE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

January 1, 2017

telecommunications consumer protection robocalls privacy technology policy

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing serves as a formal record of legislative discussions regarding potential changes to federal law that governs how businesses and organizations can contact consumers via telephone and text message.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Consumers

Consumers are subject to the regulations governing how they receive automated calls and messages.

Telecommunications and Business Entities

These entities must comply with federal restrictions on how they contact customers and members.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript record of a 2016 House subcommittee hearing regarding the need to update the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. The hearing explored how evolving communication technologies have impacted the effectiveness of existing consumer privacy laws and robocall regulations.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on September 22, 2016, before the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
The primary focus was the modernization of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991.
Four witnesses provided testimony: Michelle Turano (Wellcare Health Plans), Shaun Mock (Snapping Shoals Electric Membership Corporation), Spencer Weber Waller (Loyola University Chicago), and Richard Shockey (Shockey Consulting).
The record includes submitted statements from various organizations, including the National Association of Federal Credit Unions, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and America's Health Insurance Plans.
The hearing addressed the intersection of consumer privacy rights and the operational needs of businesses and non-profits in the age of modern telecommunications.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the TCPA?

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 was designed to protect consumers from unwanted telephone solicitations and automated calls.

Why was this hearing held in 2016?

The subcommittee held the hearing to discuss how technological advancements since 1991 have changed the landscape of telecommunications and whether the existing law remains effective.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Technological Obsolescence

The hearing highlights a recurring legislative challenge where laws written for landline-era technology struggle to regulate modern mobile and digital communication platforms.

Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991

Connected Entities

personSpencer Weber Waller“Witness, Professor at Loyola University Chicago.”Map →

personMichelle Turano“Witness, Vice President at Wellcare Health Plans.”Map →

personShaun Mock“Witness, CFO of Snapping Shoals Electric Membership Corporation.”Map →

personRichard Shockey“Witness, Principal at Shockey Consulting.”Map →

personAnna G. Eshoo“Ranking Member of the Subcommittee.”Map →

personGreg Walden“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.”Map →

organizationSubcommittee on Communications and Technology“The congressional body that held the hearing.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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