Foreign Robocall Elimination Act
What does the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act do?
S 2666 is a Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC). This bill directs the FCC to establish a taskforce on unlawful robocalls, amends the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act (Public Law 116-105) to grant trace-back immunity to the registered consortium, and requires the FCC to issue rules on when providers must post a bond to file certifications in the Robocall Mitigation Database. Within 270 days of enactment, the FCC (after consulting the FTC and Attorney General) must establish an interagency taskforce comprising federal agency representatives and 7 private-sector representatives, and the taskforce must submit a report to Congress within 360 days of establishment.
Did S 2666 pass? Where it stands
As of August 24, 2026, S 2666 has passed the Senate.
Status: Passed Senate
Latest vote: Senate Passed by unanimous consent on August 3, 2026
Outlook: Likely
Key provisions
- FCC Interagency Taskforce
- FCC establishes the taskforce within 270 days of enactment, after consulting FTC and Attorney General
- Composition: federal agency representatives + 7 private-sector representatives (voice service, analytics, technology experts, TRACED Act consortium, marketing, non-marketing, consumer advocate)
- Report to Congress within 360 days of establishment, then the taskforce terminates 90 days later
- 17 specific study topics listed, including STIR/SHAKEN adequacy for foreign-originated calls, DOJ enforcement, and public disclosure of consortium trace-back results
- Trace-Back Immunity
- New Section 13(d)(3) of the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act (Public Law 116-105)
- No cause of action may be maintained against the registered consortium for receiving, sharing, or publishing covered information (or information derived from covered information)
- Covered information includes call detail records, provider identity information, and calling-entity contact information tied to suspected fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful robocalls; illegally spoofed calls; and other illegal calls
- Public-List Authority Expanded
- FCC or the registered consortium may publish a list of voice service providers based on refusals to participate in private-led trace-back efforts
- List may also be based on other information the Commission or consortium collects about providers found to originate or transmit substantial amounts of unlawful robocalls
- The Commission may take enforcement action based on that information
- Robocall Mitigation Database Bond
- FCC must issue rules requiring providers to post a bond of not more than $100,000, if the Commission determines a bond is necessary to preserve database integrity, as a precondition for filing a Robocall Mitigation Database certification
- Excepted providers: FCC must establish criteria to exempt providers when a bond is not necessary to deter unlawful robocall activity
- Considerations for the exemption criteria: USF contribution status under 47 CFR §64.1195 and 47 U.S.C. §254(d); state PUC certificate/license/registration; national securities exchange listing; other indicia of being a bona fide, established communications service provider
- TRACED Act Notice Frequency
- Section 13(d)(2) of the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act: FCC notice provision changed from "annually" to "once every 3 years"
Last updated August 12, 2026