,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gffj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #af1 #bjbj,mr4 
,stauber 7for himself and ,ms4 ,craig7  
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to double the
 penalties for causing the transmission 
of misleading or inaccurate caller      
identification information with the     
intent to defraud1 cause harm1 or       
wrongfully obtain anything of value by  
making certain false communications     
relating to ,,covid-#ai1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,stop ,coronavirus  
,scams ,act of #bjbj4  #b4 ,doubling of 
penalties for caller ,,id spoofing in   
connection with ,,covid-#ai scams  7a7  
,in general ,in the case of a person who
 violates section #bbg7;e7 of the       
,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg      
,u4,s4,c4 #bbg7;e77 with the intent to  
defraud1 cause harm1 or wrongfully      
obtain anything of value by making a    

covered communication to the called     
party1 the following shall apply3 7#a7  
,the maximum amount of the forfeiture   
penalty that may be determined against  
such person for the violation under     
paragraph 7#e77;,a77i7 of such section  
shall be #b times the maximum amount    
that may be determined under such       
paragraph without regard to this        
paragraph4  7#b7 ,the maximum amount of 
the criminal fine that may be imposed on
 such person for the violation under    
paragraph 7#e77;,b7 of such section     
shall be #b times the maximum amount    
that may be imposed under such paragraph
 without regard to this paragraph4  7#c7
 ,the maximum length of the term of     
imprisonment that may be imposed on such
 person for the violation under section 
#eja of such ,act 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #eja7  
shall be #b times the maximum length of 
the term that may be imposed under such 
section without regard to this          
paragraph4  7b7 ,regulations ,not later 
than #fj days after the date of the     

enactment of this ,act1 the ,federal    
,communications ,commission shall       
promulgate regulations to implement this
 section4 ,such regulations shall       
include criteria for determining whether
 a communication is a covered           
communication4  7c7 ,definitions ,in    
this section3 7#a7 ,called party ,the   
term called party means the recipient of
 a telephone call or a text message 7as 
the case may be7 in connection with     
which misleading or inaccurate caller   
identification information is caused to 
be transmitted in violation of section  
#bbg7;e7 of the ,communications ,act of 
#aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bbg7;e774  7#b7   
,covered communication ,the term covered
 communication means a communication    
7regardless of whether the communication
 expressly refers to ,,sars-,co,v-#b or 
,,covid-#ai7 that would lead a          
reasonable person to believe-- 7,a7     
that-- 7i7 a financial opportunity      
7including participation in a government
 assistance program or a government or  

private loan or insurance program7 is or
 may be available to such person1 the   
household of such person1 or a member of
 such household1 when such opportunity  
is not in fact so available2 and  7ii7  
the availability of such opportunity is 
a result of ,,sars-,co,v-#b or          
,,covid-#ai2 or  7,b7 that a product1   
service1 benefit1 or other opportunity  
relating to testing or treatment for or 
vaccination against ,,sars-,co,v-#b or  
,,covid-#ai1 or relating to payment for 
such testing1 treatment1 or vaccination1
 is or may be available to such person1 
the household of such person1 or a      
member of such household1 when such     
opportunity is not in fact so available4