Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 47 attorneys general in supporting the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) proposed rules to combat illegal robocalls. These rules aim to enhance the effectiveness of the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database by strengthening filing requirements and increasing penalties for noncompliance.

Currently, voice-service providers in the U.S. must provide information on their caller-ID authentication systems and robocall-mitigation plans to this public database. The proposed rules would enforce stricter accountability and accuracy measures among filers.

“Robocalls are not only annoying, they can also facilitate scams that result in real financial losses for Californians. This is a nationwide problem, and we need nationwide solutions,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The Robocall Mitigation Database is an essential resource to combat illegal robocalls and should be treated as more than just a formality. I am proud to join this bipartisan effort to ensure the tools in our toolbox remain effective in fighting robocalls and protecting consumers.”

The FCC proposal seeks to improve reporting procedures by identifying deficient filings, requiring corrections for flawed submissions, and enforcing consequences for false or misleading entries. The coalition views these steps as vital for continuing bipartisan efforts against fraudulent robocall traffic.

Attorney General Bonta remains active in consumer protection initiatives within California and across the nation, particularly against illegal robocalls. He is part of the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, which investigates significant volumes of illegal robocall traffic into the United States.

In recent months, Bonta issued warnings to telecom companies suspected of transmitting illegal robocalls impersonating government officials and participated in actions against companies accused of election-related scam calls.

Today's letter includes support from attorneys general across multiple states including North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, Arkansas, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Dakota Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming and the District of Columbia.

A copy of the comment letter is available online.