# Plain Language Summary: The Robo COP Act

This bill takes aim at one of the most annoying types of phone calls people receive—automated political messages. Right now, if you're on the national "do-not-call" registry (which blocks most telemarketing calls), you can still get robocalls from political campaigns, candidates, and organizations pushing political causes. This bill would change that by requiring the Federal Trade Commission to update its rules so that political robocalls have to respect the do-not-call list, just like regular telemarketers do.

The bill specifically targets recorded message calls where no actual person is on the line to speak with you. It covers any automated call designed to promote or campaign for a political candidate, oppose a candidate, discuss political issues, or ask for donations to political causes. It also includes any robocall that mentions a political candidate's name in the recording. Essentially, if it's a pre-recorded political message, it shouldn't be able to call your number if you've registered on the do-not-call list.

The Federal Trade Commission would have six months from when the bill becomes law to update the official telemarketing rules to make this happen. This means people who have already signed up for do-not-call protection would get that protection extended to political robocalls, and anyone signing up in the future would have that protection from the start. The practical effect is fewer unwanted political calls interrupting your dinner or waking you up in the morning.

Robo COP Act

Foxx, Virginia

Robo Calls Off Phones Act or the Robo COP Act This bill directs the Federal Trade Commission to revise the do-not-call registry provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule to prohibit politically-oriented recorded message telephone calls to numbers listed on that registry. A politically-oriented recorded message telephone call is an outbound telephone call that plays a recorded message that (1) promotes, advertises, campaigns, or solicits donations for or against a political candidate or regarding a political issue; or (2) uses a political candidate's name.