FCC Law Lawyer & Attorney : Sheppard Mullin Law Firm : FCC Law Blog

I. Legislative Branch Activity

A. Optimism for Major Telecom Legislation Waning.

As Congressmen settled into the new Congress in January, staffers for Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye confirmed that he will seek to pass smaller, more targeted communications bills in this session. The key telecom companies such as Verizon, BellSouth, and AT&T, who supported GOP-led legislation, are expected to withdraw support for any major Democratic measures. Inouye has called for a hearing on the state of the telecom marketplace for February 1. All five FCC commissioners will be there to present their testimonies and answer what are expected to be tough questions from Democrats.

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I. Legislative Branch Activity

A. Congress Passes Pretexting, Two Other Bills in Lame Duck Session.

As the 109^th Congress drew to a close in December, three telecom bills managed their way through the halls of Congress. First and foremost, the Senate finally approved a ban on pretexting (HR-4709), which the House had passed in April. In addition to banning the acquisition of phone records through fraudulent means, the bill would prohibit the unauthorized sale or transfer of confidential phone records, or the receipt of such information with the knowledge that it was fraudulently obtained. 

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There is a policy debate going on in Washington that will determine how the Internet is used and regulated in the future. If your business depends upon the Internet, this is one debate that you should not sit out.

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