Official Summaries

Quashing Unwanted and Interruptive Electronic Telecommunications Act or the QUIET Act

This bill establishes a disclosure requirement for robocalls that use artificial intelligence (AI) to emulate a human being and increases forfeiture and fine amounts for certain violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). (The TCPA prohibits certain telemarketing calls made without the recipient’s consent and using specified automated technologies.)

Specifically, any robocall that uses AI to emulate a human being must include a disclosure at the beginning of the message indicating that AI is being used. Under the bill, robocalls are defined as calls made or text messages sent (1) using automatic dialing technology, or (2) using an artificially generated message or an artificial or prerecorded voice. Calls or texts that are made or sent using equipment that requires substantial human intervention are excluded. 

Further, the bill doubles the maximum forfeiture penalty and criminal fine that may be imposed for certain violations of the TCPA involving the use of AI to impersonate an individual or entity with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value. This provision applies to violations that occur after the bill’s enactment. 

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1027 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1027

  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require disclosures with 
 respect to robocalls using artificial intelligence and to provide for 
    enhanced penalties for certain violations involving artificial 
    intelligence voice or text message impersonation, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2025

 Mr. Sorensen (for himself and Mr. Ciscomani) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require disclosures with 
 respect to robocalls using artificial intelligence and to provide for 
    enhanced penalties for certain violations involving artificial 
    intelligence voice or text message impersonation, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Quashing Unwanted and Interruptive 
Electronic Telecommunications Act'' or the ``QUIET Act''.

SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE REQUIRED FOR ROBOCALLS USING AI.

    Section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Disclosure Required for Robocalls Using AI.--
            ``(1) In general.--If a person making a robocall uses 
        artificial intelligence to emulate a human being, such person 
        shall disclose at the beginning of the call or text message the 
        fact that artificial intelligence is being used.
            ``(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Robocall.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The term `robocall' 
                        means a call made or text message sent--
                                    ``(I) using equipment, whether 
                                hardware, software, or a combination 
                                thereof and including an automatic 
                                telephone dialing system, that makes a 
                                call or sends a text message to--
                                            ``(aa) stored telephone 
                                        numbers; or
                                            ``(bb) telephone numbers 
                                        produced using a random or 
                                        sequential number generator; or
                                    ``(II) using an artificial or 
                                prerecorded voice or an artificially 
                                generated message.
                            ``(ii) Limitation.--For purposes of clause 
                        (i)(I), the term `robocall' does not include a 
                        call made or text message sent using equipment 
                        that requires substantial human intervention to 
                        make or send the call or text message.
                    ``(B) Text message.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The term `text message' 
                        means a message consisting of text, images, 
                        sounds, or other information that is 
                        transmitted to or from a device that is 
                        identified as the receiving or transmitting 
                        device by means of a 10-digit telephone number, 
                        N11 service code, short code telephone number, 
                        or email address, or that is transmitted 
                        through application-to-person messaging, and 
                        includes--
                                    ``(I) a short message service 
                                (commonly referred to as `SMS') 
                                message;
                                    ``(II) a multimedia message service 
                                (commonly referred to as `MMS') 
                                message; and
                                    ``(III) a rich communication 
                                service (commonly referred to as `RCS') 
                                message.
                            ``(ii) Limitation.--The term `text message' 
                        does not include a real-time, two-way voice or 
                        video communication.''.

SEC. 3. ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS INVOLVING AI VOICE OR TEXT 
              MESSAGE IMPERSONATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 227), as amended by the preceding provisions of this Act, is 
further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(l) Enhanced Penalties for Violations Involving AI Voice or Text 
Message Impersonation.--In the case of a violation of this section with 
respect to which the party making the call or sending the text message 
uses artificial intelligence to impersonate an individual or entity 
with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything 
of value--
            ``(1) the maximum amount of the forfeiture penalty that may 
        be imposed under subsection (b)(4) or (e)(5)(A) of this section 
        or subsection (b) of section 503 (as the case may be) shall be 
        twice the maximum amount that may be imposed for such violation 
        under such subsection without regard to this subsection; and
            ``(2) the maximum amount of the criminal fine that may be 
        imposed under subsection (e)(5)(B) of this section or section 
        501 (as the case may be) shall be twice the maximum amount that 
        may be imposed for such violation under such subsection or 
        section without regard to this subsection.''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to violations occurring after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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