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A bill to require the Secretary of Labor to maintain a publicly available list of all employers that relocate a call center overseas, to make such companies ineligible for Federal grants or guaranteed loans, and to require disclosure of the physical location of business agents engaging in customer service communications, and for other purposes.

USA115th CongressS-515| Senate 
| Updated: 3/2/2017
Robert P. Casey

Robert P. Casey

Democratic Senator

Pennsylvania

Cosponsors (19)
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democratic)Richard J. Durbin (Democratic)Kamala D. Harris (Democratic)Joe Donnelly (Democratic)Heidi Heitkamp (Democratic)Doug Jones (Democratic)Tim Kaine (Democratic)Joe Manchin (Independent)Chris Van Hollen (Democratic)Christopher Murphy (Democratic)Jon Tester (Democratic)Debbie Stabenow (Democratic)Claire McCaskill (Democratic)Tina Smith (Democratic)Sherrod Brown (Democratic)Tammy Baldwin (Democratic)Jeff Merkley (Democratic)Gary C. Peters (Democratic)Richard Blumenthal (Democratic)

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires a business that employs 50 or more call center employees, excluding part-time employees, or 50 or more call center employees who in the aggregate work at least 1,500 hours per week, exclusive of overtime, to notify the Department of Labor at least 120 days before relocating such center outside of the United States. Violators are subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day. Labor must make publicly available a list of all such employers that relocate a call center. It may remove from the list an employer that has relocated the call center from a location outside the United States to a location inside the United States. Employers must remain on the list for up to three years after each relocation. An employer is ineligible for federal grants or federal guaranteed loans for five years after being added to the list, except where the employer demonstrates that a lack of such loan or grant would threaten national security, result in substantial job loss in the United States, or harm the environment. Federal or state executive agencies or military departments, when awarding a civilian or defense-related contract, must give preference to a U.S. employer that does not appear on the list. Businesses that initiate or receive a customer service communication must require each of their employees or agents participating in the communication to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each such communication unless all involved employees or agents are located in the United States. The bill exempts any communication: (1) initiated by a consumer if the consumer knows or reasonably should know that the employee or agent is located outside the United States, or (2) related to the provision of emergency services. Upon request, businesses must transfer a customer to a customer service agent who is physically located in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may exclude certain classes or types of business entities or customer service communications from the requirements of this bill under exceptionally compelling circumstances. The bill sets forth authority for the FTC to enforce against violations.
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Timeline
Mar 2, 2017
Introduced in Senate
Mar 2, 2017
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Mar 17, 2017

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 115-1300
Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.
  • March 2, 2017
    Introduced in Senate


  • March 2, 2017
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


  • March 17, 2017

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 115-1300
    Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Commerce

Related Bills

  • HR 115-1300: To require the Secretary of Labor to maintain a publicly available list of all employers that relocate a call center overseas, to make such companies ineligible for Federal grants or guaranteed loans, and to require disclosure of the physical location of business agents engaging in customer service communications, and for other purposes.
Administrative law and regulatory proceduresBusiness recordsConsumer affairsFederal Trade Commission (FTC)Government information and archivesGovernment lending and loan guaranteesMilitary procurement, research, weapons developmentPublic contracts and procurementTelephone and wireless communicationUnemployment

A bill to require the Secretary of Labor to maintain a publicly available list of all employers that relocate a call center overseas, to make such companies ineligible for Federal grants or guaranteed loans, and to require disclosure of the physical location of business agents engaging in customer service communications, and for other purposes.

USA115th CongressS-515| Senate 
| Updated: 3/2/2017
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires a business that employs 50 or more call center employees, excluding part-time employees, or 50 or more call center employees who in the aggregate work at least 1,500 hours per week, exclusive of overtime, to notify the Department of Labor at least 120 days before relocating such center outside of the United States. Violators are subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day. Labor must make publicly available a list of all such employers that relocate a call center. It may remove from the list an employer that has relocated the call center from a location outside the United States to a location inside the United States. Employers must remain on the list for up to three years after each relocation. An employer is ineligible for federal grants or federal guaranteed loans for five years after being added to the list, except where the employer demonstrates that a lack of such loan or grant would threaten national security, result in substantial job loss in the United States, or harm the environment. Federal or state executive agencies or military departments, when awarding a civilian or defense-related contract, must give preference to a U.S. employer that does not appear on the list. Businesses that initiate or receive a customer service communication must require each of their employees or agents participating in the communication to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each such communication unless all involved employees or agents are located in the United States. The bill exempts any communication: (1) initiated by a consumer if the consumer knows or reasonably should know that the employee or agent is located outside the United States, or (2) related to the provision of emergency services. Upon request, businesses must transfer a customer to a customer service agent who is physically located in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may exclude certain classes or types of business entities or customer service communications from the requirements of this bill under exceptionally compelling circumstances. The bill sets forth authority for the FTC to enforce against violations.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
Mar 2, 2017
Introduced in Senate
Mar 2, 2017
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Mar 17, 2017

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 115-1300
Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.
  • March 2, 2017
    Introduced in Senate


  • March 2, 2017
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


  • March 17, 2017

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 115-1300
    Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.
Robert P. Casey

Robert P. Casey

Democratic Senator

Pennsylvania

Cosponsors (19)
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democratic)Richard J. Durbin (Democratic)Kamala D. Harris (Democratic)Joe Donnelly (Democratic)Heidi Heitkamp (Democratic)Doug Jones (Democratic)Tim Kaine (Democratic)Joe Manchin (Independent)Chris Van Hollen (Democratic)Christopher Murphy (Democratic)Jon Tester (Democratic)Debbie Stabenow (Democratic)Claire McCaskill (Democratic)Tina Smith (Democratic)Sherrod Brown (Democratic)Tammy Baldwin (Democratic)Jeff Merkley (Democratic)Gary C. Peters (Democratic)Richard Blumenthal (Democratic)

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Commerce

Related Bills

  • HR 115-1300: To require the Secretary of Labor to maintain a publicly available list of all employers that relocate a call center overseas, to make such companies ineligible for Federal grants or guaranteed loans, and to require disclosure of the physical location of business agents engaging in customer service communications, and for other purposes.
  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
Administrative law and regulatory proceduresBusiness recordsConsumer affairsFederal Trade Commission (FTC)Government information and archivesGovernment lending and loan guaranteesMilitary procurement, research, weapons developmentPublic contracts and procurementTelephone and wireless communicationUnemployment