S. 2204 would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to initiate a rulemaking related to maintaining a list of numbers that may not be blocked by a voice service provider. Such a list could include numbers associated with public safety facilities, government entities, or schools. In addition, the bill would require the FCC to submit to the Congress an analysis of the effectiveness of various tools to block robocalls.
CBO assumes that S. 2204 would be enacted in fiscal year 2020. Using information from the FCC, CBO expects the commission would require four attorneys for less than a full year at an annual average cost of $210,000 each to implement the bill. In total, CBO estimates that implementing S. 2204 would cost less than $500,000. However, under current law the FCC is authorized to collect fees sufficient to offset the appropriated costs of its regulatory activities each year; therefore, CBO estimates that the net effect on spending subject to appropriation would be negligible, assuming appropriation actions consistent with that authority.
