ICYMI: Rep Houchin Bills to Combat Scams, Expand Broadband Advance to House Floor

WASHINGTON-Last week, two bills by Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09) advanced out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and were reported to the full House of Representatives.

H.R. 5967, the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act, was reported to the full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 36 yeas to 0 nays.

• This bipartisan legislation introduced alongside Rep. Rob Menendez (NJ-08) targets fraud, an issue costing Americans about $15.9 billion last year. By placing responsibility of preventing scams with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DoJ), the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act proactively targets criminals engaging in fraud.

"Fraud is a massive and growing threat that costs Americans billions of dollars every year," said Rep. Houchin. "The federal government has agencies working on different pieces of this problem, but criminals do not operate in silos. We need the federal government to share information, coordinate its efforts, and work directly with the companies on the front lines of identifying scams. The Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act gives this effort an owner and creates a coordinated strategy to better protect Americans."

H.R. 4950, the Data BRIDGE Act, was reported to the full House by a roll call vote of 35 yeas to 0 nays.

• The Data BRIDE Act, a bipartisan bill introduced alongside Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) ensures that broadband funding decisions are made with cropland location information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Currently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) National Broadband Map focuses on serviceable locations like homes and businesses, but often misses the acreage surrounding where modern farming takes place.

"Our farmers depend on access to reliable broadband to stay competitive in a modern economy," said Rep. Houchin. "The Data BRIDGE Act is a low-cost, commonsense solution, using data the government already has to ensure every broadband dollar lands closer to where the work gets done, I have led the fight to expand broadband access to rural communities in Indiana for years and am proud of this important step toward closing the connectivity gap for our farm families and rural communities. Thank you to Chairman Hudson and Chairman Guthrie for supporting of this practical legislation.