Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
This bill aims to discourage companies from moving customer service operations overseas by creating financial and contractual penalties. It requires employers with at least 50 full-time workers to notify the Department of Labor at least 120 days before relocating or outsourcing call center work abroad, and those who do are placed on a public list maintained by the Secretary of Labor for up to five years. Companies on this list become ineligible for federal grants and guaranteed loans for five years, and if they already received federal funding, they must pay a monthly penalty of 8.3 percent of their grant amount and cannot receive further disbursements. Additionally, federal agencies must prefer contractors not on the list when awarding new contracts, and any call center work done under federal contracts must be performed in the United States. The bill also requires all customer service representatives (whether human or artificial intelligence) to disclose their physical location to consumers at the start of calls and emails, with consumers able to request immediate transfer to a U.S.-based agent. These disclosure requirements take effect one year after the law's passage and are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission as violations of consumer protection rules.
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