Statement of Administration Policy: S. 652 - Telephone Privacy Act of 1991

(Senate)
(Kohl (D) Wisconsin)

The Administration opposes S. 652. Federal legislation on Caller ID is unnecessary. (Caller ID is a service that allows the recipient of a phone call to see the phone number of the caller.)

For interstate service, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) already has authority to regulate Caller ID. In fact, the FCC is now conducting a rulemaking on Caller ID that addresses the concerns underlying S. 652. On the local level, the States are using a variety of approaches in determining the conditions under which Caller ID should be offered in their jurisdictions. These different approaches are providing valuable information and experience in developing this service and should be permitted to continue.