William P. Barr and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Petitioners
Noel J. Francisco, U.S. Solicitor General
In 1991, the U.S. Congress passed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), designed to reduce the number of unsolicited telephone calls to cellphone numbers by prohibiting the use of automated dialing devices and prerecorded messages. A year later, Congress amended the law to give the FCC the authority to exempt certain companies from the restrictions. In 2015, Congress again amended the TCPA to explicitly exempt automated calls from companies attempting to collect federally guaranteed debt, such as student loans. …
