Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025

Legislative Summary: Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 (H.R. 4954)

Overview

The Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 is designed to discourage U.S. companies from relocating customer service operations overseas and to increase transparency for consumers regarding the location and nature (human vs. AI) of the customer service agents they interact with. The bill implements financial penalties, restricts federal funding for offshoring companies, and mandates specific disclosures during customer service communications.

Key Provisions

1. Penalties for Offshoring Call Centers

The bill targets "employers" (defined as businesses with 50+ full-time employees) that relocate or contract out at least 30% of their call center volume to locations outside the U.S.

• Public "Blacklist": The Secretary of Labor will maintain a publicly available list of companies that relocate or outsource call center work overseas.
• Federal Funding Restrictions: Companies on this list are ineligible for new Federal grants or guaranteed loans for five years.
• Clawbacks and Penalties:
  • Companies already receiving federal grants/loans that move operations overseas must pay a monthly penalty equal to 8.3% of the total grant/loan disbursement.
  • Existing grants or loans may be canceled entirely if the company remains on the list for one year.
• Federal Contracting: Federal agencies must give preference to U.S. employers not on the list and are prohibited from awarding contracts where call center work is performed outside the U.S.

2. Consumer Disclosure Requirements

The bill mandates that business entities be transparent with consumers during "customer service communications":

• Location Disclosure: Agents must disclose their physical location at the start of a call. If the agent is overseas, they must inform the consumer that they can request a transfer to a U.S.-based agent.
• AI Disclosure: If a business uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) for customer service, they must disclose that a non-human machine is being used and provide a way (such as a voice command like "agent") to be transferred to a human operator in the U.S.
• Right to Transfer: Consumers have the right to be immediately transferred to a human agent located within the United States.

3. Oversight and Enforcement

• FTC Role: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is tasked with enforcing disclosure requirements. Failures to comply will be treated as "unfair or deceptive acts or practices."
• Certification: Business entities must certify their compliance with these disclosure rules to the FTC annually.
• Reporting: The Secretary of Labor must report to Congress on the location of all Federal government call center work and document job losses resulting from the use of AI in those centers.

Who is Affected?

• Large Businesses: Specifically those with 50+ employees who manage call center operations.
• Federal Contractors: Entities seeking civilian or defense-related government contracts.
• Consumers: U.S. residents who will receive more information about where their customer service agents are located and whether they are speaking to an AI.
• Federal Agencies: Agencies providing grants, loans, and contracts must implement the new eligibility and preference rules.

Timeline and Procedural Aspects

• Notice Period: Employers must notify the Secretary of Labor at least 120 days before relocating a call center overseas.
• Effective Date: Most substantive requirements (including those regarding Federal grants and consumer disclosures) take effect one year after the date of enactment.
• Removal from List: Companies can be removed from the "blacklist" if they relocate the center back to the U.S. with an equivalent number of employees or amend contracts to ensure all work is performed within the U.S.