U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at keeping customer service jobs in the United States and improving transparency about the use of artificial intelligence in call centers.
The Keep Call Centers in America Act would require companies to disclose when they relocate call center operations overseas and mandate that customer service representatives inform callers when they are interacting with artificial intelligence or are located outside the country.
"If you're calling customer service, chances are your day isn’t going great," Gallego said in a statement. "On those frustrating days, you should be able to talk to a real human being right here in the U.S."
Justice emphasized the importance of maintaining quality service and supporting American jobs. “When folks pick up the phone and ask for help, they shouldn’t have to deal with AI robots or be routed to someone across the world,” he said. “This bill puts American workers first.”
Under the proposed legislation:
- Companies would be required to notify the Department of Labor when moving call center jobs offshore.
- The Labor Department would maintain a public list of these companies.
- Firms on the list would be barred from receiving new federal contracts and face financial penalties on existing ones.
- Federal agencies would be instructed to prioritize domestic call center operators in awarding contracts.
- Call center agents would be required to disclose their location and whether AI is being used—and must transfer the call to a U.S.-based human representative if the caller requests it.
- The Department of Labor would also be tasked with reporting on the volume and location of federal call center work and assessing job losses linked to AI adoption.
The bill has drawn support from organized labor, including the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents thousands of call center employees nationwide.
“This much-needed legislation protects U.S. call center jobs and addresses the growing threats posed by artificial intelligence and offshoring,” said Dan Mauer, CWA’s Director of Government Affairs. “Our taxpayer dollars should not be used to reward this race to the bottom.”
