OLYMPIA, Wash. – A bill that would help combat illegal robo-calls passed the State Legislature on Wednesday.

Part of Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s anti-robocalling initiative, House Bill 1051 will modernize state laws to address the growing problem.

The new bill will make it illegal to falsify a caller ID display and create accountability with service providers who facilitate the robocallers, giving incentives for the large companies to crack down on would-be scammers.

According to TruCaller survey data, it’s estimated that over a million Washingtonians were scammed out of money by robocalls in 2022, an increase of 265,000 victims compared to 2021.

The bill now heads to the Governor’s office for final approval.