TCPA
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Telephone Consumer Protection Act |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Government & Politics, Transportation & Travel |
TCPA has two meanings. It stands for Telephone Consumer Protection Act (US law) or Time to closest point of approach (maritime).
Meanings of TCPA at a glance
| # | TCPA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telephone Consumer Protection Act | Government & Politics › US Law |
| 2 | Time to closest point of approach | Transportation & Travel › Maritime |
1. Telephone Consumer Protection Act
Government & Politics · US Law Abbreviations
Law of 1991 that restricts telemarketing calls, autodialed and prerecorded calls and texts, and unsolicited faxes, and underpins the National Do Not Call Registry. Consumers can sue for $500 per violation, or up to $1,500 if willful.
Example: The class action alleges the company sent marketing texts in violation of the TCPA.
The FCC writes the rules implementing it. Statutory damages make TCPA class actions common and costly for businesses. In Facebook v. Duguid (2021), the Supreme Court narrowed the definition of an autodialer. The same act's fax provisions are why unsolicited "junk faxes" are illegal.
2. Time to closest point of approach
Transportation & Travel · Maritime Abbreviations
Time remaining until two vessels reach their closest point of approach, displayed by radar and AIS systems. A short TCPA combined with a small CPA signals urgent collision risk.
Example: TCPA 6 minutes, CPA 0.1 mile: call the master to the bridge.
Watch officers use CPA and TCPA together to decide when and how to act under the collision regulations. Alarms trigger when both fall below set thresholds. TCPA also stands for the US Telephone Consumer Protection Act in legal contexts.
Related abbreviations
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- STOCK Act – Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act
- TCJA – Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
- TILA – Truth in Lending Act
- TSCA – Toxic Substances Control Act
- U.S.C. – United States Code
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More maritime abbreviations
- SOLAS – International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
- SS – Steamship
- STCW – International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and…
- SV – Sailing vessel
- TEU – Twenty-foot equivalent unit
- ULCC – Ultra large crude carrier
- USCGC – United States Coast Guard Cutter
- USNS – United States Naval Ship