A New Wave Is Forming
In July 2025, Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan bill Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025.
If passed, this bill would require new transparency rules, limit offshoring, and change how many financial organizations manage their customer service operations. For banks, credit unions, insurers, fintechs, and investment advisors, this isn’t just a call center issue — it’s a trust, compliance, and operational strategy issue.
Core Requirements at a Glance
1. Transparency for Every Call
If you have 50+ full-time call center employees (or the equivalent hours), you’ll need to:
- Disclose when a call is being handled outside the U.S.
- Identify when a caller is speaking to an AI agent.
- Offer to transfer to a U.S.-based human on request.
2. Limits on Offshoring
- Must notify the Department of Labor 120 days before moving jobs offshore.
- May be placed on a public list for five years if you offshore jobs — which could bar you from federal funding and bring reputational risk.
- U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam are considered “domestic” and are exempt from these restrictions.
3. Federal Contract Rules
If you service federally regulated accounts (like student loans or federal retirement plans), all customer service work must be performed inside the U.S. Federal agencies will give preference to vendors not on the offshoring list.
Impact on Financial & Retirement Services
Operational Shifts
- New systems may be required to track agent locations in real time.
- AI deployments must be logged and disclosed to customers.
- Seamless routing to U.S.-based agents may require infrastructure upgrades.
Cost Pressures
- Repatriating work could increase labor expenses by 200–300%.
- Budgets may need to be shifted away from other initiatives to meet compliance.
Vendor Risk
- Outsourced providers will need to prove compliance with location and disclosure rules.
- Contracts may require renegotiation or termination if standards can’t be met.
Turning Compliance into A Competitive Advantage
While the bill brings new costs and complexity, it also creates opportunities to stand out:
- Transparency can build trust, especially with high-net-worth or older clients concerned about security and AI use.
- U.S.-based, bilingual agents can improve service and reduce compliance headaches.
- Hybrid models can balance efficiency and customer preference.
Enterprise Iron: Your Trusted Partner in Transition
At Enterprise Iron, we’ve spent over 7 years delivering high-performance, compliant Contact Center Solutions from Puerto Rico, a cost effective and compliant U.S. territory.
Why Choose Us:
- 25% Cost Savings vs. Mainland Operations.
- SLA-surpassing performance.
- Bilingual agents with deep Financial Services expertise.
- Flexible onshore, nearshore and hybrid models are available.
Let’s Future-Proof Your Call Center
The Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 is gaining momentum. Acting now can help you avoid last-minute, costly fixes — and position your organization as a leader in trust and service.
Take the First Step: Schedule a Contact Center Risk Assessment to evaluate your current setup, uncover gaps and risks, and identify opportunities for improvement — before a reputational issue becomes a crisis. Email us at: contactcenters@enterpriseiron.com.
Ask Yourself?
- Could your current call center instantly meet a “U.S.-based agent on request” requirement?
- Do you have the technology to track agent locations in real time?
- Would being on a public “offshored” list hurt your customer trust or contracts?
- Are your vendors ready — and able to prove it?
- If this bill passed tomorrow, would you be ready, or scrambling?