Get the feeling that congressional representatives can’t agree on, well, anything? Don’t despair. The good news is that some bipartisan legislation is actually making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives with help from both sides of the very divided aisle. The bad news? It could make the cost of doing business go up, especially if your organization depends for tech or customer support on overseas call centers.

The bill’s sponsored by four lawmakers, three Democrats and one Republican, who’ve come together to eradicate call center outsourcing. Their bill would penalize companies that move  a call center overseas.

Any company with an offshore call center would become ineligible for any federal grants or loans, if the law passes.

The legislation — The U.S. Call Center and Consumer Protection Act (HR 3596) – would require the U.S. Labor Department to keep a list of employers who relocate a call center overseas and force companies to provide at least 120 days’ notice if they do it.

The bill also requires call center workers to disclose their location at the beginning of the call, if the caller asks for it.

Tags: call centers, legislation. overseas, outsourcing