The Federal Communications Commission is moving to limit the number of times government debt collectors can robocall individuals. The commission approved a proposal last week that would only allow collectors to call three times a month — and only in situations when the debtor has not made a scheduled payment, or so the government can suggest plans that would help borrowers not default on their debt. Under the adopted proposal, individuals would also gain the right to ask for the calls to stop entirely.

The proposal comes three months ahead of an August 2nd deadline set by Congress for the FCC to implement limits on government robocalls. The FCC has been waging war on robocalls from telemarketers over the past few years, but as part of a budget deal last year, government debt collectors got special dispensation to continue contacting people who owe student loan debt and other money to the government. The FCC's new proposal is the first step toward restricting these calls, but debate over the finer points is expected, as Democrats and Republicans in the commission have already disagreed on their importance.