(CNN) A bill to crack down on unwanted robocalls sailed through the Senate on Thursday, adding to a push by Congress to defeat the growing problem of phone scams and nuisance calls.

The legislation would impose stiffer fines of as much as $10,000 per call on robocallers who knowingly flout the rules on calls and would increase the statute of limitations to three years, up from one year. It also instructs the Federal Communications Commission to develop further regulations that could shield consumers from unwanted calls.

"This won't eliminate all robocalling, but it'll certainly put a dent in it -- and that's something I think everyone will welcome," said Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican who's a cosponsor of the bill.

The legislation would accelerate the rollout of so-called "call authentication" technologies the industry is currently developing, which could cut down on the number of calls coming from unverified numbers.

Proponents say the new industry standards -- known as SHAKEN/STIR -- could increase phone users' confidence in their caller ID. The protocols are designed to authenticate callers who are using their rightful phone numbers and to eliminate calls from spammers who are using phone numbers they don't rightfully own.

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