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The text of S. 1462, a bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit certain practices involving the use of telephone equipment for advertising and solicitation purposes, as passed by the Senate on November 7, 1991, is as follows:

S. 1462

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the "Automated Telephone Consumer Protection Act".

SEC. 2. RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF AUTOMATED TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT.

(a) AMENDMENT.-Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
 

"SEC. 228. RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF AUTOMATED TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT.

"(a) DEFINITIONS.-As used in this section-

*S16780 "(1) The term 'automatic telephone dialing system' means equipment which has the capacity-

"(A) to store or produce telephone numbers to be called, using a random or sequential number generator; and

"(B) to dial such numbers.

"(2) The term 'telephone facsimile machine' means equipment which has the capacity to transcribe text or images, or both, from paper into an electronic signal and to transmit that signal over a regular telephone line.

"(3) The term 'unsolicited advertisement' means any material advertising the commercial availability or quality of any property, goods, or services which is transmitted to any person without that person's prior express invitation or permission.

"(b) RESTRICTIONS.-

"(1) REGULATIONS.-The Commission shall prescribe regulations to make it unlawful for any person within the United States-

"(A) to make any call (other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with the prior express consent of the called party) using any automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice-

"(i) to any emergency telephone line (including any '911' line and any emergency line of a hospital, medical physician or service office, health care facility, or fire protection or law enforcement agency) or to the telephone line of any guest room or patient room of a hospital, health care facility, elderly home, or similar establishment; or

"(ii) to any telephone number assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or radio common carrier service, or any other service for which the called party is charged for the call;

"(B) to initiate any telephone call to any residence using an artificial or prerecorded voice to deliver a message without the prior express consent of the called party, unless the call is initiated for emergency purposes;

"(C) to send an unsolicited advertisement by a facsimile machine; or

"(D) to use an automatic telephone dialing system in such a way that two or more telephone lines of a multi-line business are seized simultaneously.

"(2) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.-A person who has received more than one telephone call from the same entity, or delivering the same or a similar message, in violation of regulations prescribed under this subsection may, if otherwise permitted by the laws or rules of court of a State, bring in an appropriate court of that State an action in such person's own name to enjoin such calls, an action to recover for actual monetary loss or receive $500 in damages for each violation, whichever is greater, or both such actions. The court may, in its discretion, increase the award for monetary loss to an amount not to exceed three times the actual monetary loss up to $1,500 for each violation, or to increase the award of damages to an amount not to exceed $1,500 for each violation, if the court finds the defendant willfully or knowingly violated such regulations.

"(3) CALLS TO BUSINESSES.-In the course of its rulemaking proceeding to prescribe regulations under paragraph (1), the Commission shall consider prescribing regulations to allow businesses to avoid receiving calls made using an artificial or prerecorded voice message to which they have not given their prior express consent.

"(4) EXEMPTIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS.-In the course of its rulemaking proceeding to prescribe regulations under paragraph (1), the Commission shall also determine whether and to what extent the regulations should include exemptions and other provisions to address special circumstances, consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

"(c) TECHNICAL AND PROCEDURAL STANDARDS.-

"(1) PROHIBITION.-It shall be unlawful for any person within the United States-

"(A) to initiate any communication using a telephone facsimile machine, or to make any telephone call using any automatic telephone dialing system that does not comply with the technical and procedural standards prescribed under this subsection, or to use any telephone facsimile machine or automatic telephone dialing system in a manner that does not comply with such standards; or

"(B) to use a computer or other electronic device to send any message via a telephone facsimile machine unless such person clearly marks, in a margin at the top or bottom of each transmitted page of the message or on the first page of the transmission, the date and time it is sent and an identification of the business, other entity, or individual sending the message and the telephone number of the sending machine or of such business, other entity, or individual.

"(2) TELEPHONE FACSIMILE MACHINES.-The Commission shall revise the regulations setting technical and procedural standards for telephone facsimile machines to require that any such machine which-

"(A) is manufactured after 6 months after the date of enactment of this section, and

"(B) can be used for the distribution of unsolicited advertising, clearly marks, in a margin at the top or bottom of each transmitted page or on the first page of each transmission, the date and time sent, an identification of the business, other entity, or individual sending the message, and the telephone number of the sending machine or of such business, other entity, or individual. The Commission shall exempt from such standards, for 18 months after such date of enactment, telephone facsimile machines that do not have the capacity for automatic dialing and transmission and that are not capable of operation through an interface with a computer.

"(3) ARTIFICIAL OR PRERECORDED VOICE SYSTEMS.-The Commission shall prescribe technical and procedural standards for systems that are used to transmit any artificial or prerecorded voice message via telephone. Such standards shall require that-

"(A) all artificial or prerecorded telephone messages (i) shall, at the beginning of the message, state clearly the identity of the business, individual, or other entity initiating the call, and (ii) shall, during or after the message, state clearly the telephone number or address of such business, other entity, or individual; and

"(B) any such system will automatically release the called party's line within 5 seconds of the time the system receives notification that the called party has hung up, to allow the called party's line to be used to make or receive other calls.

"(d) STATE LAW NOT PREEMPTED.-Nothing in this section or in the regulations prescribed under this section shall preempt any State law that imposes more restrictive intrastate requirements or regulations on, or which prohibits-

"(1) the use of telephone facsimile machines or other electronic devices to send unsolicited advertisements;

"(2) the use of automatic telephone dialing systems to transmit prerecorded telephone solicitations; or

"(3) the use of artificial or prerecorded voice messages.

"(e) ACTIONS BY STATES.-

"(1) AUTHORITY OF STATES.-Whenever the attorney general of a State, or an official or agency designated by a State, has reason to believe that any person has engaged or is engaging in a pattern or practice of telephone calls to residents of that State in violation of the regulations prescribed under this section, the State may bring a civil action on behalf of its residents to enjoin such calls, an action to recover for actual monetary loss or receive $500 in damages for each violation, or both such actions. The court may, in its discretion, increase the award for monetary loss to an amount not to exceed three times the actual monetary loss up to $1,500 for each violation, or to increase the award of damages to an amount not to exceed $1,500 for each violation, if the court finds the defendant willfully or knowingly violated such regulations.

"(2) EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF FEDERAL COURTS.-The district courts of the United States, the United States courts of any territory, and the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all civil actions brought under this subsection. Upon proper application, such courts shall also have jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus, or orders affording like relief, commanding the defendant to comply with the provisions of regulations prescribed under this section, including the requirement that the defendant take such action as is necessary to remove the danger of violation of any such regulations. Upon a proper showing, a permanent or temporary injunction or restraining order shall be granted without bond.

"(3) RIGHTS OF COMMISSION.-The State shall serve prior written notice of any such civil action upon the Commission and provide the Commission with a copy of its complaint, except in any case where such prior notice is not feasible, in which case the State shall serve such notice immediately upon instituting such action. The Commission shall have the right (A) to intervene in the action, (B) upon so intervening, to be heard on all matters arising therein, and (C) to file petitions for appeal.

"(4) VENUE; SERVICE OF PROCESS.-Any civil action brought under this subsection in a district court of the United States may be brought in the district wherein the defendant is found or is an inhabitant or transacts business or wherein the violation occurred or is occurring, and process in such cases may be served in any district in which the defendant is an inhabitant or where the defendant may be found.

"(5) INVESTIGATORY POWERS.-For purposes of bringing any civil action under this subsection, nothing in this section shall prevent the attorney general of a State from exercising the powers conferred on the attorney general by the laws of such State to conduct investigations or to administer oaths or affirmations or to compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of documentary and other evidence.

"(6) EFFECT ON STATE COURT PROCEEDINGS.-Nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit an authorized State official from proceeding in State court on the basis of an alleged violation of any general civil or criminal statute of such State.

"(7) LIMITATION.-Whenever the Commission has instituted a civil action for violation of regulations prescribed under this section, no State may, during the pendency of such action instituted by the Commission, subsequently institute a civil action against any defendant named in the Commission's complaint for any violation as alleged in the Commission's complaint.

"(8) DEFINITION.-As used in this subsection, the term 'attorney general' means the chief legal officer of a State.".

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.-Section 2(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 152(b)) is amended by striking "and 225" and inserting in lieu thereof ", 225, and 228".

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