Please use your back button to return to the last page

The text of S. 1410, a bill relating to the rights of consumers in connection with telephone advertising, as passed by the Senate on November 7, 1991, is as follows:

S. 1410

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 "Telephone Advertising Consumer Rights Act".

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds that:

(1) The use of the telephone to market goods and services to the home and other businesses is now pervasive due to the increased use of cost-effective telemarketing techniques.

(2) Over 30,000 businesses actively telemarket goods and services to business and residential customers.

(3) More than 300,000 solicitors call more than 18,000,000 Americans every day.

(4) Total United States sales generated through telemarketing amounted to $435,000,000,000 in 1990, a more than four-fold increase since 1984.

(5) Unrestricted telemarketing, however, can be an intrusive invasion of privacy and, when an emergency or medical assistance telephone line is seized, a risk to public safety.

(6) Many consumers are outraged over the proliferation of intrusive, nuisance calls to their homes from telemarketers.

(7) Over half the States now have statutes restricting various uses of the telephone for marketing, but telemarketers can evade their prohibitions through interstate operations; therefore, Federal law is needed to control residential telemarketing practices.

(8) The Constitution does not prohibit restrictions on commercial telemarketing solicitations.

(9) Individual privacy rights, public safety interests, and commercial freedoms of speech and trade must be balanced in a way that protects the privacy of individuals and permits legitimate telemarketing practices.

SEC. 3. RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT FOR ADVERTISING.

(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 TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT FOR ADVERTISING.

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

"(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 telephone solicitation' means a telephone call by a live person for the purpose of encouraging the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, or services which is transmitted to any person without that person's prior express invitation or permission. Such term does not include calls or messages made by or on behalf of a tax exempt nonprofit organization.

"(4) 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.-It shall be unlawful for any person within the United States by means of telephone-

"(1) to make any unsolicited telephone solicitation in violation of the regulations prescribed by the Commission pursuant to subsection (c);

"(2) to send an unsolicited advertisement by a facsimile machine; and

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

"(A) to any emergency telephone line or pager (including any '911' line and any emergency line or pager 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

"(B) 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.

"(c) PROTECTION OF SUBSCRIBER PRIVACY RIGHTS.-

"(1) RULEMAKING PROCEEDING REQUIRED.-Within 120 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding concerning the need to protect residential telephone subscribers' privacy rights to avoid receiving unsolicited telephone solicitations to which they object. The proceeding shall-

"(A) further define 'unsolicited telephone solicitation' consistent with subsection (a)(3);

"(B) compare and evaluate alternative methods and procedures, including the use of telephone electronic databases, telephone network technologies, special directory markings, industry and company based 'do not call' systems, and any other alternatives, individually or in combination, for protecting such privacy rights, in terms of their cost effectiveness and their other advantages and disadvantages;

"(C) evaluate the categories of public and private entities that would have the capacity to establish and administer such methods and procedures;

"(D) consider whether such methods and procedures may apply for local telephone solicitations, such as those of small businesses or holders of second class mail permits; and

"(E) develop proposed regulations to implement the methods and procedures that the Commission determines are most effective and efficient to accomplish the purposes of this section.

"(2) REGULATIONS.-Not later than 240 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission shall conclude the rulemaking proceeding initiated under paragraph (1) and shall prescribe regulations to implement methods and procedures for protecting the privacy rights described in such paragraph in an efficient, effective, and economic manner and without the imposition of any additional charge to telephone subscribers.

"(d) 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 fascimile 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 (to make any telephone solicitation) 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 each 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. 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) to the extent not otherwise prohibited by law, all artificial or prerecorded telephone messages (i) shall, at the beginning of the message, state clearly the identity of the business, other entity, or individual 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.

"(e) 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 this section or regulations prescribed under this section 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 be awarded $500 in damages for each violation, whichever is greater, or both such actions. The court may, in its discretion, *S16782 increase the award for monetary loss to an amount not to exceed three times the actual monetary loss, 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.

"(f) ACTIONS BY STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL.-

"(1) AUTHORITY OF ATTORNEYS GENERAL.-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 this section or 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 $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 momentary loss, 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 this section and 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 provision. 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 wherever 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 this section or 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.

"(g) 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; and

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

"(h) PREEMPTION OF INCONSISTENT INTERSTATE COMMUNICATIONS LAWS.-This section preempts any provisions of State law concerning interstate communications that are inconsistent with the interstate communications provisions of this section.".

(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".

Please use your back button to return to the last page.