State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]

91_HB0157eng

 
HB0157 Engrossed                               LRB9100428JSgc

 1        AN ACT concerning telephone solicitations, amending named
 2    Acts.

 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section  5.  The  Automatic  Telephone  Dialers  Act   is
 6    amended by changing Sections 5, 15, 20, and 30 as follows:

 7        (815 ILCS 305/5) (from Ch. 134, par. 105)
 8        Sec. 5. Definitions. For purpose of this Act:
 9        (a)  "Autodialer"   or   "Autodialer  System"  means  any
10    telephone dialing or accessing device, machine,  computer  or
11    system   capable   of  storing  telephone  numbers  which  is
12    programmed to sequentially  or  randomly  access  the  stored
13    telephone   numbers  in  order  to  automatically  connect  a
14    telephone with a recorded message, the term does not  include
15    any  device  associated  with  a  burglar alarm system, voice
16    message system or fire alarm system.
17        (b)  "Emergency Telephone  Number"  means  any  telephone
18    number  which  accesses  or  calls  a  fire  department,  law
19    enforcement  agency,  ambulance,  hospital,  medical  center,
20    poison control center, rape crisis center, suicide prevention
21    center,  rescue  service,  the  911  emergency  access number
22    provided by law enforcement agencies and police departments.
23        (c)  "Recorded Message"  means  any  taped  communication
24    soliciting  the  sale of goods or services without live voice
25    interaction.
26        (d)  "Voice Messaging System" means any message  delivery
27    service    which    utilizes   an   autodialer   to   deliver
28    non-commercial  messages  to   domestic   and   international
29    recipients.
30        (e)  "Subscriber" means:
31             (1)  A   person  who  has  subscribed  to  telephone
 
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 1        service from a telephone company; or
 2             (2)  Other  persons  living  or  residing  with  the
 3        subscribing person.
 4        (f)  "Caller ID" means the display to  the  recipient  of
 5    the call the caller's telephone number or identity.
 6    (Source: P.A. 87-275.)

 7        (815 ILCS 305/15) (from Ch. 134, par. 115)
 8        Sec. 15. Method of operation.
 9        (a)  No  person shall operate an autodialer in this State
10    to place a telephone call during the hours between 9 p.m. and
11    9 a.m.
12        (b)  All  autodialers  operated  within  the   State   of
13    Illinois shall disconnect within 30 seconds after termination
14    of  the  call  by  the  subscriber  or the autodialer.  Where
15    disconnection in 30 seconds is technically not feasible,  the
16    autodialer shall utilize a live operator who shall:
17             (1)  state his name, the name, address and telephone
18        number  of the business or organization being represented
19        and the purpose of the call; and
20             (2)  inquire at the beginning of  the  call  whether
21        the  person  called  consents  to  hear  the  prerecorded
22        message.
23        (c)  An  autodialer  shall  not  be  used to dial numbers
24    determined by successively increasing or decreasing integers.
25        (d)  An autodialer may not be operated in a  manner  that
26    impedes  the  function  of  any  caller ID when the telephone
27    solicitor's service or equipment is capable of  allowing  the
28    display of the solicitor's telephone number.
29    (Source: P.A. 87-275; 87-895.)

30        (815 ILCS 305/20) (from Ch. 134, par. 120)
31        Sec. 20. Exemptions.
32        (a)  Except as provided in subsection (b), the provisions
 
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 1    of  this  Act  shall  not  apply  to  the  following types of
 2    telephone calls made by an autodialer:
 3             (1)  calls made in response to an express request of
 4        the person called;
 5             (2)  calls  made  to  any  person  with   whom   the
 6        telephone  solicitor  has  a  prior  or existing business
 7        relationship;
 8             (3)  a  telephone  call  placed  on  behalf  of  any
 9        political, charitable, public opinion  polling,  research
10        survey,   or   radio   or   television  broadcast  rating
11        organization.
12        (b)  Notwithstanding the provisions  of  subsection  (a),
13    all  calls  made  by an autodialer must be made in compliance
14    with the requirements of subsection (d) of Section 15.
15    (Source: P.A. 87-275; 87-895.)

16        (815 ILCS 305/30) (from Ch. 134, par. 130)
17        Sec. 30. Violations.
18        (a)  It is shall be a violation of this Act  to  make  or
19    cause  to  be made telephone calls utilizing an autodialer to
20    any emergency telephone number as defined  in  Section  5  of
21    this  Act.  It is a violation of this Act to make or cause to
22    be made telephone calls utilizing an autodialer in  a  manner
23    that does not comply with Section 15.
24        (b)  It  is  shall  be a violation of this Act Section to
25    play a prerecorded message placed by  an  autodialer  without
26    the consent of the called party.
27        (c)  Enforcement  by  customer. Any customer injured by a
28    violation of this Act may bring an action for the recovery of
29    damages. Judgment may be entered for 3 times  the  amount  at
30    which  the  actual  damages  are  assessed,  plus  costs  and
31    reasonable attorney fees.
32        (d)  Enforcement by Attorney General. Violation of any of
33    the  provisions  of  this  Act  is an unlawful practice under
 
HB0157 Engrossed            -4-                LRB9100428JSgc
 1    Section 2Z 20 of the Consumer Fraud  and  Deceptive  Business
 2    Practices  Act. All remedies, penalties and authority granted
 3    to the Attorney General by that Act shall be available to him
 4    for the enforcement of this Act. In any action brought by the
 5    Attorney General to enforce this Act,  the  court  may  order
 6    that  persons  who  incurred  actual  damages  be awarded the
 7    amount at which actual damages are assessed.
 8    (Source: P.A. 87-275.)

 9        Section 10.  The Telephone Solicitations Act  is  amended
10    by changing Sections 5, 15, 20, 23, and 25 as follows:

11        (815 ILCS 413/5)
12        Sec. 5.  Definitions.  For purposes of this Act:
13        "Caller  ID"  means  the  display to the recipient of the
14    call the caller's telephone number or identity.
15        (a)  "Emergency telephone  number"  means  any  telephone
16    number  which  accesses  or  calls  a  fire  department,  law
17    enforcement  agency,  ambulance,  hospital,  medical  center,
18    poison control center, rape crisis center, suicide prevention
19    center,  rescue  service,  the  911  emergency  access number
20    provided by law enforcement agencies and police departments.
21        (b)  "Subscriber" means:
22             (1)  A  person  who  has  subscribed  to   telephone
23        service from a telephone company; or
24             (2)  Other  persons  living  or  residing  with  the
25        subscribing person.
26        (c)  "Telephone  solicitation"  means  any  communication
27    through  the  use  of  a  telephone  by  live  operators  for
28    soliciting the sale of goods or services.
29    (Source: P.A. 90-541, eff. 6-1-98.)

30        (815 ILCS 413/15)
31        Sec. 15.  Method of operation.
 
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 1        (a)  No  person  shall  solicit  the  sale  of  goods  or
 2    services in this State by placing a telephone call during the
 3    hours between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.
 4        (b)  A  live  operator  soliciting  the  sale of goods or
 5    services shall:
 6             (1)  immediately state his or her name, the name  of
 7        the  business  or organization being represented, and the
 8        purpose of the call; and
 9             (2)  inquire at the beginning of  the  call  whether
10        the person called consents to the solicitation; and
11             (3)  if  the  person called requests to be taken off
12        the contact list of the  business  or  organization,  the
13        operator  must refrain from calling that person again and
14        take all steps necessary to have that person's  name  and
15        telephone  number removed from the contact records of the
16        business or organization so that the person will  not  be
17        contacted   again  by    the  business  or  organization.
18        Compliance with Section 310.4(b)  of  the  Federal  Trade
19        Commission's  Telemarketing  Sales  Rule shall constitute
20        compliance with this subsection (b)(3) of this Section.
21        (c)  A person may  not  solicit  the  sale  of  goods  or
22    services  by  telephone in a manner that impedes the function
23    of any caller ID when the telephone  solicitor's  service  or
24    equipment   is   capable  of  allowing  the  display  of  the
25    solicitor's telephone number.
26    (Source:  P.A. 90-541, eff. 6-1-98.)

27        (815 ILCS 413/20)
28        Sec. 20.  Exemptions.
29        (a)  Except as provided in subsection (b), the provisions
30    of this Act shall not apply to telephone  calls  made  by  an
31    autodialer.   The  provisions  of  this  Act  do not apply to
32    telephone calls made by a person who is a registered  dealer,
33    registered  investment  adviser,  or  registered  salesperson
 
HB0157 Engrossed            -6-                LRB9100428JSgc
 1    under Section 8 of the Illinois Securities Law of 1953 or who
 2    is  registered as a broker-dealer, registered representative,
 3    or  salesperson  of  a  broker-dealer   under   the   federal
 4    securities  laws,  when  performing  acts within the scope of
 5    that registration.
 6        (b)  Notwithstanding the provisions  of  subsection  (a),
 7    all  telephone  calls  must  be  made  in compliance with the
 8    requirements of subsection (c) of Section 15.
 9    (Source: P.A. 88-288.)

10        (815 ILCS 413/23)
11        Sec. 23. Limited exemption.
12        (a)  Except as provided in subsection (b), the provisions
13    of this  Act  shall  not  apply  to  any  licensed  insurance
14    company,  its  licensed  employees  or agents when performing
15    acts within the  scope  of  their  licenses  in  relation  to
16    existing customers or policyholders, or employees of licensed
17    agents.
18        (b)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of subsection (a),
19    all telephone calls must  be  made  in  compliance  with  the
20    requirements of subsection (c) of Section 15.
21    (Source: P.A. 88-288.)

22        (815 ILCS 413/25)
23        Sec. 25.  Violations.
24        (a)  It  is  shall  be a violation of this Act to make or
25    cause to be made telephone calls to any  emergency  telephone
26    number as defined in Section 5 of this Act. It is a violation
27    of  this Act to make or cause to be made telephone calls in a
28    manner that does not comply with Section 15.
29        (b)  It is shall be a violation of this  Act  Section  to
30    continue  with  a  solicitation  placed  by  a  live operator
31    without the consent of the called party.
32        (c)  Enforcement by customer. Any customer injured  by  a
 
HB0157 Engrossed            -7-                LRB9100428JSgc
 1    violation of this Act may bring an action for the recovery of
 2    damages.  Judgment  may  be entered for 3 times the amount at
 3    which  the  actual  damages  are  assessed,  plus  costs  and
 4    reasonable attorney fees.
 5        (d)  Enforcement by Attorney General. Violation of any of
 6    the provisions of this Act  is  an  unlawful  practice  under
 7    Section  2Z  of  the  Consumer  Fraud  and Deceptive Business
 8    Practices Act. All remedies, penalties, and authority granted
 9    to the Attorney General by that Act shall be available to him
10    for the enforcement of this Act. In any action brought by the
11    Attorney General to enforce this Act,  the  court  may  order
12    that  persons  who  incurred  actual  damages  be awarded the
13    amount at which actual damages are assessed.
14    (Source: P.A. 88-288.)

15        Section 99.   Effective  date.   This  Act  takes  effect
16    January 1, 2000.

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