State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ PDF text ]   [ Legislation ]   
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]


[ Introduced ][ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ]
[ Governor's Message ][ House Amendment 001 ][ House Amendment 002 ]
[ Senate Amendment 002 ]


92_HB0176sam001











                                           LRB9201785WHpcam01

 1                     AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 176

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill  176  by  replacing
 3    everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 4        "Section  1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the No
 5    Call Registry Act.

 6        Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
 7        (a)  "Residential subscriber" means a  person  or  spouse
 8    who  has  subscribed  to residential telephone service from a
 9    local exchange company, a  guardian  of  the  person  or  the
10    person's  spouse,  or an individual who has power of attorney
11    from or an authorized agent of the  person  or  the  person's
12    spouse.
13        (b)  "Established   business   relationship"   means  the
14    existence of  an  oral  or  written  arrangement,  agreement,
15    contract, or other legal state of affairs between a person or
16    entity and an existing customer under which both parties have
17    a  course  of  conduct or established pattern of activity for
18    commercial or mercantile purposes  and  for  the  benefit  or
19    profit  of  both  parties.  A  pattern  of  activity does not
20    necessarily mean multiple previous contacts. The  established
21    business   relationship   must  exist  between  the  existing
22    customer and the person or  entity  directly,  and  does  not
 
                            -2-            LRB9201785WHpcam01
 1    extend  to  any  related  business  entity  or other business
 2    organization of the person or entity or related to the person
 3    or entity or the person or entity's agent including  but  not
 4    limited  to  a  parent  corporation,  subsidiary partnership,
 5    company or other corporation or affiliate.
 6        (c)  "Existing customer"  means  an  individual  who  has
 7    either:
 8             (1)  entered    into   a   transaction,   agreement,
 9        contract, or other  legal  state  of  affairs  between  a
10        person or entity and a residential subscriber under which
11        the payment or exchange of consideration for any goods or
12        services  has  taken place within the preceding 18 months
13        or has been arranged to take place at a future time; or
14             (2)  opened or maintained a  debit  account,  credit
15        card  account,  or  other  revolving  credit  or discount
16        program offered by the  person  or  entity  and  has  not
17        requested  the  person or entity to close such account or
18        terminate such program.
19        (d)  "Registry" means the No  Call  Registry  established
20    under this Act.
21        (e)  "Telephone    solicitation"    means    any    voice
22    communication  over  a  telephone  line from a live operator,
23    through the use of an autodialer  or  autodialer  system,  as
24    defined  in Section 5 of the Automatic Telephone Dialers Act,
25    or by other means for the purpose of encouraging the purchase
26    or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, or services,
27    but does not include communications:
28             (1)  to  any  residential   subscriber   with   that
29        subscriber's  prior express invitation or permission when
30        a voluntary  2-way  communication  between  a  person  or
31        entity  and a residential subscriber has occurred with or
32        without an exchange of consideration;
33             (2)  by or on behalf of any person  or  entity  with
34        whom a residential subscriber has an established business
 
                            -3-            LRB9201785WHpcam01
 1        relationship  which has not been terminated in writing by
 2        either party and which is related to the  nature  of  the
 3        established business relationship;
 4             (3)  by  or  on  behalf of any person or entity with
 5        whom a residential subscriber is  an  existing  customer,
 6        unless the customer has stated to the person or entity or
 7        the  person  or  entity's  agent that he or she no longer
 8        wishes to receive the telemarketing sales  calls  of  the
 9        person  or  entity,  or  unless the nature of the call is
10        unrelated to the established business  relationship  with
11        the existing customer;
12             (4)  by  or  on  behalf of an entity organized under
13        Section  501(c)(3),  501(c)(4),  or  501(c)(6)   of   the
14        Internal  Revenue  Code,  while  the entity is engaged in
15        fundraising to support the charitable  or  not-for-profit
16        purpose for which the entity was established;
17             (5)  by  or  on  behalf  of a person licensed by the
18        State of Illinois to carry out a  trade,  occupation,  or
19        profession who either:
20                  (A)  is  setting or attempting to set a face to
21             face  appointment  for  actions  relating  to   that
22             licensed  trade,  occupation,  or  profession within
23             this State; or
24                  (B)  is encouraging or attempting to  encourage
25             the   purchase  or  rental  of,  or  investment  in,
26             property,  goods,  or  services,  which  cannot   be
27             completed, and for which payment or authorization of
28             payment  is  not  required, until after a written or
29             electronic agreement is signed  by  the  residential
30             subscriber; or
31             (6)  until  July  1,  2005,  by  or on behalf of any
32        entity over which the Federal  Communications  Commission
33        or   the  Illinois  Commerce  Commission  has  regulatory
34        authority to the extent that, subject to that  authority,
 
                            -4-            LRB9201785WHpcam01
 1        the  entity is required to maintain a license, permit, or
 2        certificate  to  sell   or   provide   telecommunications
 3        service,  as  defined  in  Section  13-203  of the Public
 4        Utilities Act, while the entity is engaged  in  telephone
 5        solicitation    for   inter-exchange   telecommunications
 6        service, as defined  in  Section  13-205  of  the  Public
 7        Utilities   Act,  or  local  exchange  telecommunications
 8        service, as defined  in  Section  13-204  of  the  Public
 9        Utilities Act.

10        Section  10. Prohibited calls. Beginning July 1, 2002, no
11    person or entity may make or cause to be made  any  telephone
12    solicitation calls to any residential subscriber more than 45
13    days  after  the residential subscriber's telephone number or
14    numbers first appear on the Registry.

15        Section 15. Complaints. The Illinois Commerce  Commission
16    shall   receive   telephone   solicitation   complaints  from
17    residential subscribers to object to such  calls.  Complaints
18    shall  be  taken  by  any  means  deemed  appropriate  by the
19    Illinois Commerce Commission. Complaints against  persons  or
20    entities  that  are licensed, certificated, or permitted by a
21    State or federal agency shall be forwarded for  investigation
22    by the Illinois Commerce Commission to the appropriate agency
23    if  the  respective  agency has the power to investigate such
24    matters. All other complaints shall be  investigated  by  the
25    Illinois Commerce Commission. The standards for referrals and
26    investigations  shall  be  set  forth in rules adopted by the
27    Illinois Commerce Commission.

28        Section 20. Registry; establishment and maintenance.
29        (a)  The Illinois Commerce Commission shall establish and
30    provide for the operation of a No Call Registry, which  shall
31    contain  a  list  of  the  telephone  numbers  of residential
 
                            -5-            LRB9201785WHpcam01
 1    subscribers who do not wish to receive telephone solicitation
 2    calls. The Illinois Commerce Commission may contract  with  a
 3    private  vendor to establish and maintain the Registry if the
 4    contract requires the vendor to provide  the  Registry  in  a
 5    printed hard copy format, in an electronic format, and in any
 6    other format prescribed by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
 7        (b)  No  later  than  January  1,  2002,  the    Illinois
 8    Commerce  Commission  shall  adopt rules consistent with this
 9    Act that the Illinois Commerce Commission deems necessary and
10    appropriate to fully implement  this  Act.  The  rules  shall
11    include,  at a minimum, methods by which any person or entity
12    desiring to make  telephone  solicitation  calls  may  obtain
13    access to the Registry to avoid calling the telephone numbers
14    of residential subscribers included in the Registry.
15        (c)  The  fee  for  obtaining  the  Registry shall be set
16    forth in rules adopted by the Illinois  Commerce  Commission.
17    The fee may not exceed $500 annually. All copies requested in
18    a  printed  hard copy format shall be assessed a per page fee
19    to be determined by rules adopted by  the  Illinois  Commerce
20    Commission.
21        (d)  The  Illinois  Commerce  Commission shall update the
22    Registry and make information in the Registry available on  a
23    quarterly  basis  in  an  electronic  format  and,  if deemed
24    appropriate by the Illinois Commerce Commission,  in  one  or
25    more other formats.
26        (e)  If  the Federal Communications Commission or Federal
27    Trade Commission establishes a single  national  database  of
28    telephone  numbers  of  subscribers  who  object to receiving
29    telephone solicitations under Title 47, Section 227(c)(3)  of
30    the  United  States  Code,  this  State shall discontinue the
31    Registry.
32        (f)  Information in  the  Registry  is  confidential  and
33    shall  be  afforded  reasonable  privacy protection except as
34    necessary for compliance with Sections 10  and  25  and  this
 
                            -6-            LRB9201785WHpcam01
 1    Section  or in a proceeding or action under Section 35 or 40.
 2    The information is not a public record under the  Freedom  of
 3    Information Act.
 4        (g)  The  Illinois Commerce Commission shall periodically
 5    obtain subscription listings of  residential  subscribers  in
 6    this  State  who have arranged to be included in any national
 7    do-not-call list and add those names to the Registry.

 8        Section 25. Enrollment.
 9        (a)  The  Illinois  Commerce  Commission  shall   provide
10    notice to residential subscribers of the establishment of the
11    Registry.
12        (b)  The Illinois Commerce Commission shall establish any
13    method  deemed  appropriate  for  a residential subscriber to
14    notify the Illinois Commerce Commission that the  residential
15    subscriber wishes to be included in the Registry.
16        (c)  There  shall  be no cost to a residential subscriber
17    for inclusion in the Registry.
18        (d)  A residential subscriber in the  Registry  shall  be
19    deleted  from  the Registry upon the residential subscriber's
20    written request.
21        (e)  Enrollment in the Registry  is  effective  from  the
22    start  of  the quarter following the date of enrollment for a
23    term  of  5  years  or  until  the   residential   subscriber
24    disconnects or changes his or her telephone number, whichever
25    occurs  first.  The residential subscriber is responsible for
26    notifying the Illinois Commerce Commission of any changes  in
27    his or her telephone number. The Illinois Commerce Commission
28    shall  use  its  best  efforts to notify enrolled residential
29    subscribers before the end of the 5-year enrollment  term  of
30    the  option  to re-enroll. Residential subscribers who do not
31    re-enroll before the end of the 5-year term shall be  removed
32    from the Registry.
 
                            -7-            LRB9201785WHpcam01
 1        Section  30.  Public  notification. The Illinois Commerce
 2    Commission shall work with local exchange  telecommunications
 3    companies to disseminate to their customers information about
 4    the   availability   of   and   instructions  for  requesting
 5    educational literature from the Illinois Commerce Commission.
 6    The Illinois Commerce Commission may  enter  into  agreements
 7    with those companies for the dissemination of the educational
 8    literature.  Telecommunications  companies  shall disseminate
 9    the educational literature at least once per year in  both  a
10    message  contained  in  customers'  bills and a notice in the
11    information section of all telephone directories  distributed
12    to customers. The Illinois Commerce Commission shall include,
13    on  its Internet web site, information to customers regarding
14    their right to be included in the Registry  and  the  various
15    methods,   including   notice   to   the   Illinois  Commerce
16    Commission, of being included in the Registry.  The  Illinois
17    Commerce  Commission shall have this literature developed for
18    dissemination to the public no later than March 1, 2002.

19        Section 35. Violation; relief.
20        (a)  The  Illinois  Commerce  Commission   may   initiate
21    administrative  proceedings  in accordance with rules adopted
22    under this Act relating to a knowing and willful violation of
23    Section 10.
24        (b)  If it is determined after a hearing  that  a  person
25    has  knowingly  and willfully violated one or more provisions
26    of this Section, the Illinois Commerce Commission may  assess
27    a fine not to exceed $2,500 for each violation.
28        (c)  Any  proceeding  conducted  under  this  Section  is
29    subject to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
30        (d)  Nothing in this Section may be construed to restrict
31    any  right that any person may have under any other law or at
32    common law.
33        (e)  No action or proceeding may be  brought  under  this
 
                            -8-            LRB9201785WHpcam01
 1    Section:
 2             (1)  more  than  one  year after the person bringing
 3        the action knew or should have known of the occurrence of
 4        the alleged violation; or
 5             (2)  more than one year after the termination of any
 6        proceeding or action arising out of the same violation or
 7        violations by the State of Illinois, whichever is later.
 8        (f)  The remedies, duties, prohibition, and penalties  in
 9    this  Act  are not exclusive and are in addition to all other
10    causes of action, remedies, and penalties provided by law.
11        (g)  There is created in the  State  treasury  a  special
12    fund  to  be known as the No Call Registry Fund. All fees and
13    fines collected in the administration and enforcement of this
14    Act shall be deposited into the  Fund.  Moneys  in  the  Fund
15    shall,  subject  to  appropriation,  be  used by the Illinois
16    Commerce Commission for implementation,  administration,  and
17    enforcement of this Act.

18        Section 40. Exemption. A person or entity may not be held
19    liable for violating this Act if:
20             (1)  the person or entity has obtained copies of the
21        Registry  and  each  updated Registry and has established
22        and implemented written policies and  procedures  related
23        to the requirements of this Act;
24             (2)  the  person or entity has trained its personnel
25        in the requirements of this Act;
26             (3)  the  person   or   entity   maintains   records
27        demonstrating compliance with subdivisions (1) and (2) of
28        this Section and the requirements of this Act; and
29             (4)  any  subsequent  telephone  solicitation is the
30        result of error.

31        Section 90. The State Finance Act is  amended  by  adding
32    Section 5.545 as follows:
 
                            -9-            LRB9201785WHpcam01
 1        (30 ILCS 105/5.545 new)
 2        Sec. 5.545. The No Call Registry Fund.

 3        Section  99.  Effective  date. This Act takes effect upon
 4    becoming law.".

[ Top ]