Emergency legislation tightening some provisions of Missouri’s recently revised telemarketing law has been introduced in the state House of Representatives.
The new law, which also established a state-run telemarketing do-not-call list maintained by the attorney general’s office, takes effect on July 1. Nearly 273,000 households in the state have asked to be placed on the list, said Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon.
The untitled emergency legislation, HB 511, which was sponsored by Democratic State Representative Rick Johnson would amend the new law by eliminating most of its exceptions. Johnson, citing the need for swift action, blasted the current law as ineffective, as its list of exceptions still lets telemarketers call people on the do-not-call list using its 180-day provision.
Under that provision, a telemarketer can call people on the do-not-call list as long as they’ve had contact with each other within a 180-day period prior to any call.
Johnson said his bill would eliminate that provision. It would also prohibit telephone, insurance and real state firms, their agents, including telemarketers working for them, from calling people on the do-not-call list.
Fundraising calls from charities with tax-exempt status from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service would still be allowed under Johnson’s bill to telephone people on the state’s do-not-call list.
Telemarketers making cold-calls to anyone on the list could face a fine of up to $5,000.
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