Pennsylvania became the 27th state yesterday to put into law a do-not-call telemarketing list.
Staff and volunteers from AARP joined Gov. Mark Schweiker as he signed the bill.
“The signing of this bill provides a great service to older Pennsylvanians,” Nora Dowd, the Pennsylvania state AARP director, said in a statement. “This gives consumers more control over unsolicited intrusions into their homes and helps to avoid potentially fraudulent telemarketing calls, which are often targeted toward older people.”
State lawmakers had overwhelmingly approved the bill last month.
Sixty days from now Pennsylvanians will be able to place their names and home telephone numbers on the list for five years without charge. The list is to be developed and maintained by state Attorney General Mike Fisher’s office and will be updated quarterly.
Telemarketers who call Pennsylvanians will be required to buy copies of the list for a nominal fee. The measure also prohibits telemarketers from intentionally blocking a consumer’s caller identification system.
Violators face civil penalties of $1,000 per violation and $3,000 for each violation involving a person over age 60.
In January, the FTC proposed amending its Telemarketing Sales Rule to create a national do-not-call list. The FTC said any list would include all state-maintained lists. The commission, which has been soliciting public comment on its proposal, has extended the comment period to April 15.
States have, one by one, passed do-not-call legislation since Florida and Georgia passed the first such laws in 1998.
All 50 states have either passed, or have legislation pending for similar laws, with many expected to enact ordinances within the next 18 months.
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