h.r. 3541

Telemarketers Weep As President Signs Do Not Call Improvement Act

Telemarketers Weep As President Signs Do Not Call Improvement Act

Never again will you have to worry about renewing your Do Not Call List registration thanks to Public Laws 110-187 and 110-188. Our newest laws provide a permanent stream of funding for the Do Not Call List and guarantee that registrations will never expire. Read the White House’s ebullient press release, after jump.

Consumerist In The Congressional Record

Consumerist In The Congressional Record

In a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA) thanked The Consumerist for supporting H.R. 3541, The Do Not Call Improvement Act.

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The Do Not Call List Improvement Act inched closer to final passage this week with action from both the House and Senate. The Act, which would make Do Not Call List registrations permanent, passed the House on a voice vote on Tuesday, and cleared the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday. Final passage is expected before Congress recesses for the holidays.

FTC Vows Not To Expire Numbers From The Do Not Call List

The FTC will vow in Congressional testimony today not to purge numbers on the Do Not Call List while Congress considers making registrations permanent. Do Not Call registrations currently last for five years, and are set to start expiring in April 2008 despite the list’s broad popularity: 92% of Americans have heard of the list, 76% have added their number, and 92% claim to receive fewer calls marketing calls. Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, appearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection will hail the list for ‘restoring the sanctity of the American dinner hour.’

Should Do Not Call List Registrations Last Forever?

Should Do Not Call List Registrations Last Forever?

Powerful Members of Congress are backing measures that would prevent Do Not Call registrations from expiring. Though the list has proven wildly popular, covering 150 million numbers in a country of 300 million, the FTC currently expires listings after five years to ostensibly account for people who move or change their number. Proposals to make registrations permanent have already won over the editorial board of the Asheville Citizen-Times:

The popularity of the list confirms that few people want to have their dinner or other personal time interrupted to deal with a telemarketer intent on selling something. The argument that people can just not answer the phone doesn’t work for everyone. Those with loved ones overseas or with family members who need special care are usually unwilling to risk missing a call that might bring critical or time-sensitive information.