HR 372 - Freedom from Automated Political Calls Act

To direct the Federal Trade Commission to revise the regulations regarding the Do-not-call registry to prohibit politically-oriented recorded message telephone calls to telephone numbers listed on that registry.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 10, 2007

Mr. ALTMIRE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Freedom from Automated Political Calls Act'.

SEC. 2. POLITICALLY-ORIENTED RECORDED MESSAGE CALLS PROHIBITED.

(a) Prohibition- Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission shall revise the do-not-call registry provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (16 C.F.R. 310.1 et seq.) to prohibit politically-oriented recorded message telephone calls to telephone numbers listed on that registry.

(b) Definition of Politically-Oriented Recorded Message Calls- For purposes of this section, the term `politically-oriented recorded message telephone call' means any outbound telephone call--

(1) in which a person is not available to speak with the person answering the call, and the call instead plays a recorded message; and

(2) whose purpose is to promote, advertise, campaign, or solicit donations, for or against any political candidate or regarding any political issue, or uses in the recorded message any political candidate's name.

END