Do-Not-Call Bill Passes Ohio Senate
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2003-05-30 14:07:00-04:00
Ohio Senate Bill 28 — the "do-not-call" legislation introduced by Senator Robert Spada, R-North Royalton, and supported by Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, AARP Ohio and the Ohio Consumers Counsel — passed the Ohio Senate in early May and now is being considered by the Ohio House Civil & Commercial Law Committee.
"Now we need the Ohio House of Representatives to adopt this strong consumer bill and resist any attempts to weaken it," said Dolores Blankenship, an AARP Ohio advocacy volunteer. "In today's technology-fueled information age, our members want control over unsolicited sales offers called into their homes. Senate Bill 28 will give Ohioans the privacy and control they desire."
Ohio Senate Bill 28 restricts all companies that are telemarketing to Ohio residents from calling any home telephone, cell phone, pager or fax number placed on the "do-not-call" list. The list would be under the authority of the Attorney General's Office. Telemarketers doing business in Ohio would be required to purchase the list. Penalties for violating the law would include fines of up to $2,000 per call.
The bill as passed by the Ohio Senate prohibits pre-recorded telemarketing messages unless there is an established business relationship between the company and the consumer. It also restricts the use of automated dialing systems, or "predictive dialers," that randomly call multiple telephone numbers simultaneously. The legislation also calls for a simple sign-up system that allows consumers to register at no cost by calling a toll-free number, logging on to an Internet site, or sending a message via the U.S. Postal Service.
"Personal data is routinely collected and sold by merchants with whom consumers have done business," Blankenship said. "This personal data is then shared with or bought by companies looking to increase their customer base or earn profits by selling names of prospective clients to financial entities. This law won't stop every unsolicited call, but consumers who sign up should experience a truly significant reduction in solicitation calls."
This summer, residential telephone customers nationwide are expected to be able to register on a national do-not-call list authorized by the Federal Trade Commission. However, this registry only applies to calls originated outside of the state to Ohio consumers. In order to allow consumers to limit sales calls they receive from telemarketers located inside Ohio, this statewide legislation must be passed.
"Every time, in every state, that AARP has conducted a survey on this issue, more than 90 percent of our members support 'do-not-call' legislation," Blankenship said. "Privacy matters to AARP members. We want to sit down for dinner, visit with family during precious free time and go to bed at night without the frequent, jarring ring of unwanted telemarketing calls."
These sales calls are more than an annoyance to some Ohioans, according to some AARP members. They share stories about dashing to the phone when an elderly relative is ill only to have the caller be a telemarketer, about continually asking telemarketers to "put this number on your do-not-call list" to no apparent avail. If you would like to add your story about why you want to be able to sign up on a statewide do-not-call list to those AARP Ohio is collecting to share with lawmakers, send an e-mail message with "Do-Not-Call Story" in the subject line to ohaarp@aarp.org.
AARP is urging Ohio House Civil & Commercial Law Committee members to resist attempts telemarketers are making to weaken the strong consumer protections contained in this bill. State Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, chairs the committee. Members are: State representatives John Schlichter (R-Washington Court House), Anthony Core (R-Rushsylvania), Timothy Grendell (R-Chesterland), Robert Latta (R-Bowling Green), John Willamowski (R-Lima), Thomas Book (D-McDermott), Joyce Beatty (D-Columbus), Sandra Harwood (D-Niles) and Lance Mason (D-Shaker Heights). You can send an e-mail to your state representative by going to the AARP Legislative Action Center. By phone, call 1-800-282-0253 to leave messages for committee members.
If you would like to take part in the AARP Ohio campaign to pass this legislation, join AARP's network of citizen advocates. Or, contact the AARP Ohio Office at 1 S. High St., Columbus, OH 43215, phone (614) 224-9800, fax (614) 224-9801.
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