HR0818 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0818 LRB095 14304 AJO 40190 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Federal Trade Commission announced on January 22, 2002, its intention to create a centralized, national "Do Not Call" registry to allow citizens the opportunity to opt out of receiving telemarketing calls at their homes; and

WHEREAS, After a year of public hearings, on June 27, 2003, the federal "Do Not Call" registry was opened, allowing consumers to place their own telephone numbers on the list to stop most telemarketing calls; and

WHEREAS, On the first day the registry was open, over 7 million Americans registered their phone numbers; and

WHEREAS, In the three-month registration period before the Federal Trade Commission began enforcing the "Do Not Call" list on October 1, 2003, over 50 million Americans registered their phone numbers on the list; and

WHEREAS, By September 30, 2007, over 145.3 million Americans had registered their phone numbers, including 6.5 million residents of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Under current rules, a number placed on the "Do Not Call" registry will be dropped from the list after five years; and

WHEREAS, Unless the Federal Trade Commission changes its rules or Congress intervenes, the 50 million Americans who had registered before October 1, 2003, will see their phone numbers dropped from the registry between June 27, 2008 and October 1, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Many individuals will not realize their phone number will need to be registered again to stop telemarketers from soliciting again; and

WHEREAS, It is reasonable that individuals who elected to place their phone numbers on the federal "Do Not Call" registry are likely to wish to keep their numbers on the list, despite the artificial drop date created by bureaucratic rule; and

WHEREAS, While it is encouraging that the Federal Trade Commission advised Congress on October 23, 2007, that it does not intend to "drop any telephone number from the registry based on the five-year expiration period pending final Congressional or agency action", the citizens of Illinois seek finality to the pending problem; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the House believes the federal government should make the registry permanent without requiring citizens to register their phone numbers again; and be it further

RESOLVED, That Congress and the Federal Trade Commission should make all appropriate law and regulation changes necessary to maintain the "Do Not Call" registry without interruption; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and to each member of the Illinois congressional delegation.