To adopt a compromise version of the bill reported by a House-Senate conference committee. This would require the Michigan Public Service Commission to establish a telemarketers “do not call” list. Telemarketers would be prohibited from calling consumers on the list. A fee of not more than $5 for a three-year period could be charged to residential phone customers who want to be on the list. Telemarketers would also pay a fee for access to the list. Exemptions would apply to a solicitor invited by the consumer to call; who has an existing relationship with the consumer; or who only asks for a face-to-face meeting and does not urge the consumer to make a decision. Also exempt would be charitable organizations, public safety organizations, and political entities. The bill requires telemarketers to abide by a “code of ethics” which mandates honest dealing and full disclosure to a consumer, requires telemarketers to have a live person available for all calls, prohibits the use by solicitors of caller-ID block, and prohibits offering a prize for which a purchase or payment is necessary. Should a national “do not call” list be created, it would supercede the Michigan one.
| 75 Yeas / 0 Nays | |
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