“This bill allows individuals and families to put their names on a national “do-not-call” list and opt-out of telemarketing calls,” explained Johnson.  “Should a telemarketer violate this system and call phone numbers on the list, that telemarketing company would be breaking the law and would pay up to $11,000 in fines, per incident.  This legislation is long overdue and will be very good news to thousands of my constituents who have long been burdened by this sales tactic.”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized rules last month that will allow consumers who do not want to receive telemarketing calls to add their telephone numbers to the “do-not-call” registry, which would be maintained by the FTC.  Telemarketing companies will be required to pay the FTC fees to establish and maintain this registry; furthermore, these companies would be required to search the registry at least four times a year and modify their call lists accordingly.  FTC officials estimate it will take about four months to develop the registry once this bill passes the Senate and Congress authorizes the funding.

The FTC will begin implementing the DNC rule once it receives fee collection authorization and appropriations funding to hire a contractor. Consumers should be able to begin signing up for the DNC registry four months after implementation begins, and three months after that, the FTC will begin to enforce the DNC registry.  After the law takes effect, a telemarketer who calls a number on the DNC registry could be fined up to $11,000 for each call.