H-0972.2 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1600
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By Representatives Simpson, Roach, Hatfield, Benson, Wood, Romero, Keiser, Darneille and Santos
Read first time 01/30/2001. Referred to Committee on Technology, Telecommunications & Energy.
AN ACT Relating to commercial telephone solicitation; and adding a new section to chapter 19.158 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 19.158 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The department of licensing shall provide for the establishment and operation of a public listing of residential telephone numbers whose subscribers have affirmatively requested not to receive commercial telephone solicitations. The department of licensing may contract with a private vendor to establish, operate, and maintain such registry in accordance with the requirements of this section. The department of licensing and the utilities and transportation commission shall make reasonable efforts to publicize the availability of the public listing and the method or methods by which residential telephone subscribers may have their telephone numbers placed on the list. The listing shall be available for inspection by the public in written and electronic form. The listing shall be transmitted quarterly to a national telephone preference service for the purpose of removing individuals from national telemarketing lists.
(2) No fee may be charged to residential telephone subscribers for placing their numbers on the list. A reasonable fee, as determined by the department of licensing, may be charged to inspect the list in written or electronic form.
(3) It is unlawful and a violation of this section for any person to make a commercial telephone solicitation before first obtaining a copy of the most recent national telephone preference service list available before making the commercial telephone solicitation call.
(4) It is unlawful and a violation of this section for any person to make a commercial telephone solicitation call to any residential telephone number that is contained on the public listing under subsection (1) of this section and which has been on the quarterly transmitted list of the national telephone preference service for at least sixty days.
(5) In addition to any other penalties or remedies available under this chapter or chapter 19.86 RCW, a person injured by a violation of subsection (3) or (4) of this section may bring an action for recovery of liquidated damages in the amount of one thousand dollars per violation, plus court costs and attorneys' fees.
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