Cell phones could be added to no-call list if bill passes house committee
One bill regarding the no-call lists passed through the Senate on Wednesday and was referred to the House Utilities Committee for consideration.
Published April 14, 2006
With less than a month left in the legislative session, Rep. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, wants to see a bill that would add cell phones and fax machines to the no-call list make it through the House.
Pearce said the bill is pro-consumer legislation.
"We want to add cell phones because under most plans you end up paying for the incoming calls," Pearce said. "Consumers would be relieved that they are not paying for unwanted calls."
One bill regarding the no-call lists passed through the Senate on April 4 and was referred to the House Utilities Committee for consideration Wednesday.
Pearce sponsored a similar bill in the House and said he will back the Senate version.
"Right now, really, a person could put a cell phone on the list because no one would probably know," Pearce said. "But if someone needs to be prosecuted, they would only be able to if they had used a landline telephone. Under the new law, when they want to prosecute people for calling cell phones, they will have teeth to prosecute them with."
According to the Senate bill, "this act allows residential and business cell phone users as well as residential fax users to voluntarily sign up with the no-call list maintained by Attorney General Jay Nixon's office and adds faxes to the list of unwanted solicitations included on that no-call list."
John Fougere, Nixon's spokesman, said that in the past, bills that would add cell phones and fax machines to the no-call list met opposition in the House.
Fougere said it is easier for telemarketers to get telephone numbers because more people are transferring their landlines to their cell phones.
"There are some people that don't even have a landline anymore, and some people have both but predominantly use their cell phone," Fougere said.
Pearce said he thinks there should be a federal and state no-call list to protect consumers.
"Missouri was on the forefront of the no-call list," Pearce said. "I think when you are combating a problem you might as well throw everything you possibly can at it so it is good to have a federal and state list."