HARRISBURG – Legislation to better protect Pennsylvanians from scammers and other deceitful telemarketers was approved today by the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, according to Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24), who supported the measure.
Senate Bill 992 updates the state’s outdated telemarketing law to give consumers stronger protections against unwanted and deceptive calls, including a prohibition against any telemarketing calls – including robocalls – being made on Sundays and either before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on every other day of the week.
“Unwanted calls and texts are more than a nuisance, they’re often used to deceive and outright scam innocent Pennsylvanians – often senior citizens,” Pennycuick said. “It’s important that we update our laws to stay a step ahead of changing technology and evolving, shady tactics.”
The legislation also expands the law to cover text messages, voicemails and “ringless” voicemails – tools often used by telemarketers to evade existing restrictions. It also establishes penalties for both telemarketers and the companies that hire them for illegal activity.
In addition, Senate Bill 992 prohibits the use of artificial intelligence or fake caller IDs to deceive or defraud consumers.
Pennsylvania’s Do Not Call List is maintained by the Attorney General. Those who do not want to receive telemarketing calls can sign up online or call 888-777-3406. Anyone who registers for the Do Not Call List and still receives unsolicited telemarketing calls should file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection online or by calling 800-441-2555.
A violation of the law carries a civil penalty of up to $1,000 or $3,000 if the person contacted is age 60 or older.
Attorney General Dave Sunday played a key role in developing the bill, which now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
CONTACT: Lidia Di Fiore (215) 541-2388