Modernizing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act

In an opinion piece for the Springfield News-Leader, Rep. Billy Long writes that “consumers and U.S. companies have taken the hit for far too long” as relates to abusive Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) lawsuits and it is the job of state Representatives “to ensure that consumers and businesses are treated fairly.”

Enacted in 1991, the TCPA sought to protect consumers from unwanted robocalls and faxes. Now, “it harms consumers and hinders U.S. companies from providing important information their customers need and want via calls and texts.”

Rep. Long cites a recent report from the ILR noting that each year 37 million telephone numbers are recycled and that cell phone numbers can be reassigned without notifying anyone, including the companies that were at one point given consent to contact that number.