Senate Ready to Pounce on Junk Fax Bill
The Senate Commerce Committee seems poised to act quickly next week on junk fax legislation that stalled last year in the Senate. Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) has set a hearing and mark-up next week on S-714, a junk fax bill introduced this week by Sen. Smith (R-Ore.) and Senate Commerce Committee ranking Democrat Inouye (D-Hawaii).
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
The Subcommittee on Trade, Tourism & Economic Development, chaired by Smith, will examine the bill at 2:30 p.m. on Wed. in Rm. 253 Russell Bldg. Witnesses will include: Dave Feeken, broker, Re/Max of the Peninsula (Kenai, Alaska); Jon Bladine, News-Register Publishing Co. (McMinniville, Ore.) pres. and publisher; Steve Kirsh, Propel Software Corp. founder and chmn. The bill will be marked up the following morning, at 10 a.m, Thurs. in Rm. 253 Russell Bldg.
The Junk Fax Prevention Act actually would loosen fax rules. Businesses and associations have said FCC do-not- fax rules adopted at the same time as the do-not-call list require them to get written signatures from anyone wishing to receive faxes, even customers with an “existing business relationship.” Groups like the National Assn. of Realtors, the Chamber of Commerce and the American Society of Assn. Executives have said the FCC’s fax rules are too onerous and could greatly hamper business activity. They have argued for the FCC’s previous standard, letting firms fax to customers with whom they had an “existing business relationship.” The FCC has extended implementing the new fax rules until June 30 to give Congress time to act.
Last year, the House moved a similar junk fax bill by House Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Upton (R-Mich.), but it died in the Senate despite efforts to move it with a last- minute package of telecom bills. A House source said since then House leaders have waited for the Senate to act on junk fax legislation before moving it in the House. Upton has said moving junk fax legislation is a committee priority this year.