Bill > HB1957

This bill amends the Unsolicited Commercial and Sexually Explicit Electronic Mail Prevention Act to expand its coverage to include unsolicited text messages, effectively treating text messages similarly to email communications. The bill adds new definitions for "phone service provider" and "text message", and modifies existing regulations to apply to both electronic mail and text messages. Specifically, the bill requires senders of commercial or sexually explicit text messages to provide clear identification of the sender, purpose, and an opt-out mechanism, just as currently required for emails. The legislation allows electronic mail and phone service providers to block messages they believe violate the law and provides legal recourse for recipients of unsolicited messages. Recipients or service providers can seek damages of $10 per unsolicited message or up to $25,000 per day of violation, and the bill establishes an affirmative defense for senders who can demonstrate they have implemented reasonable practices to prevent unsolicited messaging. The bill aims to protect consumers from unwanted commercial and sexually explicit communications across different electronic communication platforms, extending existing protections from email to text messaging.

Business and Industry, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1957&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R