Bill > H4180

This bill aims to increase transparency in telephone solicitations by requiring that when a telephone solicitor makes a marketing or sales solicitation call, they must use a valid telephone number that allows the consumer to directly communicate with the solicitor. Furthermore, within the first minute of a sales call and before requesting payment, the solicitor must clearly state the purpose of the call (sale or fundraising), the correct name of the telemarketing company and the ultimate seller whose goods or services are being offered, and provide a complete description of those goods or services, including their retail market value. The bill also introduces penalties for solicitors who misrepresent themselves as certain professionals or members of organizations, and mandates that telephone solicitors keep recordings of solicitation calls for at least 180 days, making them available for audit by the attorney general's office. A "marketing or sales solicitation" is defined as initiating a call to encourage a purchase, rental, or investment, with specific exceptions for calls made with prior consumer consent, by certain tax-exempt or charitable organizations, for non-commercial purposes like polls, or in response to a consumer's visit to a physical business location.