98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB1615

 

Introduced 2/13/2013, by Sen. Ira I. Silverstein

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Unsolicited Text Message Act. Prohibits the sending of an unsolicited advertisement by text messaging to a resident of this State if it will cause the recipient to incur a telecommunications charge or a usage allocation deduction. Defines terms. Requires any telecommunications company that sells or offers to sell text messaging services to offer an option allowing customers to block all incoming and outgoing text messages. Provides for administration by the Attorney General. Provides that a violation constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.


LRB098 09761 JLS 39911 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1615LRB098 09761 JLS 39911 b

1    AN ACT concerning business.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Unsolicited Text Message Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "Communication device capable of receiving text messaging"
8means a cellular telephone, a device for paging or message
9services, a personal digital assistant, or any other wireless
10telecommunication device or technology for short messaging
11services which receives text messages.
12    "Text messaging" means the wireless transmission of short
13messages of text by means of a cellular telephone, a paging or
14message service, a personal digital assistant, or similar
15telecommunications technology.
16    "Unsolicited advertisement" means any message sent without
17the prior permission of the recipient to encourage the purchase
18or rental of, or investment in, merchandise or services.
 
19    Section 10. Unsolicited text message advertisements
20prohibited. No person shall send or cause to be sent to a
21resident of this State an unsolicited advertisement by means of
22text messaging to a communication device capable of receiving

 

 

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1text messaging if the recipient of the message will incur a
2telecommunications charge or a usage allocation deduction as a
3result of the message being sent.
 
4    Section 15. Requirement for prior permission. Prior
5permission of the recipient to send an advertisement by means
6of text messaging may be granted only with prior express
7permission that includes the number to which the text message
8advertisement may be sent. The permission may be revoked at any
9time with a request that includes the number for which
10permission is being revoked.
 
11    Section 20. Option to block text messages. No
12telecommunications company shall sell or offer to sell text
13messaging services to customers in this State unless the
14company offers an option to those customers to block all
15incoming and outgoing text messages; provided, however, the
16telecommunications company may continue to send text messages
17to customers concerning their existing accounts if the customer
18will not incur a telecommunications charge or a usage
19allocation deduction as a result of the message being sent.
 
20    Section 25. Violation. A violation of this Act constitutes
21an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive
22Business Practices Act, except that a person may not be held
23liable for a violation of Section 10 of this Act if any

 

 

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1unsolicited advertisement sent by text messaging was an
2isolated message sent no more than one time in a 12-month
3period.
 
4    Section 30. Administration of Act. The Attorney General
5shall administer this Act and for that purpose has the powers
6conferred under Section 4 of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive
7Business Practices Act.