815 ILCS 402/ Restricted Call Registry Act.

    (815 ILCS 402/1)
    Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Restricted Call Registry Act.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02.)

    (815 ILCS 402/5)
    Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
    (a) "Residential subscriber" means a person or spouse who has subscribed to either residential telephone service from a local exchange company or public mobile services, as defined by Section 13‑214 of the Public Utilities Act, a guardian of the person or the person's spouse, or an individual who has power of attorney from or an authorized agent of the person or the person's spouse.
    (b) "Established business relationship" means the existence of an oral or written transaction, agreement, contract, or other legal state of affairs involving a person or entity and an existing customer under which both parties have a course of conduct or established pattern of activity for commercial or mercantile purposes and for the benefit or profit of both parties. A pattern of activity does not necessarily mean multiple previous contacts. The established business relationship must exist between the existing customer and the person or entity directly, and does not extend to any related business entity or other business organization of the person or entity or related to the person or entity or the person or entity's agent including but not limited to a parent corporation, subsidiary partnership, company or other corporation or affiliate.
    (c) "Existing customer" means an individual who has either:
        (1) entered into a transaction, agreement, contract,
     or other legal state of affairs between a person or entity and a residential subscriber under which the payment or exchange of consideration for any goods or services has taken place within the preceding 18 months or has been arranged to take place at a future time; or
        (2) opened or maintained a debit account, credit
     card account, or other credit or discount program offered by or in conjunction with the person or entity and has not requested the person or entity to close such account or terminate such program.
    (d) "Registry" means the Restricted Call Registry established under this Act.
    (e) "Telephone solicitation" means any voice communication over a telephone line from a live operator, through the use of an autodialer or autodialer system, as defined in Section 5 of the Automatic Telephone Dialers Act, or by other means for the purpose of encouraging the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, or services, or for the purposes of soliciting charitable contributions but does not include communications:
        (1) to any residential subscriber with that
     subscriber's prior express invitation or permission when a voluntary 2‑way communication between a person or entity and a residential subscriber has occurred with or without an exchange of consideration. A telephone solicitation is presumed not to be made at the express request of a subscriber if one of the following occurs, as applicable:
            (A) The telephone solicitation is made 30
         business days after the last date on which the subscriber contacted a business with the purpose of inquiring about the potential purchase of goods or services.
            (B) The telephone solicitation is made 30
         business days after the last date on which the subscriber consented to be contacted.
            (C) The telephone solicitation is made 30
         business days after a product or service becomes available where the subscriber has made a request to the business for that product or service that is not then available, and requests a call when the product or service becomes available;
        (2) by or on behalf of any person or entity with
     whom a residential subscriber has an established business relationship which has not been terminated in writing by either party and which is related to the nature of the established business relationship;
        (3) by or on behalf of any person or entity with
     whom a residential subscriber is an existing customer, unless the customer has stated to the person or entity or the person or entity's agent that he or she no longer wishes to receive the telemarketing sales calls of the person or entity, or unless the nature of the call is unrelated to the established business relationship with the existing customer;
        (4) by or on behalf of an organization that is
     exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, but only if the person making the telephone solicitation immediately discloses all of the following information upon making contact with the consumer:
            (A) the caller's true first and last name; and
            (B) the name, address, and telephone number of
         the organization;
        (5) by or on behalf of an individual licensed under
     the Real Estate License Act of 2000 or as an insurance producer under the Illinois Insurance Code who either:
            (A) is setting or attempting to set a face to
         face appointment for actions relating to that individual's real estate or insurance business; or
            (B) is encouraging or attempting to encourage
         the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, or services, which cannot be completed, and for which payment or authorization of payment is not required, until after a written or electronic agreement is signed by the residential subscriber; or
        (6) until July 1, 2005, by or on behalf of any
     entity over which the Federal Communications Commission or the Illinois Commerce Commission has regulatory authority to the extent that, subject to that authority, the entity is required to maintain a license, permit, or certificate to sell or provide telecommunications service, as defined in Section 13‑203 of the Public Utilities Act, while the entity is engaged in telephone solicitation for inter‑exchange telecommunications service, as defined in Section 13‑205 of the Public Utilities Act, or local exchange telecommunications service, as defined in Section 13‑204 of the Public Utilities Act or to the extent, subject to the regulatory authority of the Federal Communications Commission, the entity is defined by Title 47 Section 522(5) of the United States Code, or providers of information services as defined by Title 47 Section 153(20) of the United States Code.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02.)

    (815 ILCS 402/10)
    Sec. 10. Prohibited calls. Beginning October 1, 2003, it is a violation of this Act for any person or entity to make or cause to be made any telephone solicitation calls to any residential subscriber more than 45 days after the person or entity obtains the Registry or any update of the Registry on which the residential subscriber's telephone number or numbers first appear.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02; 93‑49, eff. 6‑30‑03.)

    (815 ILCS 402/15)
    Sec. 15. Complaints. The Illinois Commerce Commission shall receive telephone solicitation complaints from residential subscribers to object to such calls. Complaints shall be taken by any means deemed appropriate by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02.)

    (815 ILCS 402/20)
    Sec. 20. Registry.
    (a) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall establish and provide for the operation of a Restricted Call Registry, which shall contain a list of the telephone numbers of residential subscribers who do not wish to receive telephone solicitation calls. The national "do‑not‑call" registry established and maintained by the Federal Trade Commission, pursuant to 16 C.F.R. 310.4 (b)(1)(iii)(B), shall serve as the Registry provided by this Act.
    (b) Residential subscribers may cause their telephone number or numbers to appear on the Registry in any manner prescribed by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
    (c) Any person or entity conducting telephone solicitation calls as defined by Section 5(e) of this Act within the State of Illinois shall purchase the Restricted Call Registry and updates no less frequently than every 3 months exclusively from the Federal Trade Commission. Failure to do so prior to conducting telephone solicitation calls is a violation subject to the penalties provided for in Section 35 of this Act.
    (d) The Illinois Commerce Commission may adopt rules consistent with this Act that the Illinois Commerce Commission deems necessary and appropriate to fully implement this Act.
    (e) Information pertaining to residential subscribers in the Registry is confidential and shall be afforded reasonable privacy protection except as necessary for compliance with Sections 10 and 25 and this Section or in a proceeding or action under Section 35 or 40. The information is not a public record under the Freedom of Information Act.
    (f) A person or entity that obtains the Registry shall not use the Registry for any purpose other than to comply with this Act. These unlawful purposes include, but are not limited to, causing a subscriber to participate in and be included in the Registry without the subscriber's knowledge or consent, selling or leasing the Registry to a person other than a telephone solicitor, selling or leasing by a telephone solicitor of the Registry, and a telephone solicitor, either directly or indirectly, persuading a subscriber with whom it has an established business relationship to place his or her telephone number in the Registry, if the solicitation has the effect of preventing competitors from contacting that solicitor's customers.
    (g) No person or entity that sells, leases, exchanges, or rents telephone solicitation lists, except for directory assistance and telephone directories sold by telephone companies or their affiliates, shall include in those lists those telephone numbers that appear in the current Registry.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02; 93‑49, eff. 6‑30‑03.)

    (815 ILCS 402/25)
    Sec. 25. Notice of establishment of Registry. The Illinois Commerce Commission shall provide notice to residential subscribers of the establishment of the Registry.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02; 93‑49, eff. 6‑30‑03.)

    (815 ILCS 402/30)
    Sec. 30. Public notification. The Illinois Commerce Commission shall work with local exchange telecommunications companies to notify their customers about the availability of and instructions for requesting information from the Illinois Commerce Commission. Local exchange telecommunications companies shall provide this notice at least once per year in a message contained in customers' bills or a notice in the information section of all telephone directories distributed to customers and shall include on their website a link to the ICC's web page for the Registry. The Illinois Commerce Commission shall include, on its Internet web site, information to customers regarding their right to be included in the Registry and the various methods of being included in the Registry. The Illinois Commerce Commission shall develop language to be used by local exchange telecommunications carriers and shall make information available on its web site no later than July 1, 2003.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02; 93‑49, eff. 6‑30‑03.)

    (815 ILCS 402/35)
    Sec. 35. Violation; relief.
    (a) The Illinois Commerce Commission may initiate administrative proceedings in accordance with rules adopted under this Act relating to a knowing and willful violation of Section 10.
    (b) If it is determined after a hearing that a person has knowingly and willfully violated one or more provisions of this Section, the Illinois Commerce Commission may assess a fine not to exceed $1,000 for the first violation and not to exceed $2,500 for a second or subsequent violation. Each individual violation of Section 10 of this Act shall be a separate and distinct offense under this Section. In imposing a penalty under this Section, the Commission shall, at a minimum, consider the following factors:
        (1) whether the offense was knowing or willful;
        (2) whether the entity committing the offense has a
     prior history of non‑compliance with this Act;
        (3) the offender's relative ability to pay a penalty;
        (4) whether the offender has or has not cooperated
     with the Commission in pursuing the investigation; and
        (5) such other special, mitigating or aggravating
     circumstances as the Commission may find to exist.
    (c) Any proceeding conducted under this Section is subject to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
    (d) Nothing in this Section may be construed to restrict any right that any person may have under any other law or at common law.
    (e) No action or proceeding may be brought under this Section:
        (1) more than one year after the person bringing the
     action knew or should have known of the occurrence of the alleged violation; or
        (2) more than one year after the termination of any
     proceeding or action arising out of the same violation or violations by the State of Illinois, whichever is later.
    (f) The remedies, duties, prohibitions, and penalties in this Act are not exclusive and are in addition to all other causes of action, remedies, and penalties provided by law.
    (g) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the Restricted Call Registry Fund. All fines collected in the administration and enforcement of this Act shall be deposited into the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall, subject to appropriation, be used by the Illinois Commerce Commission for implementation, administration, and enforcement of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02; 93‑49, eff. 6‑30‑03.)

    (815 ILCS 402/40)
    Sec. 40. Exemption.
    (a) A person or entity may not be held liable for violating this Act if:
        (1) the person or entity has obtained copies of the
     Registry and updates in compliance with this Act and has established and implemented written policies and procedures related to the requirements of this Act;
        (2) the person or entity has trained its personnel
     in the requirements of this Act;
        (3) the person or entity maintains records
     demonstrating compliance with subdivisions (1) and (2) of this Section and the requirements of this Act; and
        (4) any subsequent telephone solicitation is the
     result of unintentional error.
    (b) A person or entity that has entered into a contract with another person or entity to make telephone solicitations on its behalf is not liable for a violation of this Act by the person or entity making telephone solicitations under the contract if the person or entity on whose behalf the telephone solicitations were made has provided written notification to the person or entity making telephone solicitations under the contract that it is necessary to comply with the provisions of this Act when making telephone solicitations.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02; 93‑49, eff. 6‑30‑03.)

    (815 ILCS 402/90)
    Sec. 90. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted).
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02; text omitted.)

    (815 ILCS 402/99)
    Sec. 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.
(Source: P.A. 92‑795, eff. 8‑9‑02.)