JEFFERSON CITY Legislation was signed into law this week by Gov. Jay Nixon that will allow cell phone users to block unwanted telemarketing calls and text messages. Co-sponsored by 154 Representatives, included Rep. Mike Kelley (R-Lamar), the bill (HB 1549) will allow cellular phone users to add their numbers to Missouris existing No Call List. The states current No Call List currently applies to landlines only and has been a huge success with more than 1.8 million registered.

The bill specifies the No Call List will not include telephone numbers primarily used for business or commercial purposes, but it will ban solicitations through faxes, graphic images, text messages and data communications. The changes in the bill will take effect August 28, 2012.

Our No Call List has done its job but technology has passed it by as more and more Missourians have moved away from landlines and to cellular phones, said Kelley. By modernizing the list we extend the protections to all Missourians so they can avoid these unwanted calls. Its something everyone will appreciate and I encourage everyone to sign up for the list as soon as the law changes in August.

Kelley said the change will save approximately $25,000 annually by simplifying the process used by the Attorney Generals office to maintain the list. Currently, the office obtains numbers from the federal No Call List, which allows cell phones to be registered. The office then scrubs the registered cell phone numbers from the list. Kelley said the number of scrubbed cell phone numbers has exceeded two million in each of the last two years.

Go Back