Oregon revamps no-call program.

Byline: David Steves The Register-Guard

SALEM - Oregonians who have been less than thrilled with the way the federal government has run its "no call" program will soon have another option in the fight against unwanted telemarketers.

The House on Friday voted unanimously to send to the governor a bill that reinstates Oregon's dormant no-call program. It was one of the first such programs in the country in 1999, but was put on hold in 2003 when a federal program was enacted that pre-empted Oregon's version of the program.

Rep. Susan Bonamici, D-Beaverton, said she used to work for the Federal Trade Commission, which runs the program that Oregonians have relied on to stop telemarketing calls by putting their phone numbers in a "no-call" database.

"With all due respect for my former colleagues," she said, "we are much better off having the state enforce our no-call list than having the federal government do so."

In the five years that Oregon ran its own program, the state's lawyers completed more than 100 cases and sought penalties ranging from $1,500 to $5,000. In the five years since the federal government has run its program, it has reached 28 such settlements in all 50 states combined.

Given those numbers, Oregon consumers should expect fewer telephone solicitations once the state again takes over, said Stephanie Soden, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Justice.

"If you've filed complaints and nothing's been done about it, I think that will change," said Soden, whose boss, Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers, requested the law change.

The reinstatement of the Oregon no-call program required the Legislature to rewrite state law so that it follows the same legal framework as the federal statute. Soden said the difference between how the state will run the program and how the feds did is that Oregon Department of Justice attorneys will be aggressive, as they were in the program's first years, in responding to complaints from consumers who get telemarketing solicitations after registering with the no-call program. She said the state's lawyers will look for patterns, such as a concentration of unwanted telemarketing calls in certain geographic areas, and contact the companies responsible. If the state is unable to settle the issue with these firms, it will be able to sue them.

As was the case in the state program's first years, political telephone solicitations will be exempt from the no-call prohibition - although separate state legislation is expected to be on the House floor next week banning all automated phone calls, including those that convey political messages.

A new feature of the state's do-not-call program, Soden said, is that this time, all phone numbers, including those to mobile phones, can be entered into the database.

The bill will become law as soon as Gov. Ted Kulongoski signs it, which a spokesman said he plans to do this month. Soden said the state will make information about the program available on its Web site and through other means in the coming weeks. The Senate approved the bill on May 3 on a 20-10 vote.

She said those on the federal no-call list will not be required to reregister with the state.

DO NOT CALL

A bill sent to the governor's desk Friday will reinstate Oregon's "do not call" program as soon as Gov. Ted Kulongoski signs it.

More information: Check at www.doj.state.or.us for additional information in the coming weeks about the reinstated state program.

Register: Currently, phone numbers can be put on the federal do not call registry, at www.donotcall.gov. The state will enforce the do not call law for Oregon phone numbers - mobile and land-line - on this registry.