Today’s Regulatory Mix: Senators Concerned 9-8-8 Under Attack, New York Texting to No-Call Rules

Senators Concerned 9-8-8 Under Attack 

Last year, Congress passed the National Suicide Designation Act (the Act), requiring a three-digit 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to be in place by July 2022.  Yesterday, Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), along with Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), released a letter sent to CTIA President & CEO Meredith Attwell Baker. CTIA is the national lobbying arm of the wireless telecommunications industry. The letter urges CTIA and its member companies to stop advocating against state-level funding of mental health and suicide prevention call centers and in-person response teams through fees assessed on commercial mobile services and IP-enabled voice service. 

“Making it easier to access federal suicide prevention resources has the potential to save countless lives. But we have to let it, and that means full and efficient implementation of 9-8-8, both at the federal level and in states and local communities across the country. That is why we are gravely concerned by reports that the telecommunications industry — represented by your association — is actively working to limit the states’ implementation of this critical lifeline for Americans in crisis,” the letter declared. 

 

New York Adds Texting to No-Call Rules 

Governor Andrew Cuomo (D.) has signed AB 6040 into law.  The bill to includes electronic text messaging as a form of telemarketing communication for purposes of the no-call registry.  “Unsolicited telemarketing sales call” now means any “telemarketing sales call or electronic messaging text other than in response to an express written or verbal request by the customer; or in connection with an established business relationship, which has not been terminated by either party, unless such customer has stated to the telemarketer that such customer no longer wishes to receive the telemarketing sales calls of such telemarketer.” 

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing. 

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