Hochul signs legislation to crack down on unwanted telemarketing calls

Legislation requires telemarketers to give customers the option to be added to company's do-not-call list at outset of phone calls

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday signed legislation to crack down on unwanted telemarketing calls. Legislation S.8450-B/A.8319-C requires telemarketers to give customers the option to be added to the company's do-not-call list at the outset of certain telemarketing calls. The new legislation is designed to help safeguard New Yorkers from continuous unwanted calls.

"We are dialing up our efforts to give New Yorkers a break from unsolicited telemarketing calls," Hochul said. "For too long, New Yorkers have dealt with these nuisance calls, not knowing they can avoid these interactions by being added to a telemarketer's do-not-call list. This new legislation will protect New Yorkers from receiving frustrating, unwanted calls by better providing information on do-not-call lists."

Hochul’s team said, “Legislation requires telemarketers to give customers the option to be added to the company's do-not-call list at the outset of certain telemarketing calls, right after the telemarketer's name and solicitor's name are provided. Under current law, telemarketers are required to inform individuals that they may request to be added to their company's do-not-call list. However, consumers usually hang up before a telemarketer or recording has mentioned the do-not-call list, allowing telemarketers to continue calling them again and again. By giving consumers the do-not-call list information at the onset of telemarketing calls, this legislation will ensure that New Yorkers are protected from incessant, unwanted calls.”

Assembly member Amy Paulin said, "Robocalls are a daily annoyance and serve no benefit to people or communities. By requiring telemarketers to inform people at the beginning of a call that they may be added to a do-not-call list, we're closing the door on this pervasive problem. Without this step, most people will have hung up the phone by the time they're informed they can be added to the list.”