Reduction in Distribution of Spam Act of 2003
Latest action · Jul 8, 2003 Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 22, 2003
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Reduction in Distribution of Spam Act of 2003 - Prohibits a person from initiating in interstate commerce the transmission of any unsolicited commercial electronic (UCE) mail message unless the message contains: (1) identification as an advertisement or solicitation; (2) notice of an opt-out opportunity, along with a mechanism for doing so; and (3) a valid physical street address of the vendor. Prohibits the transmission of UCE mail: (1) after valid objection; (2) with fraudulent header information; and (3) from illegally harvested email addresses.
Provides a right of enforcement action for: (1) providers of Internet access service; (2) States on behalf of any of their residents; and (3) the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Amends the Federal Criminal code to provide criminal penalties for: (1) falsifying the identify of an UCE mail sender; (2) failing to place warning labels on UCE mail containing sexually oriented material; (3) bulk email violations and repeat offenses; and (4) illegal harvesting of email addresses. Provides for enforcement of such penalties through actions by Internet service providers, the Attorney General, and State attorneys general.
Requires the FTC to issue regulations to implement this Act. Requires the FTC and the Federal Communications Commission to report to Congress: (1) regarding the need to protect the rights of users of email to avoid receiving unwanted commercial email; and (2) a detailed analysis of the effectiveness and enforcement of the provisions of this Act.
Cosponsors 38
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 22, 2003 to Nov 18, 2003, with 7 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-VA | Bob Goodlatte | Original | May 22, 2003 |
| R-UT | Chris Cannon | Original | May 22, 2003 |
| R-FL | Cliff Stearns | Original | May 22, 2003 |
| R-WI | F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. | Original | May 22, 2003 |
| R-MI | Fred Upton | Original | May 22, 2003 |
| R-PA | Melissa A. Hart | Original | May 22, 2003 |
| R-LA | W. J. (Billy) Tauzin | Original | May 22, 2003 |
| R-FL | Ginny Brown-Waite | Jun 12, 2003 | |
| R-NE | Lee Terry | Jun 12, 2003 | |
| R-TN | Zach Wamp | Jun 12, 2003 | |
| R-WY | Barbara Cubin | Jun 19, 2003 | |
| R-OR | Greg Walden | Jun 19, 2003 | |
| R-TX | Joe Barton | Jun 19, 2003 | |
| R-TX | Kevin Brady | Jun 19, 2003 | |
| R-FL | Michael Bilirakis | Jun 19, 2003 | |
| D-OR | Earl Blumenauer | Jun 25, 2003 | |
| D-HI | Ed Case | Jun 25, 2003 | |
| R-NY | John M. McHugh | Jun 25, 2003 | |
| R-TX | Lamar Smith | Jun 25, 2003 | |
| R-FL | Mark Foley | Jun 25, 2003 | |
| R-WI | Mark Green | Jun 25, 2003 | |
| R-ID | C. L. (Butch) Otter | Jul 9, 2003 | |
| R-LA | David Vitter | Jul 9, 2003 | |
| D-AS | Eni F. H. Faleomavaega | Jul 9, 2003 | |
| R-VA | Jo Ann Davis | Jul 9, 2003 | |
| R-OH | Paul E. Gillmor | Jul 9, 2003 | |
| R-NY | Vito Fossella | Jul 9, 2003 | |
| R-WA | George R. Nethercutt Jr. | Jul 14, 2003 | |
| R-NH | Jeb Bradley | Jul 14, 2003 | |
| R-CA | Randy (Duke) Cunningham | Jul 14, 2003 | |
| R-NY | Sherwood Boehlert | Jul 14, 2003 | |
| R-SD | William J. Janklow | Jul 14, 2003 | |
| R-CA | Edward R. Royce | Jul 17, 2003 | |
| R-GA | Max Burns | Jul 17, 2003 | |
| R-NV | Jim Gibbons | Sep 3, 2003 | |
| R-KS | Todd Tiahrt | Oct 1, 2003 | |
| R-FL | E. Clay Shaw Jr. | Oct 29, 2003 | |
| R-SC | Joe Wilson | Nov 18, 2003 |
Actions 5
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 8, 2003Subcommittee Hearings Held.
- Jul 1, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
- Jun 25, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
- May 22, 2003Introduced in House
- May 22, 2003Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
- Administrative procedure
- Advertising
- Civil actions and liability
- Class actions (Civil procedure)
- Commerce
- Congress
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Consumer complaints
- Consumer education
- Consumer protection
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Damages
- Deceptive advertising
- Direct mail advertising
- District courts
- Electronic commerce
- Electronic mail systems
- Evidence (Law)
- Facsimile transmission
- Federal preemption
- Federal Trade Commission
- Fines (Penalties)
- Fraud
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Grievance procedures
- Independent regulatory commissions
- Injunctions
- Internet
- Jurisdiction
- Law
- Legal fees
- Parties to actions
- Pornography
- Punitive damages
- Recidivists
- Restrictive trade practices
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Sentences (Criminal procedure)
- Sentencing guidelines
- Telecommunication industry
- Telemarketing
- Warning labels
- Web sites
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.