FTC Updates Telemarketing Fee Provisions
The Federal Trade Commission has updated the fees charged for accessing the National Do Not Call Registry. The update is designed to conform the rules with legislative changes in the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007.
The agency indicated the changes are technical only, and public comment is not being solicited.
The agency’s summary of the changes generally states:
To comply with the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-188, 122 Stat. 635) (“Act”), the Commission is revising the Final Amended Fee Rule in the following manner: The revised rule decreases the annual fee for access to the Registry for each area code of data to $54 per area code, or $27 per area code of data during the second six months of an entity’s annual subscription period. The maximum amount that would be charged to any single entity for accessing area codes of data is decreased to $14,850. The revised rule retains the provisions regarding free access to the first five area codes of data by all entities, as well as free access by “exempt” organizations. As required by the Act, it expands the definition of “exempt” organizations to include any person permitted to access, but not required to access, the do-not-call registry, not only under the TSR, the Federal Communication Commission’s do-not-call rules found at 47 CFR 64.1200, or any other Federal law, but also under any other Federal regulation.
Additionally, in accordance with the Act, beginning after fiscal year 2009, the dollar amounts charged shall be increased by an amount equal to the amounts specified in the Final Amended Fee Rule, whichever fee is applicable, multiplied by the percentage (if any) by which the average of the monthly consumer price index (for all urban consumers published by the Department of Labor) (“CPI”) for the most recently ended 12-month period ending on June 30 exceeds the CPI for the 12- month period ending June 30, 2008. Any increase shall be rounded to the nearest dollar. There shall be no increase in the dollar amounts if the change in the CPI is less than 1 percent. The adjustments to the applicable fees, if any, shall be published in the Federal Register no later than September 1 of each year.
For a full copy of the issuance, please click here.