Ohio robocall legislation passed

Another state is moving toward enacting robocall legislation. The Ohio legislature has passed Senate Bill 54 in both houses. The legislation is directed at robocallers and voice service providers who enable their robocalls. Here’s an overview.

Provisions

Senate Bill 54 targets robocallers and voice service providers who enable their calls. Voice service providers are subject to this law if any of the following is true:

• The voice service provider (VSP) is designated as a non-cooperative carrier by the Robocall Traceback Consortium,
• The VSP originated the voice service or text message for the robocaller,
• The VSP is the first domestic provider handling the voice service or text message that originates outside of the United States.

Penalties

A court may impose civil penalties of $500 for each violation. If a court finds that the defendant willfully or knowingly committed the violation, the court may impose penalties of $1,500 for each violation.

The Ohio Attorney General may initiate criminal prosecution with a county prosecutor. If found guilty, the perpetrators would face a felony conviction and time in prison.

Senate Bill 54 was introduced by State Senator Theresa Gavarone and is cosponsored by 69 legislators in the House and Sentate. The legislation goes before Gov. Mike DeWine for his review and signature.

Implications

As we noted with the recent enactment of a robocall law in New York, states are moving fast to go after robocallers and voice service providers who know, or should have known, about illegal robocalls.

The laws closely follow federal laws and policy. The purpose is to give state prosecutors enforcement authority. If the feds don’t get the robocallers and voice service providers who enable them, then the state AGs will.

TransNexus solutions

We offer robocall mitigation solutions in our ClearIP and NexOSS software platforms. These methods have proven highly effective in identifying and blocking robocalls. We can help you identify and deploy the methods that would be most appropriate for your circumstances.

We also offer robocall mitigation solutions for non-U.S. service providers. These solutions will enable you to have your calls accepted by U.S. service providers in compliance with FCC rules.

Contact us today to learn more.