The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently testified in favor of several pieces of legislation that would toughen consumer and business protections against unwanted and deceptive calls.
The House Utilities Committee heard testimony on the following bills:
The legislation would strengthen Missouri’s No-Call List by extending protections to businesses, not just individual consumers. It would also make clear that once someone opts out of telemarketing calls, they do not have to renew that request.
“Most business owners use their personal cell phones for business purposes, so this bill addresses that issue,” Costlow said. “We’re hearing from businesses across the state that they are getting 30-40 calls a week, or sometimes even in a day, and they can’t ignore those calls on a residential phone. The call could be from a potential customer.”
The bills also crack down on scam phone calls by creating the “Caller ID Anti-Spoofing Act.” Under the legislation, phone companies would be required to block certain illegal calls and follow existing federal rules. Providers would have to verify caller ID information using widely accepted technology by August 28, 2027, or face increasing fines.
“I really wanted to address spoofing because of what I’ve seen happen to elderly residents,” Kalberloh said. “I had a lady in my community that got scammed out of $120,000 because of spoofing.”
Missouri Chamber Vice President of Policy Heidi Geisbuhler Sutherland testified in favor of the legislation, saying businesses waste a lot of time answering robocalls.
“Time wasted on robocalls could be time spent talking to actual customers,” she said. “Along with the frustration caused by robocalls, businesses’ reputations can be hurt by call spoofing – even though the real business is innocent, people may associate the business with the time they were scammed, and that can ultimately cause the business to lose customers.”
For more information on this legislation, contact Missouri Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs Jared Hankinson at jhankinson@mochamber.com or call (573) 634-3511.
