This week, the Nuisance Call Act (Ch. 572 of 2019) sponsored by Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) went into effect. The legislation closes a loophole in New York’s Do Not Call law that had allowed New Yorkers on the list to still receive calls from live telemarketers. The law will cut down on the number of live telemarketing calls, robocalls, and phone scams that have overwhelmed landlines and cell phones in New York and across the country. The law requires live telemarketers to inform a customer that they can request their number be added to the seller’s entity-specific do-not-call list. If the customer opts in, the call must end immediately and their number must be added to the registry. Under the law, telemarketers are also prohibited from sharing a customer’s contact information with another person, corporation or entity unless they have express written consent to do so.

Assemblymember Paulin, who introduced the legislation for the Nuisance Call Act, is Chair of the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions. On Monday Assemblymember Paulin said, “I am grateful to the Governor for his leadership in providing consumers with more tools to combat this out-of-control surge of annoying telemarketing calls we're all experiencing. I am very happy that now, New Yorkers will be able to reclaim a greater degree of peace and privacy because of this law.”

Paulin added, “Unsolicited calls are not only a quality of life issue, they are a security issue as well. I urge all telephone owners in New York to understand the new rights afforded to them under this new legislation. It is a powerful tool to lessen the annoyance of unwanted calls. I fully intend to investigate additional steps to curb illegal scam calls and robocalls now that the Nuisance Call Act is in effect.”