(FAIRBANKS) - House Bill 15, introduced during the first session of the Twenty-Third Alaska Legislature by Representative Hugh "Bud" Fate (R-Fairbanks), would create a statewide No-Call List for telephone solicitors if passed in the next legislative session. The U.S. Congress passed legislation recently creating a National Do-Not Call Registry that became operable today but that applies only to solicitation calls made between states. Rep. Fate’s HB 15 will be revised to close the federal loopholes that allow solicitation calls to be made within the state and to allow the information from the national list to be used for the Alaska’s initial registry.

"We will not stop work on House Bill 15 because the national legislation and list only applies to inter-state soliciting calls," Fate said. "We need similar rules to apply to intra-state solicitation calls as well."

"I introduced this legislation," Fate added, "because so many Alaskans are tired of phone calls from telemarketers trying to sell them something. I was especially concerned for our seniors, who have reported numerous telephone scams to the police, only to find out there is little that can be done to stop them."

HB 15 would create a statewide no-call list and require solicitors to purchase that list from the state. The national list will be used initially to help the state collect the telephone numbers of those Alaskans who do not wish to receive phone solicitations. Rewriting the existing language in HB 15 would close the loopholes in federal statute that allows telemarketers within the state to make unwanted solicitation calls to Alaskans.

"The fact that Congress passed legislation so quickly to create a national Do-Not Call Registry indicates how problematic unwanted phone calls have become," Fate said. "I hope to have the state version in place by this time next year."

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(Consumers can register their home or cell phone numbers at www.donotcall.gov, or by calling toll-free - 1-888-382-1222.)