The Ohio Chamber of Commerce, along with over 40 other business organizations and the Institute for Legal Reform (IRL), signed a letter opposing abuse of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). On June 13, the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice held a hearing on lawsuit abuse and the TCPA. The letter was sent to Rep. Steve King who serves as the chairman of this committee.
TCPA was enacted in 1991 to protect consumers from abusive landline telemarketing. While technology has changed over the last 25 years, the law is outdated and has now turned into a quick way to make a buck by unscrupulous plaintiff’s attorneys while penalizing legitimate businesses trying to connect with potential customers. As an example, in 2014 the average TCPA plaintiff was awarded $4.12, however the average plaintiff’s attorney payout was $2.4 million.
The letter is asking Congress to look at sensible TCPA reform that will provide clarification and reasonable standards so that businesses can reach potential customers without the threat of litigation. More information on the June 13 hearing can be found on the IRL’s website.