Legislation that would allow residents to permanently register their phone number on the state’s “Do Not Call” list is on its way to Gov. Tom Wolf for enactment.

The Senate on Monday voted 49-0 to approve a change to the 2002 law that created the state’s no-solicitation registry that also would prohibit telemarketing calls on legal holidays. It also allows businesses to register for the list to provide the same protection from nuisance calls as residents now have. And it would require computerized robocalls to give an “opt out” option at the beginning of the call.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Lori Mizgorski, R-Allegheny County, passed the House by a 174-0 vote in February.

A spokesman for Wolf said the governor is expected to sign this bill into law.

Currently, the state’s “Do Not Call” registration requires residents to re-enroll every five years. This legislation would make it so a listing on the registry would remain valid as long as the subscriber has that phone number or requests to be removed from the do-not-call list.

Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-Chester County, cautioned that Mizgorski’s legislation is likely not going to stop the unwanted telephone solicitations altogether. He said calls originating from outside the country will continue and to end those calls requires a more sophisticated approach by telecommunication companies. But he wasn’t opposed to the legislation, but reminded it is only "a step” toward addressing the problem.

As of Aug. 14, the state Office of Attorney General, which oversees the “Do Not Call” registry, reports 3,743,831 people were registered to have their phone number on the list. The office’s Bureau of Consumer Protection received 454 total complaints in 2017 about potential violations of this law and 618 in 2018 and successfully prosecuted seven companies for violating the law since 2017.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

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