Anti-Spam Act of 2003

Bill: 108-hr-2515
Sponsor: Rep. Wilson, Heather [R-NM-1]
Introduced: 2003-06-18 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Advertising
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer complaints
Consumer education
Consumer protection
Crime and Law Enforcement
Damages
Deceptive advertising
Direct mail advertising
District courts
Electronic commerce
Electronic mail systems
Evidence (Law)
Federal Trade Commission
Federal preemption
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Grievance procedures
Independent regulatory commissions
Injunctions
Internet
Jurisdiction
Law
Legal fees
Parties to actions
Pornography
Punitive damages
Recidivists
Restrictive trade practices
Sentences (Criminal procedure)
Sentencing guidelines
Telecommunication industry
Telemarketing
Warning labels
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: 
Anti-Spam Act of 2003 - Prohibits a person from initiating in interstate commerce any commercial electronic mail (commercial email) message unless the message contains: (1) identification as commercial email; (2) notice of an opt-out opportunity, along with an email address or other mechanism for doing so; and (3) a valid physical street address of the sender. Prohibits the transmission of commercial email: (1) after valid objection; (2) with false or misleading header information or subject headings; (3) from illegally harvested email addresses, including addresses generated by automated means; or (4) without warning labels on commercial email containing sexually oriented material.
 
Provides a right of enforcement action for: (1) providers of Internet access service; (2) States on behalf of any of their residents; and (3) the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
 
Amends the Federal criminal code to provide criminal penalties for: (1) falsifying the identity of a commercial email sender; (2) failing to place warning labels on commercial email containing sexually oriented material; (3) repeat offenses and bulk email violations; and (4) illegal harvesting of email addresses. Provides for enforcement of such penalties through actions by Internet service providers, the FTC and the Attorney General, and State attorneys general.
 
Requires the FTC to report to Congress regarding the need to protect the rights of users of email to avoid receiving unsolicited commercial email.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
action_date: 2003-06-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Introduced in House