Oregon S.B. 472 died in committee with the conclusion of Oregon's legislative session at the end of June. This legislation would have prohibited the purchase or sale of a list of telephone numbers to be used for unsolicited calls, including calls for research.
The Insights Association had opposed Oregon Sen. Brian Boquist (R-12)'s S.B. 472 unless it was amended to allow for the conduct of research, by excluding survey, opinion and marketing research from the definition of an "unsolicited call."
As explained in our May 1 letter to the sponsor and the Senate Judiciary Committee, "While Section 2(6)(b) prohibiting unsolicited automated calls is of minimal consequence to our industry, Section 2(6)(a) would effectively outlaw the purchase or sale of telephone sample including an Oregon subscriber for random digital dial (RDD) studies (commonly used for public opinion, government and marketing research) or any other telephone research study not involving an established business relationship. This would be a significant imposition on studies involving Oregon residents, amidst a telephone environment already substantially impaired by rampant lawsuits against legitimate companies by litigators who abuse the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), as well as call blocking and mis-labeling of bona fide research calls."
While we are pleased to see the bill defeated, we will be on watch for it to be reintroduced next year, or be copied in another state.
About the Author
Based in Washington, DC, Howard is the Insights Association's lobbyist for the marketing research and data analytics industry, focusing primarily on consumer privacy and data security, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), tort reform, and the funding and integrity of the decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS).
Howard has more than two decades of public policy experience. Before the Insights Association, he worked in Congress as senior legislative staffer for then-Representatives Christopher Cox (CA-48) and Cliff Stearns (FL-06). He also served more than four years with a science policy think tank, working to improve the understanding of scientific and social research and methodology among journalists and policymakers.
Howard is also co-director of The Census Project, a 900+ member coalition in support of a fair and accurate Census and ACS.
He has also served previously on the Board of Directors for the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics and and the Association of Government Relations Professionals.
Howard has an MA International Relations from the University of Essex in England and a BA Honors Political Studies from Trent University in Canada, and has obtained the Certified Association Executive (CAE), Professional Lobbying Certificate (PLC) and the Public Policy Certificate (PPC).
When not running advocacy for the Insights Association, Howard enjoys hockey, NFL football, sci-fi and horror movies, playing with his dog, and spending time with family and friends.