Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004
Latest action. Passed Senate with an amendment by unanimous consentDoing business by universal agreement instead of votes. Most Senate floor action happens this way, which is why a single objecting senator has real power.Read the full definition (opens a new tab).
Title I: Junk Faxes - Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004 - (Sec. 102) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit a person from using any telephone facsimile (fax) machine, computer, or other device to send, to another fax machine, an unsolicited advertisement unless the unsolicited advertisement: (1) is from a sender with an established business relationship with the recipient, and the fax number used was obtained through voluntary communication; and (2) contains a notice allowing a recipient to opt-out from any further advertisements. Adds to the information required in opt-out notices, including that: (1) such notice be clear and conspicuous and appear on the first page of the advertisement; (2) a sender's failure to comply with an opt-out request is unlawful; (3) the notice include a domestic contact telephone and fax number for the recipient to transmit an opt-out request; and (4) the opt-out request is cost-free to the recipient. Authorizes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) allow professional or trade associations that are tax-exempt nonprofit organizations to send unsolicited advertisements to members; and (2) limit the duration of an established business relationship exception.
(Sec. 103) Requires an annual report from the FCC to Congress regarding junk fax enforcement during the preceding year.
(Sec. 104) Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) conduct a study of junk fax enforcement; and (2) report study results to specified congressional committees.
Title II: Professional Boxing Safety - Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2004 - (Sec. 202) Amends the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to: (1) authorize a tribal organization to establish a boxing commission to regulate professional boxing matches held on Indian land; and (2) make its provisions applicable to professional boxing matches held on tribal lands to the same extent and in the same way as they apply to matches held in any State. Requires health and safety standards and licensing requirements for matches to be at least as restrictive as: (1) standards and requirements in the State in which the Indian land is located; or (2) the guidelines established by the United States Boxing Commission (USBC) (established in this title).
The summary continues for 37 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed Senate amended" stage on December 8, 2004. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
2 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on December 8, 2004: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 108th Congress (2003-04), 498 of the 8,623 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 5.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 2 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
GORDON SMITH (R-OR) introduced it on June 24, 2004, and 14 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 6 Democrats, 8 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on June 24, 2004, 8113 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 7946 days ago, on December 8, 2004.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 108th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2005 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenatePassed
- HouseAwaiting House vote
- PresidentAwaits both chambers