Chamber Files Petition on FCC Facsimile Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce – together with several other association allies – filed a petition for reconsideration of a rule by the FCC that would outlaw commercial fax communications between associations and their members, as well as businesses and their preexisting customers, without written authorization.

"The FCC's regulation is exceptionally burdensome to businesses and consumers," said Steve Bokat, Chamber general counsel and executive vice president of the Chamber's National Litigation Center. "The rule is so vague that no one would know what they could or couldn't fax."

The proposed fax rules would place a monumental and costly administrative burden on associations and other businesses by requiring them to obtain the signed written consent of each recipient before any commercial fax may be sent. This would severely limit the ability of associations and businesses to communicate with their customers or make them aware of events and products that would be of interest to them, according to the Chamber. Currently, associations and businesses are free to send faxes to those persons with which they have an established business relationship, and unsolicited faxes and junk faxes are already illegal.

"Under the new rule, your church won't even be able to send you a fax saying they're having a pancake breakfast that will cost five bucks," Bokat continued. "How can the FCC expect businesses to function if they can't fax their own customers?"

The Chamber has generated thousands of responses from its grassroots contacts – explaining the negative impact this will have on their ability to satisfy customers and receive information – and urging the FCC and of the U.S. Congress to drop the new rule.

The petition for reconsideration was submitted in response to the FCC's recent delay by the U.S. Chamber, the Associated General Contractors of America, the Community Association Institute, the Credit Union National Association, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, the National Grocers Association, the National Restaurant Association, and the National Federation of Independent Business.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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