Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1957 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2		-	Act 847 of the Regular Session
3		-	LJH075 04-09-2025 14:29:15 LJH075
4		-
5		-	State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S4/9/25 1
	2	+	LJH075 03/31/2025 4:56:37 PM LJH075
	3	+	State of Arkansas 1
6	4		95th General Assembly A Bill 2
7	5		Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1957 3
8	6		4
9	7		By: Representative S. Meeks 5
10		-	~~By: Senator J. English~~ 6
	8	+	6
11	9		7
12	10		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
13	11		AN ACT TO AMEND THE UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL AND 9
14	12		SEXUALLY EXPLICIT ELECTRONIC MAIL PREVENTION ACT TO 10
15	13		INCLUDE UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL AND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT 11
16	14		TEXT MESSAGES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12
17	15		13
18	16		14
19	17		Subtitle 15
20	18		TO AMEND THE UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL AND 16
21	19		SEXUALLY EXPLICIT ELECTRONIC MAIL 17
22	20		PREVENTION ACT TO INCLUDE UNSOLICITED 18
23	21		COMMERCIAL AND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT TEXT 19
24	22		MESSAGES. 20
25	23		21
26	24		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
27	25		23
28	26		SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 4 -88-601 is amended to read as follows: 24
29	27		4-88-601. Title. 25
30	28		This subchapter may be referred to and cited as the “Unsolicited 26
31	29		Commercial and Sexually Explicit Electronic Mail and Text Message Prevention 27
32	30		Act”. 28
33	31		29
34	32		SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 4 -88-602(10)(A)(i), concerning the 30
35	33		definition of "preexisting business relationship" under the Unsolicited 31
36	34		Commercial and Sexually Explicit Electronic Mail Prevention Act, is amended 32
37	35		to read as follows: 33
38	36		(10)(A)(i) “Preexisting business relationship” means that there 34
39	37		was a business transaction or communication between the sender and the 35
40		-	recipient of a commercial electronic mail or text message during the five -36 ~~As Engrossed: S4/9/25~~ HB1957
	38	+	recipient of a commercial electronic mail or text message during the five -36 HB1957
41	39
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43		-
44		-
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45	41		year period preceding the receipt of that message. 1
46	42		2
47	43		SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 4 -88-602(12), concerning the definition of 3
48	44		"unsolicited" under the Unsolicited Commercial and Sexually Explicit 4
49	45		Electronic Mail Prevention Act, is amended to read as follows: 5
50	46		(12) “Unsolicited” means without the recipient's express 6
51	47		permission, except that commercial electronic mail or text message is not 7
52	48		unsolicited if the sender has a preexisting business or personal relationship 8
53	49		with the recipient. 9
54	50		10
55	51		SECTION 4. Arkansas Code § 4 -88-602, concerning definitions under the 11
56	52		Unsolicited Commercial and Sexually Explicit Electronic Mail Prevention Act, 12
57	53		is amended to add additional subdivisions to read as follows: 13
58	54		(13) "Phone service provider" means a person who: 14
59	55		(A) Is an intermediary in the transmission of a text 15
60	56		message from the sender to the recipient; or 16
61	57		(B) Provides to end users of text message services via a 17
62	58		telephone number the ability to send and receive text messages; 18
63	59		(14) "Text message" means a message consisting of text, images, 19
64	60		sounds, or other information that is transmitted to or from a device that is 20
65	61		identified as the receiving or transmitting device by means of a ten (10) 21
66	62		digit telephone number; 22
67	63		23
68	64		SECTION 5. Arkansas Code § 4 -88-603 is amended to read as follows: 24
69	65		4-88-603. Unsolicited commercial or sexually explicit electronic mail 25
70	66		or text message — Requirements. 26
71	67		(a) Each person who sends or causes to be sent an unsolicited 27
72	68		commercial electronic mail or text message or an unsolicited sexually 28
73	69		explicit electronic mail or text message through the intermediary of an 29
74	70		electronic mail service provider or to an electronic mail address or phone 30
75	71		number held by a resident of the state shall: 31
76	72		(1)(A) Conspicuously For a commercial message to an electronic 32
77	73		mail address, conspicuously state in the electronic mail the sender's: 33
78	74		(A)(i) Legal name; 34
79	75		(B)(ii) Correct street address; and 35
80		-	(C)(iii) Valid internet domain name; and 36 ~~As Engrossed: S4/9/25~~ HB1957
	76	+	(C)(iii) Valid internet domain name; and 36 HB1957
81	77
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85	79		(B) For a commercial text message, conspicuously state 1
86	80		the: 2
87	81		(i) Person from whom the text message originates; 3
88	82		(ii) Purpose of the text message; and 4
89	83		(iii) Ability to opt out and method of opting out of 5
90	84		receiving further text messages from the person; 6
91	85		(2) For a sexually explicit electronic mail, include in the 7
92	86		electronic mail a subject line that contains “adv:adult” as the first nine 8
93	87		(9) characters; 9
94	88		(3) Provide the recipient a convenient, no -cost mechanism to 10
95	89		notify the sender not to send any future electronic mail to the recipient, 11
96	90		including: 12
97	91		(A) Return electronic mail to a valid, functioning return 13
98	92		electronic address; and 14
99	93		(B) For a sexually explicit electronic mail and if the sender 15
100	94		has a toll-free telephone number, the sender's toll -free telephone number; 16
101	95		and 17
102	96		(4) Conspicuously provide in the text of the electronic mail a 18
103	97		notice: 19
104	98		(A) That informs the recipient that the recipient may 20
105	99		conveniently and at no cost be excluded from future commercial or sexually 21
106	100		explicit electronic mail, as the case may be, from the sender; and 22
107	101		(B) For sexually explicit electronic mail, if the sender has 23
108	102		a toll-free telephone number, that includes the sender's valid, toll -free 24
109	103		telephone number that the recipient may call to be excluded from future 25
110	104		electronic mail from the sender. 26
111	105		(b)(1) A commercial electronic mail or text message is not unsolicited 27
112	106		if the sender has a preexisting business or personal relationship with the 28
113	107		recipient. 29
114	108		(2) The sender of a commercial electronic mail or text message 30
115	109		of this nature must still include in the electronic mail message or text 31
116	110		message the required disclosures set forth in subdivisions (a)(3) and (4) of 32
117	111		this section and shall remove the recipient from future mailings or text 33
118	112		messages if requested. 34
119	113		(c) A person who sends or causes to be sent an unsolicited commercial 35
120		-	electronic mail or an unsolicited sexually explicit electronic mail through 36 ~~As Engrossed: S4/9/25~~ HB1957
	114	+	electronic mail or an unsolicited sexually explicit electronic mail through 36 HB1957
121	115
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125	117		the intermediary of an electronic mail service provider located in the state 1
126	118		or to an electronic mail address held by a resident of the state may shall 2
127	119		not: 3
128	120		(1) Use a third party's internet domain name in identifying the 4
129	121		point of origin or in stating the transmission path of the electronic mail 5
130	122		without the third party's consent; 6
131	123		(2) Misrepresent any information in identifying the point of 7
132	124		origin or the transmission path of the electronic mail; or 8
133	125		(3) Fail to include in the electronic mail the information 9
134	126		necessary to identify the point of origin of the electronic mail. 10
135	127		(d)(1) If the recipient of an unsolicited commercial electronic mail 11
136	128		or text message or an unsolicited sexually explicit electronic mail or text 12
137	129		message notifies the sender that the recipient does not want to receive 13
138	130		future commercial electronic mail or text message or future sexually explicit 14
139	131		electronic mail or text message from the sender, the sender may not send that 15
140	132		recipient a commercial electronic mail or text message or a sexually explicit 16
141	133		electronic mail or text message either directly or through a subsidiary or 17
142	134		affiliate. 18
143	135		(2) If a recipient has requested to be removed from future 19
144	136		mailings or text messages, the sender may recontact the recipient if a 20
145	137		preexisting business relationship has been reestablished or if the recipient 21
146	138		has expressly requested to receive future mailings or text messages from the 22
147	139		sender. 23
148	140		24
149	141		SECTION 6. Arkansas Code § 4 -88-604 is amended to read as follows: 25
150	142		4-88-604. Interactive computer service , and electronic mail service 26
151	143		provider, and phone service provider authority. 27
152	144		(a) An interactive computer service , or electronic mail service 28
153	145		provider, or phone service provider may block the receipt or transmission 29
154	146		through its service of any bulk electronic mail or text message that it 30
155	147		reasonably believes is or will be sent in violation of this subchapter. 31
156	148		(b) An interactive computer service , or electronic mail service 32
157	149		provider, or phone service provider is not: 33
158	150		(1) In violation of this section and the injured party shall not 34
159	151		have a cause of action against an interactive computer service , or electronic 35
160		-	mail service provider , or phone service provider due to the fact that the 36 ~~As Engrossed: S4/9/25~~ HB1957
	152	+	mail service provider , or phone service provider due to the fact that the 36 HB1957
161	153
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165	155		interactive computer service , or electronic mail service provider , or phone 1
166	156		service provider: 2
167	157		(A) Is an intermediary between the sender and recipient in 3
168	158		the transmission of an electronic mail or text message that violates this 4
169	159		section; or 5
170	160		(B) Provides transmission of unsolicited commercial 6
171	161		electronic mail messages or text messages over the provider's computer 7
172	162		network or facilities; or 8
173	163		(2) Liable for any action it voluntarily takes in good faith to 9
174	164		block the receipt or transmission through its service of any electronic mail 10
175	165		or text message advertisements that it believes is or will be sent in 11
176	166		violation of this subchapter. 12
177	167		(c) An interactive computer service may disconnect or terminate the 13
178	168		service of any person who is in violation of this subchapter. 14
179	169		15
180	170		SECTION 7. Arkansas Code § 4 -88-606 is amended to read as follows: 16
181	171		4-88-606. Civil action for violation — Election on damages — Costs and 17
182	172		attorney's fees — Defense. 18
183	173		(a) For any violation of a provision of this subchapter, an action may 19
184	174		be brought by: 20
185	175		(1) A person who received the unsolicited commercial electronic 21
186	176		mail or text message or unsolicited sexually explicit electronic mail or text 22
187	177		message that violates this subchapter; or 23
188	178		(2) An electronic mail service provider or phone service 24
189	179		provider through whose facilities the unsolicited commercial electronic mail 25
190	180		or text message or unsolicited sexually explicit electronic mail or text 26
191	181		message was transmitted. 27
192	182		(b)(1) In each action under subdivision (a)(1) of this section, a 28
193	183		recipient or electronic mail service provider or phone service provider may 29
194	184		elect, in lieu of actual damages, to recover the lesser of: 30
195	185		(A) Ten dollars ($10.00) per unsolicited commercial 31
196	186		electronic mail or text message or unsolicited sexually explicit electronic 32
197	187		mail or text message sent to a previously opted -out electronic mail address 33
198	188		or phone number or transmitted through the electronic mail service provider 34
199	189		or phone service provider or otherwise sent in violation of this subchapter; 35
200		-	or 36 ~~As Engrossed: S4/9/25~~ HB1957
	190	+	or 36 HB1957
201	191
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205	193		(B) Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per day the 1
206	194		violation occurs. 2
207	195		(2) Each prevailing recipient or electronic mail service 3
208	196		provider or phone service provider shall be awarded costs and reasonable 4
209	197		attorney's fees. 5
210	198		(c) It is an affirmative defense to a violation of this subchapter if 6
211	199		a person can demonstrate that the sender at the time of the alleged violation 7
212	200		had: 8
213	201		(1) Maintained a list of consumers who have notified the person 9
214	202		not to send any subsequent commercial electronic messages or text messages; 10
215	203		(2) Established and implemented with due care and reasonable 11
216	204		practices and procedures to effectively prevent unsolicited commercial 12
217	205		electronic mail messages or text messages in violation of this subchapter; 13
218	206		(3) Trained the sender's personnel in the requirements of this 14
219	207		subchapter; and 15
220	208		(4) Maintained records demonstrating compliance with this 16
221	209		subchapter. 17
222	210		18
223	211		SECTION 8. Arkansas Code § 4 -88-607(a)(1), concerning the transmission 19
224	212		of unsolicited commercial or sexually explicit electronic mail being 20
225	213		considered an unfair and deceptive act or practice, is amended to read as 21
226	214		follows: 22
227	215		(a)(1) Any transmission of unsolicited commercial or sexually explicit 23
228	216		electronic mail or text message in violation of this subchapter shall 24
229	217		constitute an unfair and deceptive act or practice under § 4 -88-107. 25
230	218		26
231		-	~~/s/S. Meeks~~ 27
	219	+	27
232	220		28
233	221		29
234		-	~~APPROVED: 4/17/25~~ 30
	222	+	30
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236	224		32
237	225		33
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