(a) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class A misdemeanorup to 11 monthsup to $2,500
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 47-18-1526

  • Attorney general: means the office of the Tennessee attorney general and reporter. See Tennessee Code 47-18-2102
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: means a natural person, consumer, individual, governmental agency, partnership, corporation, trust, estate, incorporated or unincorporated association, and any other legal or commercial entity however organized. See Tennessee Code 47-18-2102
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) “Attorney general” means the attorney general and reporter, or the attorney general and reporter’s designee;
(2) “Consumer” means an actual or prospective purchaser, lessee, or recipient of consumer goods or services;
(3) “Telephone solicitor” means any natural person, firm, organization, partnership, association or corporation, or a subsidiary or affiliate thereof, doing business in this state, who makes or causes to be made a telephonic sales call, including, but not limited to, calls made by use of automated dialing or recorded message devices;
(4) “Telephonic sales call” means a call made by a telephone solicitor to a consumer, for the purpose of soliciting a sale of any consumer goods or services, or for the purpose of soliciting an extension of credit for consumer goods or services, or for the purpose of obtaining information that will or may be used by the solicitor or a third party for the direct solicitation of a sale of consumer goods or services or an extension of credit for such purposes or in connection with prizes, gifts or awards presentations; and
(5) “Unsolicited telephonic sales call” means a telephonic sales call other than a call made:

(A) In response to an express request of the person called;
(B) Primarily in connection with an existing debt or contract, payment or performance of which has not been completed at the time of such call; or
(C) To any person with whom the telephone solicitor has a prior or existing business relationship.
(b) No telephone solicitor shall make or cause to be made any unsolicited telephonic sales call to any residential, mobile or telephonic paging device telephone number unless such person or entity has instituted procedures for maintaining a list of persons who do not wish to receive telephone solicitations made by or on behalf of that person or entity, in compliance with 47 CFR 64 or 16 CFR 310.
(c)

(1) No telephonic sales calls shall be made by a telephone solicitor to a consumer from a telephone if the telephone number of the caller is unlisted, or if the telephone solicitor is using telephone equipment which blocks the caller ID function on the telephone or telephone equipment of the number dialed so that the telephone number of the caller is not displayed on the telephone or telephone equipment which is technically capable of displaying the telephone number of the caller.
(2)

(A) In addition to any other penalty provided by this section, it is an offense for a person owning or directing the use of telephones or telephone equipment in violation of subdivision (c)(1) to use or intentionally employ or direct a telephone solicitor to use, or to contract for the use of, telephones or telephone equipment to make telephonic sales calls in violation of subdivision (c)(1).
(B) A violation of this subdivision (c)(2) is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable only by a fine not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each violation.
(d) The attorney general shall investigate any complaints received concerning violations of this section pursuant to § 47-18-106. The civil penalty shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) per violation. This civil penalty may be recovered in any action brought under this part by the attorney general, or the attorney general may terminate any investigation or action upon agreement by the person to pay a stipulated civil penalty. The attorney general or the court may waive any civil penalty if the person has previously made full restitution or reimbursement or has paid actual damages to the consumers who have been injured by the violation. It shall be an affirmative defense in any action brought under this subsection (d) that the defendant has established and implemented reasonable practices and procedures to effectively prevent telephone solicitations in violation of the regulations established in this section.
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