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HR 4600 108th Congress House

Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004

Official title: To amend section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 to clarify the prohibition on junk fax transmissions.

Introduced: June 16, 2004 See on congress.gov
Science, Technology, Communications Administrative procedureAdvertisingCollection of accountsCommerce
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This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 15 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 23, 2004
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Jul 21, 2004
Received in the Senate.
Jul 20, 2004
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Jul 20, 2004
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H6089-6091)
Jul 20, 2004
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H6089-6091)
Jul 20, 2004
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4600.
Jul 20, 2004
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6089-6093)
Jul 20, 2004
Mr. Upton moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Jul 9, 2004
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 355.
Jul 9, 2004
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 108-593.
Jun 24, 2004
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Jun 24, 2004
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Jun 16, 2004
Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
Jun 16, 2004
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Jun 16, 2004
Introduced in House
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 Latest action July 23, 2004

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on July 9, 2004. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004 - 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 advertisement: (1) is from a sender with an established business relationship with the recipient; and (2) contains a notice on its first page that the recipient may request not to be sent any future unsolicited advertisements, and that failure to comply with such request is unlawful. Requires such notice to include a domestic contact telephone and fax machine number for the recipient to transmit such a request, as well as a cost-free mechanism for sending the request.

Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide that a request not to send unsolicited advertisements complies with FCC requirements if: (1) the request identifies the recipient fax number to which the request relates; (2) the request is made to the telephone or fax number of the sender; and (3) the person making the request has not subsequently provided express invitation or permission to the sender to have such advertisements sent. Authorizes the FCC to allow tax-exempt, nonprofit professional or trade associations to send unsolicited advertisements to their members in furtherance of professional or association purposes.

Authorizes the FCC, upon determining a significant number of complaints involving unsolicited fax advertisements, to limit the duration of the existence of an "established business relationship" exemption to a period not shorter than five and not longer than seven years after the last occurrence of an action sufficient to establish such relationship.

Requires the: (1) FCC to report annually to Congress on the enforcement of the above requirements; and (2) Comptroller General to study, and report to specified congressional committees on, complaints received by the FCC concerning unsolicited advertisements sent to fax machines.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • S 2569 Related bill Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004
  • S 2603 Related bill Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004
 Bill text 4 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Cosponsors 12
All 12 Democratic 3 Republican 3
R
Moran, Jerry
Kansas · Jul 6, 2004
 R
Rogers, Mike D.
Alabama · Jul 6, 2004
 R
Wilson, Joe
South Carolina · Jul 6, 2004
Davis, Lincoln
· Jun 24, 2004
MCCARTHY, KAREN
· Jun 24, 2004
 D
Meeks, Gregory W.
New York · Jun 21, 2004
EHLERS, VERNON
· Jun 17, 2004
BARTON, JOE
· Jun 16, 2004
Burr, Richard
· Jun 16, 2004
JOHN, CHRISTOPHER
· Jun 16, 2004
 D
Markey, Edward J.
Massachusetts · Jun 16, 2004
 D
Schakowsky, Janice D.
Illinois · Jun 16, 2004
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4600: Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-4600/
MLA
"H.R. 4600: Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-4600/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4600, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-4600/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4600: Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2004](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-4600/)
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