HB 2372 -- Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail

Sponsor:  Harris (23)

This bill changes the laws regarding electronic mail
transmissions.  In its main provisions, the bill:

(1)  Prohibits any person from falsifying or forging electronic
mail transmission information or other routing information for
unsolicited commercial electronic mail or knowingly selling or
otherwise transferring software used for falsifying or forging
electronic mail information.  Anyone violating these provisions
will be guilty of a class A misdemeanor;

(2)  Creates the crime of aggravated fraudulent transmission of
unsolicited commercial electronic mail messages.  A person will
be guilty of a class C felony if he or she sends a certain
specified volume of unauthorized messages in a specified period
of time or makes certain specified profits from the messages;

(3)  Prohibits any person from knowingly hiring a minor to assist
with any electronic mail crime specified in the bill.  Anyone
violating this provision will be guilty of a class C felony;

(4)  Allows the Attorney General or any private electronic mail
service provider to bring a civil action seeking injunctive or
monetary relief.  The types of monetary damages available are
specified in the bill;

(5)  Specifies that certain types of equipment and software used
in violation of the provisions of the bill are subject to seizure
and forfeiture; and

(6)  Requires individuals sending unsolicited commercial
electronic mail to provide a procedure for removing recipients
upon request and blocking future electronic mailings.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:12 pm