WASHINGTON -- The Travel Industry Petitioners (TIP), a coalition
comprising ASTA, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the
National Tour Association, the International Council of Cruise
Lines and Cruise Lines International Association, have filed a
petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
requesting it reconsider and clarify the rules pertaining to
unsolicited faxes that were adopted by the FCC June 26 and since
postponed.
The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), which is
leading a separate coalition of 1,300 associations, is pursuing a
similar course with the FCC.
In its petition, TIP contended that the FCC's reasoning for
adopting the fax rule was largely in response to complaints from
"residential consumers, not businesses. [The] complaints do not
point to the need for a change in Commission rules ... [and] should
not impose unnecessary regulatory burdens that will impose
significant additional costs on small businesses."
On Aug. 19, the FCC, bowing to pressure from associations and
other non-profit groups, decided to push the effective date of the
fax rule to Jan. 1, 2005, rather than Aug. 25. The FCC wants
businesses to first receive permission from the recipient before
faxing them certain information.
To contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to [email protected].