Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh introduced a bill Tuesday that would outlaw most robocalls in the District.
Only companies that have a prior relationship with a resident would be able to use robotic messages to reach them, but the calls must include an opt out option and can’t take place between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.
This means, for example, that a doctor’s office could still contact a patient with a robotic message to remind them of an appointment. Political robotic calls, however, would be outlawed.
“I have heard repeatedly from residents who are sick and tired of receiving unsolicited robocalls,” Cheh said. “This bill would give those residents the ability to enjoy the peace and quiet of their homes.”
Robocalls have been used increasingly in political campaigns and by private interests seeking to sway the public on issues before the D.C. Council. In October, an automatic message was relayed to the city’s Republican voters, pushing them to write-in Mayor Adrian Fenty on the ballot in November’s general election. Another call, sponsored by online hotel room sellers, was unleashed in December with the message that a council bill that would tax those companies would have caused District hotel workers to lose their jobs.
