Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, July 18, 2000

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Jill Homan July 18, 2000 202/225-3061 Congressman Bob Ehrlich Votes to Ban Unsolicited E-mail or “Spam” WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. voted today to ban unsolicited commercial electronic (UCE) mail messages or “spam” that often plague Maryland residents. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 31 13, the Unsolicited Electronic Mail Act of 2000, to prohibit the transmission of UCE mail messages unless the initiator of that message provides a valid return electronic mail address and provides the recipient of such messages the opportunity not receive future mailings. Congressman Ehrlich stated, “The information highway should be free of the gridlock brought on by unsolicited e-mails or spam. As a co-sponsor of this bill, I am pleased with the balance struck between protecting consumers and preserving legitimate First Amendment rights. This legislation will help clear the way of the overwhelming volume of this unsolicited and annoying email.” H.R. 3113 also allows Internet Service Providers (ISP) to enforce their own policy against spam messages. Spammers can be held liable in federal court for $500 per message in damages. Ш (