The Florida Senate

106.147  Telephone solicitation; disclosure requirements; prohibitions; exemptions; penalties.--

(1)(a)  Any telephone call supporting or opposing a candidate, elected public official, or ballot proposal must identify the persons or organizations sponsoring the call by stating either: "paid for by_____" (insert name of persons or organizations sponsoring the call) or "paid for on behalf of_____" (insert name of persons or organizations authorizing call). This paragraph does not apply to any telephone call in which both the individual making the call is not being paid and the individuals participating in the call know each other prior to the call.

(b)  Any telephone call conducted for the purpose of polling respondents concerning a candidate or elected public official which is a part of a series of like telephone calls that consists of fewer than 1,000 completed calls and averages more than 2 minutes in duration is presumed to be a political poll and not subject to the provisions of paragraph (a).

(c)  No telephone call shall state or imply that the caller represents any person or organization unless the person or organization so represented has given specific approval in writing to make such representation.

(d)  No telephone call shall state or imply that the caller represents a nonexistent person or organization.

(2)  Any telephone call, not conducted by independent expenditure, supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot proposal, requires prior written authorization by the candidate or sponsor of the ballot proposal that the call supports. A copy of such written authorization must be placed on file with the qualifying officer by the candidate or sponsor of the ballot proposal prior to the time the calls commence.

(3)(a)  Any person who willfully violates any provision of this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083

(b)  For purposes of paragraph (a), the term "person" includes any candidate; any officer of any political committee, committee of continuous existence, or political party executive committee; any officer, partner, attorney, or other representative of a corporation, partnership, or other business entity; and any agent or other person acting on behalf of any candidate, political committee, committee of continuous existence, political party executive committee, or corporation, partnership, or other business entity.

History.--s. 18, ch. 97-13.