[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 877 Introduced in Senate (IS)]


108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 877

 To regulate interstate commerce by imposing limitations and penalties 
 on the transmission of unsolicited commercial electronic mail via the 
                               Internet.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 10, 2003

Mr. Burns (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Thomas, 
Ms. Landrieu, and Mr. Schumer) introduced the following bill; which was 
  read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To regulate interstate commerce by imposing limitations and penalties 
 on the transmission of unsolicited commercial electronic mail via the 
                               Internet.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Controlling the Assault of Non-
Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003'', or the ``CAN-SPAM 
Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND POLICY.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) There is a right of free speech on the Internet.
            (2) The Internet has increasingly become a critical mode of 
        global communication and now presents unprecedented 
        opportunities for the development and growth of global commerce 
        and an integrated worldwide economy.
            (3) In order for global commerce on the Internet to reach 
        its full potential, individuals and entities using the Internet 
        and other online services should be prevented from engaging in 
        activities that prevent other users and Internet service 
        providers from having a reasonably predictable, efficient, and 
        economical online experience.
            (4) Unsolicited commercial electronic mail can be a 
        mechanism through which businesses advertise and attract 
        customers in the online environment.
            (5) The receipt of unsolicited commercial electronic mail 
        may result in costs to recipients who cannot refuse to accept 
        such mail and who incur costs for the storage of such mail, or 
        for the time spent accessing, reviewing, and discarding such 
        mail, or for both.
            (6) Unsolicited commercial electronic mail may impose 
        significant monetary costs on providers of Internet access 
        services, businesses, and educational and nonprofit 
        institutions that carry and receive such mail, as there is a 
        finite volume of mail that such providers, businesses, and 
        institutions can handle without further investment in 
        infrastructure.
            (7) Some unsolicited commercial electronic mail contains 
        material that many recipients may consider vulgar or 
        pornographic in nature.
            (8) While some senders of unsolicited commercial electronic 
        mail messages provide simple and reliable ways for recipients 
        to reject (or ``opt-out'' of) receipt of unsolicited commercial 
        electronic mail from such senders in the future, other senders 
        provide no such ``opt-out'' mechanism, or refuse to honor the 
        requests of recipients not to receive electronic mail from such 
        senders in the future, or both.
            (9) An increasing number of senders of unsolicited 
        commercial electronic mail purposefully disguise the source of 
        such mail so as to prevent recipients from responding to such 
        mail quickly and easily.
            (10) An increasing number of senders of unsolicited 
        commercial electronic mail purposefully include misleading 
        information in the message's subject lines in order to induce 
        the recipients to view the messages.
            (11) In legislating against certain abuses on the Internet, 
        Congress should be very careful to avoid infringing in any way 
        upon constitutionally protected rights, including the rights of 
        assembly, free speech, and privacy.
    (b) Congressional Determination of Public Policy.--On the basis of 
the findings in subsection (a), the Congress determines that--
            (1) there is a substantial government interest in 
        regulation of unsolicited commercial electronic mail;
            (2) senders of unsolicited commercial electronic mail 
        should not mislead recipients as to the source or content of 
        such mail; and
            (3) recipients of unsolicited commercial electronic mail 
        have a right to decline to receive additional unsolicited 
        commercial electronic mail from the same source.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Affirmative consent.--The term ``affirmative consent'', 
        when used with respect to a commercial electronic mail message, 
        means that the recipient has expressly consented to receive the 
        message, either in response to a clear and conspicuous request 
        for such consent or at the recipient's own initiative.
            (2) Commercial electronic mail message.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``commercial electronic 
                mail message'' means any electronic mail message the 
                primary purpose of which is the commercial 
                advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or 
                service (including content on an Internet website 
                operated for a commercial purpose).
                    (B) Reference to company or website.--The inclusion 
                of a reference to a commercial entity or a link to the 
                website of a commercial entity in an electronic mail 
                message does not, by itself, cause such message to be 
                treated as a commercial electronic mail message for 
                purposes of this Act if the contents or circumstances 
                of the message indicate a primary purpose other than 
                commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial 
                product or service.
            (3) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Trade Commission.
            (4) Domain name.--The term ``domain name'' means any 
        alphanumeric designation which is registered with or assigned 
        by any domain name registrar, domain name registry, or other 
        domain name registration authority as part of an electronic 
        address on the Internet.
            (5) Electronic mail address.--The term ``electronic mail 
        address'' means a destination, commonly expressed as a string 
        of characters, consisting of a unique user name or mailbox 
        (commonly referred to as the ``local part'') and a reference to 
        an Internet domain (commonly referred to as the ``domain 
        part''), to which an electronic mail message can be sent or 
        delivered.
            (6) Electronic mail message.--The term ``electronic mail 
        message'' means a message sent to an electronic mail address.
            (7) FTC act.--The term ``FTC Act'' means the Federal Trade 
        Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.).
            (8) Header information.--The term ``header information'' 
        means the source, destination, and routing information attached 
        to an electronic mail message, including the originating domain 
        name and originating electronic mail address.
            (9) Implied consent.--The term ``implied consent'', when 
        used with respect to a commercial electronic mail message, 
        means that--
                    (A) within the 3-year period ending upon receipt of 
                such message, there has been a business transaction 
                between the sender and the recipient (including a 
                transaction involving the provision, free of charge, of 
                information, goods, or services requested by the 
                recipient); and
                    (B) the recipient was, at the time of such 
                transaction or thereafter in the first electronic mail 
                message received from the sender after the effective 
                date of this Act, provided a clear and conspicuous 
                notice of an opportunity not to receive unsolicited 
                commercial electronic mail messages from the sender and 
                has not exercised such opportunity.
        If a sender operates through separate lines of business or 
        divisions and holds itself out to the recipient, both at the 
        time of the transaction described in subparagraph (A) and at 
        the time the notice under subparagraph (B) was provided to the 
        recipient, as that particular line of business or division 
        rather than as the entity of which such line of business or 
        division is a part, then the line of business or the division 
        shall be treated as the sender for purposes of this paragraph.
            (10) Initiate.--The term ``initiate'', when used with 
        respect to a commercial electronic mail message, means to 
        originate such message or to procure the origination of such 
        message, but shall not include actions that constitute routine 
        conveyance of such message.
            (11) Internet.--The term ``Internet'' has the meaning given 
        that term in the Internet Tax Freedom Act (47 U.S.C. 151 nt).
            (12) Internet access service.--The term ``Internet access 
        service'' has the meaning given that term in section 231(e)(4) 
        of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 231(e)(4)).
            (13) Protected computer.--The term ``protected computer'' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 1030(e)(2) of title 
        18, United States Code.
            (14) Recipient.--The term ``recipient'', when used with 
        respect to a commercial electronic mail message, means an 
        authorized user of the electronic mail address to which the 
        message was sent or delivered. If a recipient of a commercial 
        electronic mail message has 1 or more electronic mail addresses 
        in addition to the address to which the message was sent or 
        delivered, the recipient shall be treated as a separate 
        recipient with respect to each such address. If an electronic 
        mail address is reassigned to a new user, the new user shall 
        not be treated as a recipient of any commercial electronic mail 
        message sent or delivered to that address before it was 
        reassigned.
            (15) Routine conveyance.--The term ``routine conveyance'' 
        means the transmission, routing, relaying, handling, or 
        storing, through an automatic technical process, of an 
        electronic mail message for which another person has provided 
        and selected the recipient addresses.
            (16) Sender.--The term ``sender'', when used with respect 
        to a commercial electronic mail message, means a person who 
        initiates such a message and whose product, service, or 
        Internet web site is advertised or promoted by the message.
            (17) Transactional or relationship messages.--The term 
        ``transactional or relationship message'' means an electronic 
        mail message the primary purpose of which is to facilitate, 
        complete, confirm, provide, or request information concerning--
                    (A) a commercial transaction that the recipient has 
                previously agreed to enter into with the sender;
                    (B) an existing commercial relationship, formed 
                with or without an exchange of consideration, involving 
                the ongoing purchase or use by the recipient of 
                products or services offered by the sender; or
                    (C) an existing employment relationship or related 
                benefit plan.
            (18) Unsolicited commercial electronic mail message.--The 
        term ``unsolicited commercial electronic mail message'' means 
        any commercial electronic mail message that--
                    (A) is not a transactional or relationship message; 
                and
                    (B) is sent to a recipient without the recipient's 
                prior affirmative or implied consent.

SEC. 4. CRIMINAL PENALTY FOR UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL ELECTRONIC MAIL 
              CONTAINING FRAUDULENT ROUTING INFORMATION.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 63 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec.  1351. Unsolicited commercial electronic mail containing 
              fraudulent transmission information
    ``(a) In General.--Any person who initiates the transmission, to a 
protected computer in the United States, of an unsolicited commercial 
electronic mail message, with knowledge and intent that the message 
contains or is accompanied by header information that is materially 
false or materially misleading shall be fined or imprisoned for not 
more than 1 year, or both, under this title. For purposes of this 
subsection, header information that is technically accurate but 
includes an originating electronic mail address the access to which for 
purposes of initiating the message was obtained by means of false or 
fraudulent pretenses or representations shall be considered materially 
misleading.
    ``(b) Definitions.--Any term used in subsection (a) that is defined 
in section 3 of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 has the meaning given it in 
that section.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The chapter analysis for chapter 63 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``1351. Unsolicited commercial electronic mail containing fraudulent 
                            routing information''.

SEC. 5. OTHER PROTECTIONS AGAINST UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL ELECTRONIC 
              MAIL.

    (a) Requirements for Transmission of Messages.--
            (1) Prohibition of false or misleading transmission 
        information.--It is unlawful for any person to initiate the 
        transmission, to a protected computer, of a commercial 
        electronic mail message that contains, or is accompanied by, 
        header information that is materially or intentionally false or 
        materially or intentionally misleading. For purposes of this 
        paragraph, header information that is technically accurate but 
        includes an originating electronic mail address the access to 
        which for purposes of initiating the message was obtained by 
        means of false or fraudulent pretenses or representations shall 
        be considered materially misleading.
            (2) Prohibition of deceptive subject headings.--It is 
        unlawful for any person to initiate the transmission to a 
        protected computer of a commercial electronic mail message with 
        a subject heading that such person knows would be likely to 
        mislead a recipient, acting reasonably under the circumstances, 
        about a material fact regarding the contents or subject matter 
        of the message.
            (3) Inclusion of return address or comparable mechanism in 
        unsolicited commercial electronic mail.--
                    (A) In general.--It is unlawful for any person to 
                initiate the transmission to a protected computer of an 
                unsolicited commercial electronic mail message that 
                does not contain a functioning return electronic mail 
                address or other Internet-based mechanism, clearly and 
                conspicuously displayed, that--
                            (i) a recipient may use to submit, in a 
                        manner specified by the sender, a reply 
                        electronic mail message or other form of 
                        Internet-based communication requesting not to 
                        receive any future unsolicited commercial 
                        electronic mail messages from that sender at 
                        the electronic mail address where the message 
                        was received; and
                            (ii) remains capable of receiving such 
                        messages or communications for no less than 30 
                        days after the transmission of the original 
                        message.
                    (B) More detailed options possible.--The sender of 
                an unsolicited commercial electronic mail message may 
                comply with subparagraph (A)(i) by providing the 
                recipient a list or menu from which the recipient may 
                choose the specific types of commercial electronic mail 
                messages the recipient wants to receive or does not 
                want to receive from the sender, if the list or menu 
                includes an option under which the recipient may choose 
                not to receive any unsolicited commercial electronic 
                mail messages from the sender.
                    (C) Temporary inability to receive messages or 
                process requests.--A return electronic mail address or 
                other mechanism does not fail to satisfy the 
                requirements of subparagraph (A) if it is unexpectedly 
                and temporarily unable to receive messages or process 
                requests due to technical or capacity problems, if the 
                problem with receiving messages or processing requests 
                is corrected within a reasonable time period.
            (4) Prohibition of transmission of unsolicited commercial 
        electronic mail after objection.--If a recipient makes a 
        request to a sender, using a mechanism provided pursuant to 
        paragraph (3), not to receive some or any unsolicited 
        commercial electronic mail messages from such sender, then it 
        is unlawful--
                    (A) for the sender to initiate the transmission to 
                the recipient, more than 10 business days after the 
                receipt of such request, of an unsolicited commercial 
                electronic mail message that falls within the scope of 
                the request;
                    (B) for any person acting on behalf of the sender 
                to initiate the transmission to the recipient, more 
                than 10 business days after the receipt of such 
                request, of an unsolicited commercial electronic mail 
                message that such person knows or consciously avoids 
                knowing falls within the scope of the request; or
                    (C) for any person acting on behalf of the sender 
                to assist in initiating the transmission to the 
                recipient, through the provision or selection of 
                addresses to which the message will be sent, of an 
                unsolicited commercial electronic mail message that the 
                person knows, or consciously avoids knowing, would 
                violate subparagraph (A) or (B).
            (5) Inclusion of identifier, opt-out, and physical address 
        in unsolicited commercial electronic mail.--It is unlawful for 
        any person to initiate the transmission of any unsolicited 
        commercial electronic mail message to a protected computer 
        unless the message provides--
                    (A) clear and conspicuous identification that the 
                message is an advertisement or solicitation;
                    (B) clear and conspicuous notice of the opportunity 
                under paragraph (3) to decline to receive further 
                unsolicited commercial electronic mail messages from 
                the sender; and
                    (C) a valid physical postal address of the sender.
    (b) Prohibition of Transmission of Unlawful Unsolicited Commercial 
Electronic Mail to Certain Harvested Electronic Mail Addresses.--
            (1) In general.--It is unlawful for any person to initiate 
        the transmission, to a protected computer, of an unsolicited 
        commercial electronic mail message that is unlawful under 
        subsection (a), or to assist in the origination of such a 
        message through the provision or selection of addresses to 
        which the message will be sent, if such person knows that, or 
        acts with reckless disregard as to whether--
                    (A) the electronic mail address of the recipient 
                was obtained, using an automated means, from an 
                Internet website or proprietary online service operated 
                by another person; or
                    (B) the website or proprietary online service from 
                which the address was obtained included, at the time 
                the address was obtained, a notice stating that the 
                operator of such a website or proprietary online 
                service will not give, sell, or otherwise transfer 
                addresses maintained by such site or service to any 
                other party for the purpose of initiating, or enabling 
                others to initiate, unsolicited electronic mail 
                messages.
            (2) Disclaimer.--Nothing in this subsection creates an 
        ownership or proprietary interest in such electronic mail 
        addresses.
    (c) Compliance Procedures.--An action for violation of paragraph 
(2), (3), (4), or (5) of subsection (a) may not proceed if the person 
against whom the action is brought demonstrates that--
            (1) the person has established and implemented, with due 
        care, reasonable practices and procedures to effectively 
        prevent violations of such paragraph; and
            (2) the violation occurred despite good faith efforts to 
        maintain compliance with such practices and procedures.

SEC. 6. ENFORCEMENT BY FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION.

    (a) Violation Is Unfair or Deceptive Act or Practice.--Except as 
provided in subsection (b), this Act shall be enforced by the 
Commission as if the violation of this Act were an unfair or deceptive 
act or practice proscribed under section 18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal 
Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)).
    (b) Enforcement by Certain Other Agencies.--Compliance with this 
Act shall be enforced--
            (1) under section 8 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act 
        (12 U.S.C. 1818), in the case of--
                    (A) national banks, and Federal branches and 
                Federal agencies of foreign banks, and any subsidiaries 
                of such entities (except brokers, dealers, persons 
                providing insurance, investment companies, and 
                investment advisers), by the Office of the Comptroller 
                of the Currency;
                    (B) member banks of the Federal Reserve System 
                (other than national banks), branches and agencies of 
                foreign banks (other than Federal branches, Federal 
                agencies, and insured State branches of foreign banks), 
                commercial lending companies owned or controlled by 
                foreign banks, organizations operating under section 25 
                or 25A of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 601 and 
                611), and bank holding companies and their nonbank 
                subsidiaries or affiliates (except brokers, dealers, 
                persons providing insurance, investment companies, and 
                investment advisers), by the Board;
                    (C) banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance 
                Corporation (other than members of the Federal Reserve 
                System) insured State branches of foreign banks, and 
                any subsidiaries of such entities (except brokers, 
                dealers, persons providing insurance, investment 
                companies, and investment advisers), by the Board of 
                Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; 
                and
                    (D) savings associations the deposits of which are 
                insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 
                and any subsidiaries of such savings associations 
                (except brokers, dealers, persons providing insurance, 
                investment companies, and investment advisers), by the 
                Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision;
            (2) under the Federal Credit Union Act (12 U.S.C. 1751 et 
        seq.) by the Board of the National Credit Union Administration 
        with respect to any Federally insured credit union, and any 
        subsidiaries of such a credit union;
            (3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 
        78a et seq.) by the Securities and Exchange Commission with 
        respect to any broker or dealer;
            (4) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 
        80a-1 et seq.) by the Securities and Exchange Commission with 
        respect to investment companies;
            (5) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 
        80b-1 et seq.) by the Securities and Exchange Commission with 
        respect to investment advisers registered under that Act;
            (6) under State insurance law in the case of any person 
        engaged in providing insurance, by the applicable State 
        insurance authority of the State in which the person is 
        domiciled, subject to section 104 of the Gramm-Bliley-Leach Act 
        (15 U.S.C. 6701);
            (7) under part A of subtitle VII of title 49, United States 
        Code, by the Secretary of Transportation with respect to any 
        air carrier or foreign air carrier subject to that part;
            (8) under the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 
        181 et seq.) (except as provided in section 406 of that Act (7 
        U.S.C. 226, 227)), by the Secretary of Agriculture with respect 
        to any activities subject to that Act;
            (9) under the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2001 et 
        seq.) by the Farm Credit Administration with respect to any 
        Federal land bank, Federal land bank association, Federal 
        intermediate credit bank, or production credit association; and
            (10) under the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et 
        seq.) by the Federal Communications Commission with respect to 
        any person subject to the provisions of that Act.
    (c) Exercise of Certain Powers.--For the purpose of the exercise by 
any agency referred to in subsection (b) of its powers under any Act 
referred to in that subsection, a violation of this Act is deemed to be 
a violation of a requirement imposed under that Act. In addition to its 
powers under any provision of law specifically referred to in 
subsection (b), each of the agencies referred to in that subsection may 
exercise, for the purpose of enforcing compliance with any requirement 
imposed under this Act, any other authority conferred on it by law.
    (d) Actions by the Commission.--The Commission shall prevent any 
person from violating this Act in the same manner, by the same means, 
and with the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though all 
applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 
U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into and made a part of this Act. 
Any entity that violates any provision of that subtitle is subject to 
the penalties and entitled to the privileges and immunities provided in 
the Federal Trade Commission Act in the same manner, by the same means, 
and with the same jurisdiction, power, and duties as though all 
applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act 
were incorporated into and made a part of that subtitle.
    (e) Enforcement by States.--
            (1) Civil action.--In any case in which the attorney 
        general of a State has reason to believe that an interest of 
        the residents of that State has been or is threatened or 
        adversely affected by any person engaging in a practice that 
        violates section 5 of this Act, the State, as parens patriae, 
        may bring a civil action on behalf of the residents of the 
        State in a district court of the United States of appropriate 
        jurisdiction or in any other court of competent jurisdiction--
                    (A) to enjoin further violation of section 5 of 
                this Act by the defendant; or
                    (B) to obtain damages on behalf of residents of the 
                State, in an amount equal to the greater of--
                            (i) the actual monetary loss suffered by 
                        such residents; or
                            (ii) the amount determined under paragraph 
                        (2).
            (2) Statutory damages.--
                    (A) In general.--For purposes of paragraph 
                (1)(B)(ii), the amount determined under this paragraph 
                is the amount calculated by multiplying the number of 
                willful, knowing, or negligent violations by an amount, 
                in the discretion of the court, of up to $10 (with each 
                separately addressed unlawful message received by such 
                residents treated as a separate violation). In 
                determining the per-violation penalty under this 
                subparagraph, the court shall take into account the 
                degree of culpability, any history of prior such 
                conduct, ability to pay, the extent of economic gain 
                resulting from the violation, and such other matters as 
                justice may require.
                    (B) Limitation.--For any violation of section 5 
                (other than section 5(a)(1)), the amount determined 
                under subparagraph (A) may not exceed $500,000, except 
                that if the court finds that the defendant committed 
                the violation willfully and knowingly, the court may 
                increase the limitation established by this paragraph 
                from $500,000 to an amount not to exceed $1,500,000.
            (3) Attorney fees.--In the case of any successful action 
        under paragraph (1), the State shall be awarded the costs of 
        the action and reasonable attorney fees as determined by the 
        court.
            (4) Rights of federal regulators.--The State shall serve 
        prior written notice of any action under paragraph (1) upon the 
        Federal Trade Commission or the appropriate Federal regulator 
        determined under subsection (b) and provide the Commission or 
        appropriate Federal regulator with a copy of its complaint, 
        except in any case in which such prior notice is not feasible, 
        in which case the State shall serve such notice immediately 
        upon instituting such action. The Federal Trade Commission or 
        appropriate Federal regulator shall have the right--
                    (A) to intervene in the action;
                    (B) upon so intervening, to be heard on all matters 
                arising therein;
                    (C) to remove the action to the appropriate United 
                States district court; and
                    (D) to file petitions for appeal.
            (5) Construction.--For purposes of bringing any civil 
        action under paragraph (1), nothing in this Act shall be 
        construed to prevent an attorney general of a State from 
        exercising the powers conferred on the attorney general by the 
        laws of that State to--
                    (A) conduct investigations;
                    (B) administer oaths or affirmations; or
                    (C) compel the attendance of witnesses or the 
                production of documentary and other evidence.
            (6) Venue; service of process.--
                    (A) Venue.--Any action brought under paragraph (1) 
                may be brought in the district court of the United 
                States that meets applicable requirements relating to 
                venue under section 1391 of title 28, United States 
                Code.
                    (B) Service of process.--In an action brought under 
                paragraph (1), process may be served in any district in 
                which the defendant--
                            (i) is an inhabitant; or
                            (ii) maintains a physical place of 
                        business.
            (7) Limitation on state action while federal action is 
        pending.--If the Commission or other appropriate Federal agency 
        under subsection (b) has instituted a civil action or an 
        administrative action for violation of this Act, no State 
        attorney general may bring an action under this subsection 
        during the pendency of that action against any defendant named 
        in the complaint of the Commission or the other agency for any 
        violation of this Act alleged in the complaint.
    (f) Action by Provider of Internet Access Service.--
            (1) Action authorized.--A provider of Internet access 
        service adversely affected by a violation of section 5 may 
        bring a civil action in any district court of the United States 
        with jurisdiction over the defendant, or in any other court of 
        competent jurisdiction, to--
                    (A) enjoin further violation by the defendant; or
                    (B) recover damages in an amount equal to the 
                greater of--
                            (i) actual monetary loss incurred by the 
                        provider of Internet access service as a result 
                        of such violation; or
                            (ii) the amount determined under paragraph 
                        (2).
            (2) Statutory damages.--
                    (A) In general.--For purposes of paragraph 
                (1)(B)(ii), the amount determined under this paragraph 
                is the amount calculated by multiplying the number of 
                willful, knowing, or negligent violations by an amount, 
                in the discretion of the court, of up to $10 (with each 
                separately addressed unlawful message carried over the 
                facilities of the provider of Internet access service 
                or sent to an electronic mail address obtained from the 
                provider of Internet access service in violation of 
                section 5(b) treated as a separate violation). In 
                determining the per-violation penalty under this 
                subparagraph, the court shall take into account the 
                degree of culpability, any history of prior such 
                conduct, ability to pay, the extent of economic gain 
                resulting from the violation, and such other matters as 
                justice may require.
                    (B) Limitation.--For any violation of section 5 
                (other than section 5(a)(1)), the amount determined 
                under subparagraph (A) may not exceed $500,000, except 
                that if the court finds that the defendant committed 
                the violation willfully and knowingly, the court may 
                increase the limitation established by this paragraph 
                from $500,000 to an amount not to exceed $1,500,000.
            (3) Attorney fees.--In any action brought pursuant to 
        paragraph (1), the court may, in its discretion, require an 
        undertaking for the payment of the costs of such action, and 
        assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, 
        against any party.

SEC. 7. EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.

    (a) Federal Law.--
            (1) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to impair the 
        enforcement of section 223 or 231 of the Communications Act of 
        1934 (47 U.S.C. 223 or 231, respectively), chapter 71 (relating 
        to obscenity) or 110 (relating to sexual exploitation of 
        children) of title 18, United States Code, or any other Federal 
        criminal statute.
            (2) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect in any 
        way the Commission's authority to bring enforcement actions 
        under FTC Act for materially false or deceptive representations 
        in commercial electronic mail messages.
    (b) State Law.--
            (1) In general.--This Act supersedes any State or local 
        government statute, regulation, or rule regulating the use of 
        electronic mail to send commercial messages.
            (2) Exceptions.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), this 
        Act does not supersede or pre-empt--
                    (A) State trespass, contract, or tort law or any 
                civil action thereunder; or
                    (B) any provision of Federal, State, or local 
                criminal law or any civil remedy available under such 
                law that relates to acts of fraud or theft perpetrated 
                by means of the unauthorized transmission of commercial 
                electronic mail messages.
            (3) Limitation on exceptions.--Paragraph (2) does not apply 
        to a State or local government statute, regulation, or rule 
        that directly regulates unsolicited commercial electronic mail 
        and that treats the mere sending of unsolicited commercial 
        electronic mail in a manner that complies with this Act as 
        sufficient to constitute a violation of such statute, 
        regulation, or rule or to create a cause of action thereunder.
    (c) No Effect on Policies of Providers of Internet Access 
Service.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to have any effect on 
the lawfulness or unlawfulness, under any other provision of law, of 
the adoption, implementation, or enforcement by a provider of Internet 
access service of a policy of declining to transmit, route, relay, 
handle, or store certain types of electronic mail messages.

SEC. 8. STUDY OF EFFECTS OF UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL ELECTRONIC MAIL.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 24 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the 
Department of Justice and other appropriate agencies, shall submit a 
report to the Congress that provides a detailed analysis of the 
effectiveness and enforcement of the provisions of this Act and the 
need (if any) for the Congress to modify such provisions.
    (b) Required Analysis.--The Commission shall include in the report 
required by subsection (a) an analysis of the extent to which 
technological and marketplace developments, including changes in the 
nature of the devices through which consumers access their electronic 
mail messages, may affect the practicality and effectiveness of the 
provisions of this Act.

SEC. 9. SEPARABILITY.

    If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to any 
person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this Act and 
the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances 
shall not be affected.

SEC. 10. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The provisions of this Act shall take effect 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>