State Telemarketing Update: What to Know About Changes Coming in Pennsylvania
On July 20, 2026, Senate Bill 992 was signed into law in Pennsylvania, setting forth several revisions to the state’s existing telemarketing statute.
Notable amendments include a revised definition of “telephone solicitation” to expressly include ringless voicemail and text messages. The bill also replaces a previous carveout for instances when a call was made based on an “express request” by the called party, and instead implements a more prescriptive “prior express written consent” (PEWC) standard. The definition of PEWC adopted in the bill largely aligns with the federal TCPA rules. It retains, however, a separate existing carveout for calls or texts based on an established business relationship within the past 12 months.
In addition, the bill sets forth a new definition for “robocalls” characterized broadly as “a telephone solicitation that uses an automated dialing system to deliver prerecorded or artificial voice calls or messages,” and prohibits such calls to residential, business or wireless telephone lines without PEWC of the called party, unless the call is initiated for emergency purposes or is otherwise exempt under the statute.
Other key provisions in the bill include:
- New call time restrictions that will permit “telephone solicitations” only between the hours of 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, with no such calls/texts permitted on Sundays. (PA already prohibited solicitations on holidays.)
- Reorganization of the telemarketer registration provisions, largely preserving existing exemptions, but also creating a new exemption for “[a] person or business that is not engaged in telemarketing because the calls or messages initiated by the person or business do not meet the requirements of telephone solicitation.”
- Prohibition against unfair or deceptive acts or practices to obtain consent.
- Prohibition against the use of “any technology or any synthetic or computer-generated messaging to defraud, deceive or mislead” a subscriber.
Monetary penalties for violations (up to $1,000 per call, or up to $3,000 if the called party is 60 or older) remain unchanged. However, the bill deletes a separate provision that previously authorized the Office of the Attorney General to revoke a telemarketer’s registration or right to conduct telemarketing in Pennsylvania based on multiple violations of the statute.
The changes to Pennsylvania’s law will become effective on October 18, 2026. In the interim, businesses that place outbound calls to recipients in Pennsylvania should examine current practices and consult with counsel about whether any changes will be needed to ensure compliance with Pennsylvania’s amended law.