'Seinfeld Bill' Requiring Telemarketers To Disclose More Info Is Now Law In NJ

NEW JERSEY — Telemarketers now have to disclose their name, address, and telephone number of who they represent when they call New Jersey residents, and limit the hours in which they call.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bicameral bill Tuesday in an effort to crack down on telemarketers who call New Jersey residents at all hours of the day, and sometimes target senior citizens for scam calls.

Legislators called this new law the "Seinfeld Bill" based on a scene from the sitcom in which main character Jerry is irritated by a telemarketer who won't disclose his home phone number.

“I am proud to sign the ‘Seinfeld Bill’ and to establish much-needed transparency in telemarketing," Murphy said.

This law states a telemarketer cannot make any unsolicited calls to New Jersey residents between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. local time. The caller will be required to disclose the telemarketer's mailing address, the company they are representing, and any website owned/operated by the telemarketer in any subsequent written information with a customer.

Violating the bill would be a disorderly persons offense, in addition to any other penalties already written into law.

Both chambers of the legislature passed the bill (S 921/A 1545). Primary sponsors included Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-NJ-21) and Assemblymember Paul Moriarty (D-NJ-4), who both explained why they supported the bill.

“When you answer a telemarketer’s call, you should know right up front who they are and who they work for,” said Bramnick. “If they’re on the up and up, telemarketing firms should have no issue with this bill.”

This bill does not apply "to telemarketing sales calls when a customer contacts the telemarketer via phone call or website and affirmatively requests a follow-up telemarketing sales call or other contact from the telemarketer," Murphy's office said.

Moriarty noted how seniors in particular will benefit from this bill.

“There’s an overwhelming number of scams targeting seniors by phone,” he said. “This new law will clearly alert seniors that a telemarketer is seeking to sell them something and the law will provide them with a level of protection. It’s important to do what we can to protect our seniors from falling victim to scams. This may also help cut down on the overwhelming number of calls seniors receive at home.”

And, the official New Jersey Twitter account mashed up several "Seinfeld" clips in a video about the law.