HOUSE COMMITEE ON

BUSINESS, LABOR, AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS

January 17, 2003 Hearing Room E

8:30 AM Tape 1-2

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Betsy Close, Chair

Rep. Derrick Kitts, Vice-Chair

Rep. Dianne Rosenbaum, Vice-Chair

Rep. Mary Gallegos

Rep. Bill Garrard

Rep. Jeff Merkley

Rep. Mike Schaufler

STAFF PRESENT: Jim Stembridge, Committee Administrator

Pam Cox, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: Organizational Meeting

Adopt Committee Rules

Informational Meeting

Consumer Complaints

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

	TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
	TAPE 1, A
005		Chair Close		Calls meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. Opens organizational meeting.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
024		Chair Close		Introduces committee members and staff.
025		Jim Stembridge		Committee Administrator. Explains staff organization and procedures.
040		Chair Close		Discusses committee meeting instructions, times, quorum and committee rules (EXHIBIT A).
076		Rep. Merkley		Asks about Rule 13 regarding the 48 hour notice.
086		Stembridge		Clarifies moving amendments and waving the rule.
113		Rep. Kitts		MOTION: Moves to ADOPT the proposed Committee Rules
				VOTE: 7-0
		Chair Close		Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
114		Chair Close		Closes organizational meeting and opens informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING Consumer Complaints
129		Cheryl A. Pellegrini		Department of Justice. Describes the Consumer Complaint Hot Line.
197		Pellegrini		Explains the number of complaints and introduces the Slamming Bill.
204		Chair Close		Asks for explanation of Bill.
206		Pellegrini		Explains.
217		Chair. Close		Asks for clarification on what is meant by telephone spamming.
218		Pellegrini		Explains.
223		Chair Close		Asks about the percentage of complaints received.
245		Pellegrini		Explains telephone slamming and SB 120.
252		Chair Close		Asks if the provider has to have a written or oral agreement.
254		Pellegrini		Responds.
335		Rep Kitts		Asks for explanation of the Nigerian money transfer scheme.
342		Rep. Gallegos		Asks for the actual number of people complaining.
360		Pellegrini		Answers about 400 people.
TAPE 2, A
005		Pellegrini		Describes advertising agents known as fax blasters, spam complaints.
040		Chair Close		Asks for suggestions concerning solution to SB 121.
050		Pellegrini		Answers.
053		Rep. Garrard		Asks about proportions of each state with regards to population.
059		Pellegrini		Answers.
077		Rep. Gallegos		Asks about technology to help recover funds.
099		Rep. Schaufler		Asks for written information.
102		Pellegrini		Offers to return with additional information.
107		Rep. Schaufler		Asks about committee workload.
123		Rep. Rosenbaum		Asks about sharing complaints with other agencies, and how this is coordinated.
120		Pellegrini		Answers.
147		Rep. Rosenbaum		Asks about connection between this process and class action litigation.
166		Pellegrini		Answers.
215		Rep. Schaufler		Asks about the funding and impact of Measure 28.
220		Pellegrini		Explains funding and the impact of the measure.
256		Rep. Schaufler		Asks question regarding staff cuts.
257		Pellegrini		Explains.
296		Rep. Merkley		Asks for clarification of identify theft and whether credit bureaus notify consumers.
303		Pellegrini		Gives explanation of flagging accounts.
318		Rep. Gallegos		Asks about solutions for consumers from the Task Force Committee.
323		Pellegrini		Explains how her agency is a victim’s assistance program.
345		Chair Close		Closes informational meeting. Adjourns the committee at 9:30 a.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Committee Rules, Jim Stembridge, 2 pp

B - Consumer Protection, Fast Facts, Cheryl. Pellegrini, 4 pp