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Pennsylvania’s New Telemarketing Law: Five Steps Businesses Should Take Before It Takes Effect in 90 Days
On July 20, 2026, Senate Bill 992 (Act 47 of 2026) became law.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Organizations should consult qualified legal counsel regarding the application of Pennsylvania SB992 Act 47 of 2026 to their specific business practices.
On July 20, 2026, Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 992 (Act 47 of 2026) into law, representing the most significant update to Pennsylvania’s Telemarketer Registration Act in decades. The law becomes effective on October 18, 2026, 90 days after enactment, giving businesses a limited window to evaluate their compliance programs before the new requirements take effect.
Pennsylvania’s new law modernizes the state’s telemarketing framework to better align with today’s communication methods. It expands the law to cover telemarketing calls, text messages, and robocalls, updated registration requirements, clarifying how consent-based communications are treated, standardizing the SMS opt-out processes, and strengthening consumer protections.
For businesses that market to Pennsylvania consumers by telephone or text message, now is the time to prepare.
Key Business Impacts
One of the most notable aspects of the final law is its recognition of Prior Express Written Consent (PEWC). Businesses that obtain and maintain valid written consent have greater clarity regarding how consent-based communications are treated under Pennsylvania’s updated telemarketing law. This reinforces a simple but critical principle: obtaining consent is only part of the compliance equation and being able to demonstrate it is equally important.
The law also recognizes existing business relationships (EBRs), providing important clarity for businesses communicating with current customers. Organizations should still review their communication practices to ensure they comply with both Pennsylvania and federal requirements.
As text messaging continues to expand as a customer engagement channel, the law also reinforces the importance of standardized consumer opt-out processing. Businesses should confirm their messaging platforms consistently recognize keywords specified by the statute or applicable regulations and process SMS opt-out requests while maintaining accurate suppression records across all systems.
Finally, the law continues Pennsylvania’s focus on caller transparency by addressing caller identification practices and deceptive calling activity. Businesses should review outbound calling practices to ensure caller ID information accurately represents the calling party and supports consumer trust.
Five Actions to Take Now
With the effective date approaching, businesses should use this implementation period to strengthen their compliance programs.
- Review your Pennsylvania registration obligations. Determine whether your business or any third-party vendors acting on your behalf must register under the revised law.
- Audit your consent records. Verify that consent documentation is complete, accessible, and capable of supporting regulatory inquiries or litigation.
- Evaluate SMS opt-out processes. Confirm that STOP requests are processed promptly, applied consistently across systems, and retained in your compliance records.
- Assess vendor compliance. Contact centers, lead providers, dialing platforms, and marketing partners should understand and comply with Pennsylvania’s updated requirements.
- Strengthen your enterprise governance. Review policies governing consent management, revocation processing, caller identification, record retention, and ongoing compliance monitoring.
Looking Beyond Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania joins a growing list of states updating telemarketing laws to address evolving technologies and consumer expectations. While each state’s requirements differ, the overall trend is clear: compliance is becoming increasingly operational.
Businesses need more than written policies. They need centralized processes, accurate data, effective consent management, reliable opt-out handling, and documented compliance that can withstand regulatory scrutiny.
Businesses that proactively review their programs today will be better positioned not only for Pennsylvania’s new requirements but also for the continued evolution of state telemarketing laws nationwide.
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