APDU Signs on to Letter Concerning Missouri Legislation

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The Association of Public Data Users (APDU) joined the Marketing Research Association (MRA) and the American Statistical Association (ASA) to express concern proposed legislation in the Missouri House of Representatives. A proposed bill by Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick (R-158), H.B. 1485, could increase the cost of Missouri state government agencies’ research efforts and jeopardize the representativeness and reliability of that research.

The letter states that “H.B. 1485 would expand the definition of ‘telephone solicitation’ in RSMo Section 407.1095, such that telephone calls, faxes, and text messages for the purpose of ‘participation in informational surveys by any state agency or party acting on behalf of a state agency’ would be treated the same as telemarketing, and subjected to the restrictions of the state do not call registry.

“State agencies conducting survey research would be driven by H.B. 1485 to spend significantly more tax dollars in order to reach respondents whom they used to be able to reach by phone, but would now have to seek out by more time-consuming (and thus expensive) means, such as in-person visits.”

Read the full letter sent by APDU, MRA, and ASA to the office of Rep. Fitzpatrick.