Assisting Chairman Tauzin in reaching a sweeping anti-SPAM agreement were House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member John Dingell (D-MI), Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT), Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rep. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM).

"For the first time during the Internet-era, American consumers will have the ability to say no to SPAM. What's more, parents will be able to breath easier knowing that they have the ability to prevent pornographic SPAM from reaching defenseless, unsuspecting children," said Chairman Tauzin. "Although the Internet has given us abilities beyond our wildest dreams, it has also produced endless headaches with all of the crippling congestion SPAM causes to computers every day throughout this country. Today's agreement could end all of that nonsense and bring peace of mind back to everyone who sends and receives e-mail."

Specifically, the anti-SPAM agreement:

• Empowers American consumers with the right to opt-out of all unwanted and unsolicited commercial e-mail or SPAM.
• Provides the FTC with the authority to set up a "Do-Not-SPAM" registry based on Chairman Tauzin's work on the "Do-Not-Call" registry for unwanted and unsolicited telemarketing telephone calls.
• Grants the strongest available protection for parents and consumers to say "no" to the receipt of pornographic SPAM.
• Makes it a crime, subject to five years in prison, to send fraudulent SPAM.
• Allows the FTC and state attorneys general the ability to vigorously enforce the laws contained in the anti-SPAM legislation.
• Enforces statutory damages of $2 million for violations, tripled to $6 million for intentional violations, and unlimited damages for fraud and abuse.

The anti-SPAM agreement could be considered by the House as early as today.