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. Fred Upton (R-MI), Rep. Richard Burr (R-NC), Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM), Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA).

"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."

"This is a watershed moment for this Congress. After many years of fits and starts, we are closer than ever to responding to our constituents' plea for help in protecting their inboxes from a flood of annoying junk e-mail and - more disturbingly - the offensive smut," said Rep. Upton. "Efforts in the last couple of Congresses have fallen short, but we are now approaching the finish line."

"Although no single piece of legislation will ultimately solve the SPAM problem, this bill is an important first step toward allowing consumers to retake their inboxes from the flood of unwanted email," said Rep. Burr.

"Unwanted emails will no longer be unavoidable, and consumers will now have recourse," said Rep. Wilson. "This legislation includes steps to protect people from pornographic content they do not want to see, and curb the worst intrusions of spammers. The bill gives law enforcement the authority to crack down on violators."

"Spam is overloading personal accounts and networks, and it's getting worse everyday," said Rep. Green. "This bill fights back against spammers."

"Spam to a desktop computer is bad enough, but at least a consumer can turn off their computer and walk away," said Rep. Ed Markey. "Wireless spam received over your mobile phone follows you wherever you go. This bill will, for the first time, reach this rising menace."

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.