State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_SB0797ham001

 










                                           LRB9200606LDcsam02

 1                    AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 797

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend Senate Bill 797  by  replacing
 3    everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 4        "Section  1.  Short  title.  This Act may be cited as the
 5    Prizes and Gifts Act.

 6        Section  5.  Legislative  intent.  The  General  Assembly
 7    finds that deceptive  promotional advertising of prizes is  a
 8    matter vitally affecting the public interest in this State.

 9        Section 10.  Definitions. As used in this Act:
10        "Catalog  seller"  means an entity (and its subsidiaries)
11    or a person at least 50% of whose annual revenues are derived
12    from the  sale  of  products  sold  in  connection  with  the
13    distribution  of catalogs of at least 24 pages, which contain
14    written descriptions or illustrations  and  sale  prices  for
15    each  item  of  merchandise and which are distributed in more
16    than one state with a total annual distribution of  at  least
17    250,000.
18        "Person"   means   a  corporation,  partnership,  limited
19    liability company, sole proprietorship, or natural person.
20        "Prize" means a gift, award, or other item or service  of
21    value  that  is offered or awarded to a participant in a real
 
                            -2-            LRB9200606LDcsam02
 1    or purported contest, competition, sweepstakes, scheme, plan,
 2    or other  selection  process  that  involves  an  element  of
 3    chance.
 4        "Retail value" of a prize means:
 5             (1)  a  price  at which the sponsor can substantiate
 6        that a  substantial  quantity  of  the  item  or  service
 7        offered as a prize has been sold to the public; or
 8             (2)  if   the  sponsor  is  unable  to  satisfy  the
 9        requirement in subdivision (1), no more than 3 times  the
10        amount  the  sponsor  paid  for  the prize in a bona fide
11        purchase from an unaffiliated seller.
12        "Sponsor" means a person on whose behalf a  promotion  is
13    conducted   to  promote  or  advertise  goods,  services,  or
14    property of that person.  "Sponsor"  includes  a  person  who
15    conducts a promotion on behalf of another sponsor.

16        Section  15.  Application  of  Act.  Except  as otherwise
17    provided in this Act, this Act  applies  only  to  a  written
18    promotional offer that is:
19             (1)  made to a person in this State;
20             (2)  used  to  induce  or invite a person to come to
21        this State to claim a prize, attend a sales presentation,
22        meet a  promoter,  sponsor,  salesperson,  or  agent,  or
23        conduct any business in this State; or
24             (3)  used to induce or invite a person to contact by
25        any  means  a promoter, sponsor, salesperson, or agent in
26        this State.

27        Section 20.   No payment required.
28        (a)  No sponsor may require a person in this State to pay
29    the sponsor money as a condition of  awarding  the  person  a
30    prize,  or  as a condition of allowing the person to receive,
31    use, compete for, or obtain information about a prize.
32        (b)  A sponsor shall not represent that a person has  won
 
                            -3-            LRB9200606LDcsam02
 1    or  unconditionally  will  be  the  winner  of a prize or use
 2    language that may lead a person to believe he or she has  won
 3    a prize, unless all of the following conditions are met:
 4             (1)  the   person   is   given   the  prize  without
 5        obligation;
 6             (2)  the person is notified at no expense to him  or
 7        her within 15 days of winning the prize; and
 8             (3)  the  representation is not false, deceptive, or
 9        misleading.

10        Section 25.  Disclosures required. A written  promotional
11    prize offer must contain each of the following in a clear and
12    conspicuous statement at the onset of the offer:
13             (1)  the  true  name or names of the sponsor and the
14        address  of  the  sponsor's  actual  principal  place  of
15        business;
16             (2)  the retail  value  of  each  prize  the  person
17        receiving the notice has been  selected to receive or may
18        be eligible to receive;
19             (3)  a  disclosure  that no purchase is necessary to
20        enter such written promotional offer;
21             (4)  a disclosure that a purchase will  not  improve
22        the person's chances of winning with an entry;
23             (5)  a  statement  of the person's odds of receiving
24        each prize identified in the notice;
25             (6)  any requirement that the person pay the  actual
26        shipping  or handling fees or any other charges to obtain
27        or use a prize, including the nature and  amount  of  the
28        charges;
29             (7)  if  receipt  of  the  prize  is  subject  to  a
30        restriction, a description of the restriction;
31             (8)  any limitations on eligibility; and
32             (9)  if  a  sponsor  represents that the person is a
33        "finalist", has been "specially selected", is  in  "first
 
                            -4-            LRB9200606LDcsam02
 1        place",  or is otherwise among a limited group of persons
 2        with an enhanced likelihood of  receiving  a  prize,  the
 3        written  prize  notice  must  contain  a statement of the
 4        maximum number of persons in the group or purported group
 5        with this enhanced likelihood of receiving a prize.

 6        Section  30.  Prize  award  required.   A   sponsor   who
 7    represents  that a person has been awarded a prize shall, not
 8    later than 30 days after making the  representation,  provide
 9    the person with:
10             (1)  the prize;
11             (2)  a   voucher,  certificate,  or  other  document
12        giving the person the prize; or
13             (3)  the retail value of the prize, as stated in the
14        written prize notice, in the form of cash, a money order,
15        or a certified check.

16        Section 32.  Advertising media exempt.  Nothing  in  this
17    Act  creates  liability  for  acts  by  the publisher, owner,
18    agent, or employee of a newspaper, periodical, radio station,
19    television  station,  cable  television  system,   or   other
20    advertising   medium   arising  out  of  the  publication  or
21    dissemination  of  a  solicitation,  notice,   or   promotion
22    governed  by  this Section unless the publisher, owner agent,
23    or employee had knowledge that the solicitation,  notice,  or
24    promotion violated the requirements of this Section, or had a
25    financial interest in the solicitation, notice, or promotion.

26        Section  35.  Exemptions.  This  Act  does  not  apply to
27    solicitations or  representations in connection with:
28             (1)  the sale  or  purchase  of  books,  recordings,
29        video  cassettes, periodicals, and  similar goods through
30        a membership group or  club  that  is  regulated  by  the
31        Federal   Trade      Commission  under  Code  of  Federal
 
                            -5-            LRB9200606LDcsam02
 1        Regulations, Title 16, part 425.1, concerning the use of
 2        negative option plans by sellers in commerce;
 3             (2)  the sale or purchase of goods ordered through a
 4        contractual plan or  arrangement  such  as  a  continuity
 5        plan,  subscription  arrangement,  or  a  single  sale or
 6        purchase series arrangement under which the seller  ships
 7        goods  to  a  consumer  who  has  consented in advance to
 8        receive the goods and after the receipt of the  goods  is
 9        given the opportunity to examine the goods and to receive
10        a full refund of charges for the goods upon return of the
11        goods in an undamaged condition;
12             (3)  sales by a catalog seller;
13             (4)  the  State  lottery created and regulated under
14        the Illinois Lottery Law;
15             (5)  the sale  or  purchase  of  membership  camping
16        contracts  in  accordance  with  the  Illinois Membership
17        Campground Act; or
18             (6)  the sale or purchase of time-shares created and
19        regulated under the Illinois Real Estate Time-Share Act.

20        Section 40.  Violations.
21        (a)  Nothing in this Act may be construed  to  permit  an
22    activity otherwise prohibited by law.
23        (b)  Enforcement  by  consumer.   A  consumer who suffers
24    loss by reason of any intentional violation of any  provision
25    of  this  Act  may  bring  a  civil  action  to  enforce that
26    provision. A consumer who is successful  in  such  an  action
27    shall  recover the greater of $500 or twice the amount of the
28    pecuniary loss, reasonable attorney's fees, and  court  costs
29    incurred by bringing such action.
30        (c)  Enforcement by Attorney General or State's Attorney.
31    Violation of any of the provisions of this Act is an unlawful
32    practice  under  the  Consumer  Fraud  and Deceptive Business
33    Practices  Act.   All  remedies,  penalties,  and   authority
 
                            -6-            LRB9200606LDcsam02
 1    granted  to  the Attorney General or State's Attorney by that
 2    Act shall be available to him or her for the  enforcement  of
 3    this Act.

 4        Section  90.  Severability.  If any provision of this Act
 5    or the application thereof to any person or  circumstance  is
 6    held   invalid,   the   invalidity  shall  not  affect  other
 7    provisions or applications of the  Act  which  can  be  given
 8    effect  without  the  invalid provision or application and to
 9    this end the provisions of this Act are severable.".

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