As a result of legislation sponsored by Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. and being signed into law recently, nearly two million New York State residents who signed onto the state's Telemarketer 'Do Not Call' Registry will not have to sign onto the federal registry that went into effect on June 27.

"This legislation will allow New Yorkers who are already registered with the State program to enjoy the benefits of the new National Registry without having to re-register," Fuschillo said. "By merging New York's registration system with the federal registry, we will save the State money while also helping to ensure the vigorous enforcement of our own 'Do Not Call' law."

The national 'Do Not Call' Registry, managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), mirrors the state's Registry first made possible through a law sponsored by Senator Fuschillo and enacted on April 1, 2001. The federal registry allows for the registration of personal phone numbers including cell phone numbers. Consumers must call into the federal registry from the phone they are seeking to register.

To continue its enforcement of the state "Do Not Call" law, the New York State Consumer Protection Board will use the Registry maintained by the FTC. In October, New Yorkers who believe they have received an illegal telemarketing call will file their complaint directly with the FTC.

"With the passage of this legislation, New York State will continue to enforce its highly-successful 'Do Not Call' telemarketing law, while the FTC will enforce federal regulations against unwanted sales calls. This strong combination of State and Federal governments working in unison will provide New Yorkers with even more protection against unwanted telemarketing calls," Fuschillo said.

New York has the largest state-run Registry in the country. Since the "Do Not Call" law took effect, the New York State Consumer Protection Board, which administers the law, estimates that at least a half billion sales calls have been prevented from coming into New York households. The national Registry provides consumers that have Internet access and a valid e-mail address the option to sign up directly on the Federal Registry via a special registration website at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.

On July 1, the New York State law lowering the state's blood alcohol content (BAC) level for legal intoxication while driving from .10 to .08 percent, authored by Senator Fuschillo went into effect. Now, residents can take an online survey regarding these new laws on Senator Fuschillo's website at www.senatorfuschillo.com.

"The .08 law is a strong anti-DWI measure and should deter people from getting behind the wheel after they have been drinking," Fuschillo said. "As drunk driving is a potential threat to everyone on the community's roadways, I am eager to hear residents' thoughts on the new laws."

Visit www.senatorfuschillo.com, and click on 'Your Opinion Counts' at the top of the page. The suvery questions include:

* Do you think the new .08 law will reduce the number of

alcohol-related tragedies on New York State's roadways?

* Do you think that stricter penalties are a deterrent to drunk

driving?

* Do you support mandatory license suspension and jail for convicted

DWI offenders?

* Do you think New York State needs to further enhance its current

anti-DWI/DWAI laws?

Senator Fuschillo announced recently legislation requiring pool alarms to be installed in order to obtain a building permit for the construction of residential swimming pools, helping to ensure the safety of the community's children. A pool alarm operates by sensing the amount of weight in a swimming pool, and when set, emits a sound of over 100 decibels upon sensing at least ten pounds of weight in the pool.

"With summer upon us, it is important to make our swimming pools as safe as possible," said Fuschillo, chairman of the New York State Senate Consumer Protection Committee. "The installation of pool alarms, paired with barriers such as gates or fences, would provide greater protection for non-swimmers, especially young children."

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths to children ages 14 and under nationwide. It is estimated that approximately 1,150 children drown each year in the United States, and an additional 5,000 are hospitalized due to near-drowning incidents. This legislation would go to great lengths to reduce this number throughout the state.

"I commend Fuschillo for sponsoring this important legislation. He has shown once again that he is committed to protecting children," said John Venditto, supervisor of the Town of Oyster Bay. "Pool safety is an issue of ongoing concern to us all, as we seek to prevent the terrible tragedy of child drownings in backyard pools. Pool alarms are helpful in protecting children from this danger by alerting parents of a potentially deadly situation."