JEFFERSON CITY, MO. (KMOX) – The House Utilities Committee has approved a bill that would expand “Missouri’s No Call List” to include automated phone calls and cell phones.

Automated calls from school districts, Amber Alerts, and work-related phone calls would be exempt from the proposed legislation, but all others would be placed on the No-Call List.

Republican Representative Chuck Gosen said the bill will also bar companies from using fake aliases on caller Ids.

“When somebody calls you with an automated call, sometimes it comes up as Saint John’s Hospital or something like that, this would have to be truth in advertising, that you couldn’t change that or you could hide that. We want to have transparency in the issue.”

Legislative Director for the Attorney General Joan Gummels testified in favor of the legislation.

“I’ve asked our no call unit to keep track of calls concerning telemarketing and cell phone numbers, every week it averages almost 190 people since the beginning of session, its been 2,795 people have complained.”

Violators would be subject penalties up to a $5,000 fine.  Groups making political phone calls would also be required register with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

The bill would also block solicitors from text message solicitation.  The Committee is expected to vote on the legislation in the coming weeks.