ALBANY, NY (Erie News Now)-- A new law in New York State will nearly double the maximum fine for telemarketers who violate the Do Not Call registry. 

The Governor and some New York State lawmakers said telemarketer calls have continued to increase in recent years and this new penalty will protect New Yorker's from high volumes of calls. 

“Because there’s so much telemarketing out there, people are missing important calls that they should be answering. So, the hope in this legislation is to get phone calls back to what they should be which is people who have a legitimate reason to be reaching out to you, reaching out,” said Assembly Member Alex Bores (D-Assembly District 73).

The current penalty for violating the Do Not Call registry in the state is $11,000 per call.  This legislation increases the penalty to $20,000 per call. 

Assembly Member Bores added this new law will also protect New Yorker's from potential scams. 

“Scams are already illegal, but raising the fine on making that initial call, makes it harder for some of these scams to get started,” he said. 

Bores said he encourages New Yorker's to sign up for the Do Not Call Registry. After signing up residents can report unwanted telemarketer calls to the registry.