AUGUSTA – Consumers who feel hounded by telemarketers won a round in the Maine Legislature on Wednesday.

The House of Representatives joined the Senate in giving preliminary approval to a bill that takes away a technological tool telemarketers use to get through to consumers.

The bill would bar telemarketers from using devices in intrastate calls that block caller ID on consumers’ phones. Several other states have enacted similar laws.

If the Maine law passes, it will require compliance on the same day as a similar Federal Trade Commission rule takes effect, Jan. 29, 2004.

Meanwhile, the House and Senate have returned to the same committee a bill to restrict unsolicited commercial e-mail, known as spam.

The bill would require that the e-mail contain a valid return e-mail address, enabling recipients to say they don’t want to receive any more unsolicited e-mail.