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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1144 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1144

 Honoring the 100th anniversary of the Consumer Technology Association.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 15, 2024

Mr. Issa submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Honoring the 100th anniversary of the Consumer Technology Association.

Whereas 1924 represented a pivotal moment in the history of technology, marked 
        by significant developments and the legacy of prominent figures;
Whereas, in 1924, Thomas Edison, the inventor and entrepreneur whose inventions, 
        including the phonograph and the electric light bulb, continued to 
        thrive on the frontier of innovation;
Whereas 1924 signified the continued influence of Nikola Tesla, whose 
        contributions to alternating current power systems laid the groundwork 
        for much of today's electrical infrastructure;
Whereas 1924 also witnessed Guglielmo Marconi, the pioneer of wireless 
        telegraphy, or radio, whose innovations paved the way for modern 
        telecommunications;
Whereas 1924 marked a transition to new advancements and discoveries in the 
        realm of science, engineering, and technology;
Whereas, in that same year, the organization now known as the Consumer 
        Technology Association was founded as the Associated Radio Manufacturers 
        at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago, Illinois, on April 16, 1924, and the 
        name was changed several weeks later to the Radio Manufacturers 
        Association (RMA);
Whereas the RMA was formed in response to patent fights, a lack of cohesive 
        technical standards, and looming legislation affecting radio;
Whereas, in July 1925, in response to an increasing need for technical standards 
        in the radio industry, RMA adopted a formal resolution to develop its 
        own industry standards, and early targets for standards included color-
        coded wiring, dimensions for plugs, jacks, and sockets, and markings for 
        transformers;
Whereas, in 1927, RMA formed an industrywide Radio Coordinating Committee, which 
        directed and advocated to shape the Radio Act of 1927, which established 
        the Federal Radio Commission, which later became the Federal 
        Communications Commission (FCC), and Congress adopted 90 percent of the 
        recommendations of RMA and the Radio Coordinating Committee;
Whereas, in 1933, struggling with the Great Depression, RMA reorganized, closing 
        its New York and Chicago offices and moving to a combined office in 
        Washington, DC;
Whereas RMA became heavily invested in experimentation with and regulation of 
        television, developing the first proposed standards for television, 
        which the FCC quickly put into place, and its work led to the beginning 
        of commercial television broadcasting in the United States on July 1, 
        1941;
Whereas, when the United States entered World War II, RMA members undertook a 
        massive effort to convert manufacturing to a war footing, and with 
        limited exceptions, nearly all civilian radio production was earmarked 
        for the war effort;
Whereas the organization in 1950, reflecting the evolving times, changed its 
        name to the Radio-Television Manufacturers Association (RTMA), and Glen 
        McDaniel became the first paid president in 1951;
Whereas, in 1953, again recognizing the changing face of American technology, 
        RTMA became the Radio-Electronics-Television Manufacturers Association 
        (RETMA), and in 1957, members changed the name to the Electronic 
        Industries Association (EIA), signaling an expansion beyond radio and 
        television and instead ``embracing all industry segments'' of 
        electronics;
Whereas, in 1967, EIA hosted the first Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which 
        was organized by Staff Vice President Jack Wayman and was held in New 
        York City from June 25 to 28, 1967, and occupied more than 100,000 
        square feet and included more than 100 exhibitors;
Whereas, in 1984, EIA and Chairman of the Home Recording Rights Coalition (HRRC) 
        Gary Shapiro advocated on behalf of VCR manufacturers and fought to 
        uphold the legality of home videotaping, and the Supreme Court's ruling 
        in favor of Sony and other VCR manufacturers paved the way for home 
        recording, which is considered the Magna Carta for the consumer 
        technology industry;
Whereas, in 1984, the FCC approved multichannel TV sound (MTS) which provided 
        the extra dimension of stereo for more powerful audio, and in 1986, the 
        Consumer Electronics Group (CEG, a division of EIA) was honored with an 
        Emmy for its industry-shaping role in advancing stereo television;
Whereas, in 1990, legislation was signed into law requiring closed captioning 
        decoders in all larger color TVs, and over the next 3 years, the FCC 
        adopted the EIA's closed captioning standard (later called CTA-608);
Whereas, beginning in the 1990s, CTA started hosting mini-CES events on Capitol 
        Hill where CTA members displayed new technology products for lawmakers 
        and congressional staff, and beginning in 2010, this became known as CES 
        on the Hill, and it continues to this day;
Whereas the organization was instrumental in the transition to digital 
        television technology, cofounding the Advanced Television Systems 
        Committee in 1982, helping create the Advanced Television Test Center in 
        1987 and the HDTV Model Station, which operated as a living test bed for 
        making HDTV broadcasting work from 1996 to 1999 and as the DTV Station 
        Project until 2001;
Whereas, in 1995, EIA's Consumer Electronics Group became Consumer Electronics 
        Manufacturers Association (CEMA), and Gary Shapiro, who started working 
        at the association in 1982, became president of CEMA;
Whereas, in 1998, the Electronic Industries Association was renamed Electronic 
        Industries Alliance, and in 1999, CEMA's name was changed to Consumer 
        Electronics Association (CEA) and becomes its own separate legal entity, 
        better reflecting the diversity of member companies;
Whereas, in 2000, the CE Hall of Fame was created to honor the achievements of 
        the leaders and pioneers in the consumer electronics industry, and the 
        Industry Forum awards dinner was established to recognize the hall's 
        inductees;
Whereas, since 2000, CTA has been recognized with scores of awards for CES, a 
        healthy work environment and as a great place to work;
Whereas, in 2005, the Digital Patriots Dinner was set up to recognize leaders in 
        the public sector who work to advance technological growth, and at the 
        inaugural award ceremony, Intel CEO Dr. Craig Barret received the 
        Industry Digital Patriot Award;
Whereas, in 2012, the CTA Foundation was founded with the mission to support 
        seniors and people with disabilities by connecting them with life-
        enhancing technology;
Whereas, in 2012, CEA and other stakeholders joined a Federal Aviation 
        Administration (FAA) advisory committee to provide recommendations that 
        would allow passengers to use handheld devices in ``airplane mode'' 
        during taxiing, takeoff, and landing;
Whereas the organization entered 2015 with a new name, the Consumer Technology 
        Association, reflecting the reality that every company is a tech 
        company;
Whereas, in 2019, CTA established the Diversity Investment Fund, which is 
        investing up to $10,000,000 into venture firms and funds focused on 
        funding underrepresented founders, women-led startups, and diverse 
        leadership teams;
Whereas, in 2022, CTA partnered with the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) 
        to showcase the critical role of technology in support of the United 
        Nations (UN) efforts to advance human security for all, and at a 
        September 2023 event at UN headquarters in New York, CTA announced that 
        technology would become the eighth pillar of the UN's Human Security For 
        All (HS4A) global campaign;
Whereas, following a decade of legislative advocacy and standards development by 
        CTA, the bipartisan Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017, directing 
        the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow direct-to-consumer and 
        retail-based hearing aid sales, passed Congress in 2017, and in 2022, 
        the FDA final rule authorized over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, 
        benefitting tens of millions of Americans with mild to moderate hearing 
        loss to purchase OTC hearing aids without a medical exam or 
        prescription, online, and in stores;
Whereas, in July 2023, CTA joined the White House to support the launch of the 
        United States Cyber Trust Mark program, a label to protect consumers 
        from cyberattacks, and in October of that same year, CTA was recognized 
        by the World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) for 
        work around the program to give consumers more information about the 
        cybersecurity of the connected products they buy;
Whereas, in September 2023, CTA released a policy framework that supports a 
        measured and balanced approach to the regulation of Artificial 
        Intelligence (AI), and in November, CTA president and CEO Gary Shapiro 
        participated in a Senate forum on AI;
Whereas, in February 2024, CTA named Kinsey Fabrizio as its first female 
        president, with Gary Shapiro continuing as CEO; and
Whereas the week of April 15, 2024, is CTA Tech Week, where the organization 
        hosts CES on the Hill, its Digital Patriots Dinner, and will mark its 
        100th anniversary: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that the Consumer Technology Association is 
        a respected and effective advocate for United States innovators 
        and the entire technology industry, and has been igniting 
        innovation since 1924;
            (2) commemorates the Consumer Technology Association's 
        contributions to the United States economy and society 
        throughout its history; and
            (3) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the establishment 
        of the Consumer Technology Association.
                                 <all>
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