I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2160 

To promote and encourage the valuable public service, disaster relief, and 

emergency communications provided on a volunteer basis by licensees 

of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a study of the uses of amateur radio for emergency 

and disaster relief communications, by identifying unnecessary or unreasonable impediments to the deployment of Amateur Radio emergency 

and disaster relief communications, and by making recommendations 

for relief of such unreasonable restrictions so as to expand the uses 

of amateur radio communications in Homeland Security planning and 

response. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 29, 2009 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas (for herself, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, 

Ms. KILROY, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, and Mr. THOMPSON of 

Mississippi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To promote and encourage the valuable public service, disaster relief, and emergency communications provided on 

a volunteer basis by licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a study of the uses of amateur radio for emergency and disaster relief communications, by identifying 

unnecessary or unreasonable impediments to the deployment of Amateur Radio emergency and disaster relief 

communications, and by making recommendations for 


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relief of such unreasonable restrictions so as to expand 

the uses of amateur radio communications in Homeland 

Security planning and response. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Amateur Radio Emer5 gency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Nearly 700,000 amateurs radio operators in 

9 the United States are licensed by the Federal Com10 munications Commission in the Amateur Radio 

11 Service. 

12 (2) Amateur Radio operators provide, on a vol13 unteer basis, a valuable public service to their com14 munities, their States, and to the Nation, especially 

15 in the area of national and international disaster 

16 communications. 

17 (3) Emergency and disaster relief communica18 tions services by volunteer Amateur Radio operators 

19 have consistently and reliably been provided before, 

20 during, and after floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, for21 est fires, earthquakes, blizzards, train accidents, 

22 chemical spills, and other disasters. These commu23 nications services include services in connection with 


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1 significant examples, such as hurricanes Katrina, 

2 Rita, Hugo, and Andrew; the relief effort at the 

3 World Trade Center, and the Pentagon following the 

4 2001 terrorist attacks; and the Oklahoma City 

5 bombing in April 1995. 

6 (4) Amateur Radio has formal agreements for 

7 the provision of volunteer emergency communica8 tions activities with the Department of Homeland 

9 Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agen10 cy, the National Weather Service, the National Com11 munications System, and the Association of Public 

12 Safety Communications Officials, as well as with dis13 aster relief agencies, including the American Na14 tional Red Cross and the Salvation Army. 

15 (5) The Congress passed Public Law 103–408 

16 which was signed by the President on October 22, 

17 1994. This included in Section 1 the following find18 ing of Congress: ‘‘Reasonable accommodation should 

19 be made for the effective operation of amateur radio 

20 from residences, private vehicles and public areas, 

21 and the regulation at all levels of government should 

22 facilitate and encourage amateur radio operation as 

23 a public benefit.’’ 

24 (6) The Congress passed Public Law 109–295 

25 which was signed by the President on October 4, 


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1 2006. This included a provision in the Department 

2 of Homeland Security Appropriations legislation for 

3 fiscal year 2007 that directed the Department’s Re4 gional Emergency Communications Coordinating 

5 Working Group to coordinate their activities with 

6 ‘‘ham and amateur radio operators’’ among the elev7 en other emergency organizations such as ambulance 

8 services, law enforcement, and others. 

9 (7) Amateur Radio, at no cost to taxpayers, 

10 provides a fertile ground for technical self-training 

11 in modern telecommunications, electronic technology, 

12 and emergency communications techniques and pro13 tocols. 

14 (8) There is a strong Federal interest in the ef15 fective performance of Amateur Radio stations, and 

16 that performance must be given support at all levels 

17 of government and given protection against unrea18 sonable regulation and impediments to the provision 

19 of these valuable communications. 

20 SEC. 3. STUDY OF ENHANCED USES OF AMATEUR RADIO IN 

21 EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RELIEF COMMU22 NICATION, AND FOR RELIEF OF RESTRIC23 TIONS. 

24 (a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu25 rity— 


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1 (1) shall undertake a study on the uses and ca2 pabilities of Amateur Radio communications in 

3 emergencies and disaster relief; and 

4 (2) shall report its findings to Congress not 

5 later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 

6 this Act. 

7 (b) SCOPE OF THE STUDY.—The study required by 

8 this section shall— 

9 (1) include recommendations— 

10 (A) for enhancements in the voluntary de11 ployment of Amateur Radio licensees in disaster 

12 and emergency communications and disaster re13 lief efforts; and 

14 (B) for improved integration of Amateur 

15 Radio operators in planning and in furtherance 

16 of the Department of Homeland Security initia17 tives; 

18 (2)(A) identify unreasonable or unnecessary im19 pediments to enhanced Amateur Radio communica20 tions, such as the effects of private land use regula21 tions on residential antenna installations; and 

22 (B) make recommendations regarding such im23 pediments; and 


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1 (3)(A) include an evaluation of section 207 of 

2 the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Public Law 

3 104–104, 110 Stat. 56 (1996)); and 

4 (B) make a recommendation whether that sec5 tion should be modified to prevent unreasonable pri6 vate land use restrictions that impair the ability of 

7 an amateur radio operator licensed by the Federal 

8 Communications Commission to conduct, or prepare 

9 to conduct, emergency communications by means of 

10 effective outdoor antennas and support structures at 

11 reasonable heights and dimensions for the purpose, 

12 in residential areas. 

13 (c) USE OF EXPERTISE AND INFORMATION.—In con14 ducting the study required by this section, the Secretary 

15 of Homeland Security shall— 

16 (1) utilize the expertise of the American Radio 

17 Relay League, representing the National Amateur 

18 Radio community; and 

19 (2) seek information from private and public 

20 sectors for the study. 

Æ 


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