IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 20 
Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 19, 2019 
Ms. CASTOR of Florida (for herself, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. 
JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. GIANFORTE, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. 
ROGERS of Kentucky, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. GRAVES of 
Georgia, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. BABIN, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. 
COMER, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. BOST, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. COLE, 
Mr. KEATING, Mr. FLORES, Mr. HAGEDORN, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. 
PALAZZO, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. RYAN, Mr. 
KINZINGER, Mr. COLLINS of New York, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. TURNER, 
Mr. OLSON, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. MASSIE, Mr. HILL of Arkan-
sas, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. UPTON, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. WALKER, Mr. 
RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. RUSH, Mr. KILMER, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. 
GONZALEZ
of Texas, Mr. KIND, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. 
GROTHMAN, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. LATTA, Mr. WILLIAMS, 
Mr. BUDD, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. LONG, Mr. BILIRAKIS, 
Mr. ARRINGTON, Mr. HICE of Georgia, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. 
MEADOWS, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. EMMER, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. PAL-
LONE, Mr. CLAY, Mr. POSEY, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. WOMACK, Mr. WAL-
DEN, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. 
MCKINLEY, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. NUNES, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. 
ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. BUCHANAN, 
Mr. DAVIDSON of Ohio, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, 
Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. CUELLAR, Mr. DUFFY, Mrs. 
BROOKS of Indiana, Ms. FOXX of North Carolina, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, 
Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Mr. GIBBS, Mr. WENSTRUP, Mr. BRENDAN F. 
BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mrs. RODGERS of Washington, Mr. SIMPSON, 
Mr. DUNN, Mr. COOK, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. STIVERS, Miss GONZA´LEZ- 
COLO´N of Puerto Rico, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BROOKS of Ala-
bama, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. YAR-
MUTH, Mr. COURTNEY, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. BANKS, 
Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, and 
Mrs. WAGNER) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Feb 19, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\HC20.IH
HC20
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
•HCON 20 IH 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act. 
Whereas the United States enjoys broadcasting and sound re-
cording industries that are the envy of the world, due to 
the symbiotic relationship that has existed among these 
industries for many decades; 
Whereas for nearly a century, Congress has rejected repeated 
calls by the recording industry to impose a performance 
fee on local radio stations for simply playing music on 
the radio and upsetting the mutually beneficial relation-
ship between local radio and the recording industry; 
Whereas local radio stations provide free publicity and pro-
motion to the recording industry and performers of music 
in the form of radio air play, interviews with performers, 
introduction of new performers, concert promotions, and 
publicity that promotes the sale of music, concert tickets, 
ring tones, music videos and associated merchandise; 
Whereas Congress found that ‘‘the sale of many sound re-
cordings and the careers of many performers benefited 
considerably from airplay and other promotional activities 
provided by both noncommercial and advertiser-sup-
ported, free over-the-air broadcasting’’; 
Whereas local radio broadcasters provide tens of thousands of 
hours of essential local news and weather information 
during times of national emergencies and natural disas-
ters, as well as public affairs programming, sports, and 
hundreds of millions of dollars of time for public service 
announcements and local fund raising efforts for worthy 
charitable causes, all of which are jeopardized if local 
radio stations are forced to divert revenues to pay for a 
new performance fee; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Feb 19, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC20.IH
HC20
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
•HCON 20 IH 
Whereas there are many thousands of local radio stations 
that will suffer severe economic hardship if any new per-
formance fee is imposed, as will many other small busi-
nesses that play music including bars, restaurants, retail 
establishments, sports and other entertainment venues, 
shopping centers and transportation facilities; and 
Whereas the hardship that would result from a new perform-
ance fee would hurt American businesses, and ultimately 
the American consumers who rely on local radio for news, 
weather, and entertainment; and such a performance fee 
is not justified when the current system has produced the 
most prolific and innovative broadcasting, music, and 
sound recording industries in the world: Now, therefore, 
be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress should not impose any new 
performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to 
the public performance of sound recordings on a local 
radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the- 
air, or on any business for such public performance of 
sound recordings. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Feb 19, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HC20.IH
HC20
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS