IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 17 
Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 24, 2015 
Mr. CONAWAY (for himself, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. 
HUDSON, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. DENT, Mr. POMPEO, Mr. LONG, Mr. WHIT-
FIELD, Mr. HURT of Virginia, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. 
YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. TURNER, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. 
NEUGEBAUER, Mr. SALMON, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. GIBBS, Mr. MCKINLEY, 
Mr. ROYCE, Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 
SCHRADER, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. 
WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. THOMPSON of Penn-
sylvania, Mr. ROSS, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. LANCE, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of 
Georgia, Mr. COOK, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. BENISHEK, Mr. KLINE, Mr. 
CRAWFORD, Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois, Mrs. ELLMERS of North Caro-
lina, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, 
Mr. BARTON, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. YODER, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. RODNEY 
DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. MESSER, Mr. KIND, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KEATING, 
Mr. FLORES, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. 
TIBERI, Mr. RENACCI, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. HAS-
TINGS, Mr. GIBSON, Mr. COFFMAN, Mr. JOLLY, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. 
BYRNE, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. MASSIE, Mr. 
LYNCH, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. ROSKAM, Ms. GRANGER, 
Mr. WOMACK, Mr. COLLINS of New York, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. 
BISHOP of Georgia, Mrs. HARTZLER, Ms. FOXX, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. 
DUNCAN of Tennessee, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. ROKITA, Mr. COLE, Mr. 
JOYCE, Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. MULVANEY, Mr. WALDEN, and 
Mr. MULLIN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act. 
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•HCON 17 IH 
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 more than 80 years, Congress has rejected re-
peated calls by the recording industry to impose a per-
formance fee on local radio stations for simply playing 
music on the radio and upsetting the mutually beneficial 
relationship between local radio and the recording indus-
try; 
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; 
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•HCON 17 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 
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