AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025

Bill: 119-hr-979
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Introduced: 2025-02-05
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies

Civil actions and liability

Congressional oversight

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Government studies and investigations

Motor vehicles

Technology assessment

User charges and fees
Latest action: action_date: 2025-09-17
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 50 - 1.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-05
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a rule requiring AM radio capabilities to be standard in all new passenger&nbsp;vehicles. (AM radio is often used to deliver emergency alerts and news and entertainment programming; some newer vehicles do not include AM equipment.)</p><p>Specifically, this bill applies to passenger&nbsp;vehicles (1) manufactured in the United States for sale in the United States, imported into the United States, or shipped in interstate commerce; and (2) manufactured&nbsp;after the rule's effective date.&nbsp;The rule must require all such vehicles to have devices that can receive signals and play content transmitted by AM stations or digital audio AM stations installed as standard equipment and made easily accessible to drivers.</p><p>Prior to the rule's effective date, manufacturers that do not include devices that can access AM radio as standard equipment (1) must inform purchasers of this fact through clear and conspicuous labeling, and (2)&nbsp;may not charge an additional or separate fee&nbsp;for AM radio access.</p><p>DOT may assess civil penalties for any violation of the rule. The Department of Justice may also bring a civil action to enjoin a violation.</p><p>The rule, including DOT’s authority to enforce it, must expire 10 years after the bill’s enactment.&nbsp;</p><p>Further, the Government Accountability Office must study and report on the dissemination of emergency alerts to the public, including by conducting an assessment of AM radio relative to other Integrated Public Alert and Warning System communication technologies.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 979 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 5, 2025 Mr. Bilirakis (for himself and Mr. Pallone ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Security , and Transportation and Infrastructure , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring access to AM broadcast stations in motor vehicles, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025 . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Administrator The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2) AM broadcast band The term AM broadcast band means the band of frequencies between 535 kilohertz and 1705 kilohertz, inclusive. (3) AM broadcast station The term AM broadcast station means a radio broadcast station— (A) licensed by the Federal Communications Commission for the dissemination of radio communications intended to be received by the public; and (B) operated on a channel in the AM broadcast band. (4) Appropriate committees of Congress The term appropriate committees of Congress means— (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; (C) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; (D) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; and (E) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives. (5) Comptroller General The term Comptroller General means the Comptroller General of the United States. (6) Device The term device means a piece of equipment or an apparatus that is designed— (A) to receive signals transmitted by a radio broadcast station; and (B) to play back content or programming derived from those signals. (7) Digital audio AM broadcast station (A) In general The term digital audio AM broadcast station means an AM broadcast station that uses an In Band On Channel DAB System (as defined in section 73.402 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)) for broadcasting purposes. (B) Exclusion The term digital audio AM broadcast station does not include an All-digital AM station (as defined in section 73.402 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)). (8) IPAWS The term IPAWS means the public alert and warning system of the United States described in section 526 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 321o ). (9) Manufacturer The term manufacturer has the meaning given the term in section 30102(a) of title 49, United States Code. (10) Passenger motor vehicle The term passenger motor vehicle has the meaning given the term in section 32101 of title 49, United States Code. (11) Radio broadcast station The term radio broadcast station has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 153 ). (12) Radio station license The term radio station license has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 153 ). (13) Receive The term receive means to receive a broadcast signal via over-the-air transmission. (14) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Transportation. (15) Signal The term signal means radio frequency energy that a holder of a radio station license intentionally emits or causes to be emitted at a specified frequency for the purpose of transmitting content or programming to the public. (16) Standard equipment The term standard equipment means motor vehicle equipment (as defined in section 30102(a) of title 49, United States Code) that— (A) is installed as a system, part, or component of a passenger motor vehicle as originally manufactured; and (B) the manufacturer of the passenger motor vehicle recommends or authorizes to be included in the passenger motor vehicle for no additional or separate monetary fee, payment, or surcharge, beyond the base price of the passenger motor vehicle. (17) State The term State means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe. 3. AM broadcast stations rule (a) Rule required Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator and the Federal Communications Commission, shall issue a rule— (1) requiring devices that can receive signals and play content transmitted by AM broadcast stations be installed as standard equipment in passenger motor vehicles— (A) manufactured in the United States for sale in the United States, imported into the United States, or shipped in interstate commerce; and (B) manufactured after the effective date of the rule; (2) requiring access to AM broadcast stations through the devices required under paragraph (1) in a manner that is easily accessible to drivers; and (3) allowing a manufacturer to comply with that rule by installing devices as described in paragraph (1) that can receive signals and play content transmitted by digital audio AM broadcast stations. (b) Compliance (1) In general Except as provided in paragraph (2), in issuing the rule required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall establish an effective date for the rule that is not less than 2 years, but not more than 3 years, after the date on which the rule is issued. (2) Certain manufacturers In issuing the rule required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall establish an effective date for the rule that is at least 4 years after the date on which the rule is issued with respect to manufacturers that manufactured not more than 40,000 passenger motor vehicles for sale in the United States in 2022. (c) Interim requirement For passenger motor vehicles manufactured after the date of enactment of this Act and manufactured in the United States for sale in the United States, imported into the United States, or shipped in interstate commerce during the period beginning on the day after the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the day before the effective date of the rule issued under subsection (a) that do not include devices that can receive signals and play content transmitted by AM broadcast stations, the manufacturer of the passenger motor vehicles— (1) shall provide clear and conspicuous labeling to inform purchasers of those passenger motor vehicles that the passenger motor vehicles do not include devices that can receive signals and play content transmitted by AM broadcast stations; and (2) may not charge an additional or separate monetary fee, payment, or surcharge, beyond the base price of the passenger motor vehicles, for access to AM broadcast stations for the period described in this subsection. (d) Relationship to other laws After the date of enactment of this Act, a State or a political subdivision of a State may not prescribe or continue in effect a law, regulation, or other requirement applicable to access to AM broadcast stations in passenger motor vehicles. (e) Enforcement (1) Civil penalty Any person who violates the rule issued under subsection (a) shall be liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty under section 30165(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, as if that rule were a regulation described in that section. (2) Civil action The Attorney General may bring a civil action under section 30163 of title 49, United States Code, in an appropriate district court of the United States to enjoin a violation of the rule issued under subsection (a) of this section, as if that rule were a regulation described in subsection (a)(1) of that section 30163. (f) GAO study (1) In general The Comptroller General shall conduct a comprehensive study on disseminating emergency alerts and warnings to the public. (2) Requirements The study required under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) an assessment of— (i) the role of passenger motor vehicles in IPAWS communications, including by providing access to AM broadcast stations; (ii) the advantages, effectiveness, limitations, resilience, and accessibility of existing IPAWS communication technologies, including AM broadcast stations in passenger motor vehicles; (iii) the advantages, effectiveness, limitations, resilience, and accessibility of AM broadcast stations relative to other IPAWS communication technologies in passenger motor vehicles; and (iv) whether other IPAWS communication technologies are capable of ensuring the President (or a designee) can reach at least 90 percent of the population of the United States at a time of crisis, including at night; and (B) a description of any ongoing efforts to integrate new and emerging technologies and communication platforms into the IPAWS framework. (3) Consultation required In conducting the study required under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall consult with— (A) the Secretary of Homeland Security; (B) the Federal Communications Commission; (C) the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; (D) the Secretary; (E) Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local emergency management officials; (F) first responders; (G) technology experts in resilience and accessibility; (H) radio broadcasters; (I) manufacturers of passenger motor vehicles; and (J) other relevant stakeholders, as determined by the Comptroller General. (4) Briefing and report (A) Briefing Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the results of the study required by paragraph (1), including recommendations for legislation and administrative action as the Comptroller General determines appropriate. (B) Report Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Comptroller General provides the briefing required under subparagraph (A), the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the results of the study required under paragraph (1), including recommendations for legislation and administrative action as the Comptroller General determines appropriate. (g) Review Not less frequently than once every 5 years after the date on which the Secretary issues the rule required by subsection (a), the Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator and the Federal Communications Commission, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that shall include an assessment of— (1) the impacts of the rule issued under that subsection, including the impacts on public safety; and (2) possible changes to IPAWS communication technologies that would enable resilient and accessible alerts to drivers and passengers of passenger motor vehicles. (h) Sunset The rule issued pursuant to subsection (a) shall sunset and no longer be in effect on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act, including the authority of the Secretary to carry out or enforce that rule.