CALM Act
PL 111-311 (S.2847), enacted 12/15/2010

124 STAT. 3294 
PUBLIC LAW 111–311—DEC. 15, 2010 
Public Law 111–311 
111th Congress 
An Act 
To regulate the volume of audio on commercials. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commercial Advertisement Loud-
ness Mitigation Act’’ or the ‘‘CALM Act’’. 
SEC. 2. RULEMAKING ON LOUD COMMERCIALS REQUIRED. 
(a) RULEMAKING REQUIRED.—Within 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission 
shall prescribe pursuant to the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 151 et seq.) a regulation that is limited to incorporating 
by reference and making mandatory (subject to any waivers the 
Commission may grant) the ‘‘Recommended Practice: Techniques 
for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital Tele-
vision’’ (A/85), and any successor thereto, approved by the Advanced 
Television Systems Committee, only insofar as such recommended 
practice concerns the transmission of commercial advertisements 
by a television broadcast station, cable operator, or other multi-
channel video programming distributor. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) 
EFFECTIVE
DATE.—The 
Federal 
Communications 
Commission shall prescribe that the regulation adopted pursu-
ant to subsection (a) shall become effective 1 year after the 
date of its adoption. 
(2) WAIVER.—For any television broadcast station, cable 
operator, or other multichannel video programming distributor 
that demonstrates that obtaining the equipment to comply with 
the regulation adopted pursuant to subsection (a) would result 
in financial hardship, the Federal Communications Commission 
may grant a waiver of the effective date set forth in paragraph 
(1) for 1 year and may renew such waiver for 1 additional 
year. 
(3) WAIVER
AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this section affects 
the Commission’s authority under section 1.3 of its rules (47 
C.F.R. 1.3) to waive any rule required by this Act, or the 
application of any such rule, for good cause shown to a television 
broadcast station, cable operator, or other multichannel video 
programming distributor, or to a class of such stations, opera-
tors, or distributors. 
(c) COMPLIANCE.—Any broadcast television operator, cable oper-
ator, or other multichannel video programming distributor that 
installs, utilizes, and maintains in a commercially reasonable 
Deadline. 
47 USC 621. 
47 USC 609 note. 
Commercial 
Advertisement 
Loudness 
Mitigation Act. 
Dec. 15, 2010 
[S. 2847] 
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124 STAT. 3295 
PUBLIC LAW 111–311—DEC. 15, 2010 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2847: 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 111–340 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010): 
Sept. 29, considered and passed Senate. 
Nov. 30, Dec. 2, considered and passed House. 
manner the equipment and associated software in compliance with 
the regulations issued by the Federal Communications Commission 
in accordance with subsection (a) shall be deemed to be in compli-
ance with such regulations. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘television broadcast station’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 325 of the Communications Act 
of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325); and 
(2) the terms ‘‘cable operator’’ and ‘‘multi-channel video 
programming distributor’’ have the meanings given such terms 
in section 602 of Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 522). 
Approved December 15, 2010. 
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