The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act may finally have the legislative breakthrough its advocates have been working toward.
According to a Thursday release from the National Association of Broadcasters, U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has scheduled the bill for a standalone floor vote during the week of Sept. 14.
The announcement assuages earlier concerns that the legislation might be sidelined until a post-election lame-duck session or forced to rely on attachment to a surface transportation bill, as we previously reported.
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt praised Scalise and House leadership alongside lead co-sponsors Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), as well as Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
“Our listeners have made their voices heard loud and clear: AM radio is an indispensable lifeline during emergencies, a trusted source of news and information, and a vital connection for communities nationwide,” LeGeyt said in the statement. “Now is the time to finish the job.”
The legislation would require the secretary of transportation to conduct a rulemaking proceeding — to be completed within one year — mandating that AM receivers be included in all vehicles sold in the U.S. as a standard feature without extra cost to buyers.
The bill has 317 co-sponsors in the House and 61 in the Senate.
There has been a growing sense inside the industry that as Congress resumes its session from summer recess, time is of the essence. That sentiment was conveyed by Nic Anderson, director of government affairs for Salem Media Group and VP of public policy for the National Religious Broadcasters, on the most recent episode of NAB’s AirTime podcast.
“Our energy has been focused on pushing for a floor vote through the House Suspension Calendar, and we’re talking directly with the White House and House leadership to make that case, to move it now and not later,” Anderson said on the Sept. 2 edition of the podcast.
If automakers are permitted to drop AM simply because it is easier or cheaper, Anderson warned, the same financial logic could eventually be applied to FM radio on the airwaves — threatening the very future of free broadcast radio in the automobile.
With the House floor vote now set for mid-September, passage would send the measure to the Senate before advancing to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
On multiple occasions, President Donald Trump has publicly expressed support for the AM radio car mandate, including during appearances on Hugh Hewitt’s syndicated talk show.
The 119th Congress concludes its session at the end of the year. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act was reintroduced in this Congress after the previous legislative cycle ended without a floor vote, despite broad bipartisan support in both chambers.
Previous legislation won approval from the Senate Commerce Committee in July 2023 and the House Energy and Commerce Committee in September 2024, but the 118th Congress adjourned before the bill could advance to a full floor vote.
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