The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has been reintroduced on Capitol Hill.
The legislation passed the Senate Commerce Committee in 2023 and the House Energy and Commerce Committee in 2024, and many legislators have expressed support. Yet backers could not get it across the finish line at the end of the recent Congress in December.
Senators Ed Markey, a Democrat, and Ted Cruz, a Republican, now have reintroduced the bill, which has 40 Senate co-sponsors.
It would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in their new vehicles at no additional charge.
In a press release, Markey said, “As we witness more tragic climate change-induced disasters like the wildfires in Los Angeles, broadcast AM radio continues to be a critical tool for communication. AM radio is a lifeline for people across the country for news, sports and especially emergency information.”
Cruz said, “During weather disasters or power outages, AM radio is consistently the most reliable form of communication and is critical to keep millions of Texans safe. AM radio has long been a haven for people to express differing viewpoints, allowing free speech and our robust democratic process to flourish for decades.”
The legislation is opposed by the auto industry. This week the head of the Consumer Electronics Association, which also opposes the AM bill, sought to tie its fate to the issue of performance royalties.
“If legislation to mandate AM radio moves forward this congressional session, CTA will urge that the legislation also require AM and FM radio broadcasters to pay performance royalties to artists,” Gary Shapiro wrote.
In December, after the bill failed to pass Congress, NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt expressed optimism about its longer-term outlook. He said the bill had received bipartisan favor from “more than 125 supportive organizations, hundreds of thousands of listeners who contacted their lawmakers and more than 330 members of Congress who championed this effort.”
On Wednesday LeGeyt welcomed the reintroduction of the bill. “Time and again, AM radio has proven itself as an irreplaceable resource in emergencies, keeping families safe and communities informed when every second counts. Further, its diversity of programming and reach remain unique amongst all audio media.”
The National Religious Broadcasters also welcomed the bill. President/CEO Troy A. Miller said in a press release: “Every day, our members broadcast messages of faith, family and freedom on the AM band. AM radio uplifts, entertains and informs listeners all over the country and supports live, local, lifesaving emergency communications in times of disaster.” Miller noted that at last year’s NRB International Christian Media Convention, Donald Trump told the audience, “I will do my part to protect AM radio in our cars.”