Efforts to keep AM radio in the dashboards of vehicles has taken a step forward in the House Wednesday as the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 45 to 2 to send the proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act to the full House for a vote.
The role of AM during natural disasters was cited by several lawmakers as they spoke out during the bill’s markup, noting that FEMA has also spent tens of millions of dollars solidifying the Emergency Alert System with AM radio the backbone of EAS.
If passed by the full House, the proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act will require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring access to AM broadcast stations in motor vehicles. If they don’t, carmakers could be fined.
The bill has already made progress in the Senate, where a majority of 62 lawmakers have said they support it. The Senate version (S. 1669) passed out of committee in July 2023 and is now in the hands of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
But he has not yet scheduled the bill for a final vote, despite having the super-majority required to overcome any potential filibuster.
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