AM For Every Vehicle Act Moves To Full Senate For Vote

The Senate Commerce Committee voted Thursday to support a  bill that would require AM radio to be equipped in vehicle dashboards. The act is now headed to the Senate for consideration prior to its August recess.

After the committee approval NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt issued the following statement:

"NAB applauds today's Senate Commerce Committee passage of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. This legislation will ensure that the tens of millions of AM radio listeners across the country retain access to local news, diverse community programming and emergency information. Moreover, this legislation enables AM radio’s continued role as the backbone of the nation’s Emergency Alert System. 

"We thank Sens. Markey and Cruz, Chair Cantwell and the bipartisan cosponsors of this bill for their leadership to safeguard AM radio's pivotal role in keeping the public informed when disaster strikes. We urge swift passage of this important legislation."

The AM for Every Vehicle Act is being led in the House by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), along with co-leads Reps. Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-7), Rob Menendez (NJ-8), Bruce Westerman (AR-4), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3). The AM for Every Vehicle Act is being led in the Senate by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX).

The bipartisan, bicameral AM for Every Vehicle Act will:

• Direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a rule that requires automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in their vehicles without a separate or additional payment, fee, or surcharge;
• Require any automaker that sells vehicles without access to AM broadcast radio before the effective date of the NHTSA rule to clearly disclose to consumers that the vehicle lacks access to AM broadcast radio; and,
• Direct the Government Accountability Office to study whether alternative communication systems could fully replicate the reach and effectiveness of AM broadcast radio for alerting the public to emergencies.

Bill text of the bipartisan, bicameral AM for Every Vehicle Act can be found here.