Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin is among a group of 11 bipartisan lawmakers leading the support for the “AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act,” aimed at preserving AM radio in the dashboard.
If passed, the bill would:
- Require the Secretary of Transportation, within one year of enactment, to issue a rule under which motor vehicles made or imported into the US would be required to include an installed device, as standard equipment, that can receive AM radio (including analog) signals and play AM content;
- Ensure that AM is conspicuous to the driver in the dash;
- In the period between enactment and prior to the Transportation Secretary issuing the new rule, require motor vehicles that do not include AM radio to be labeled as such to consumers in a clear and conspicuous manner; and
- Direct the GAO to report on whether an alternative communication system for delivering EAS alerts exists that is as reliable and resilient as AM broadcast stations.
The full list of initial sponsors are: Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), and J.D. Vance (R-OH), and Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA).
A companion bill is expected to be introduced in the House.
