ARRL Thanks House Members for Passage of the Amateur Radio Parity Act

NEWINGTON, Conn., Sept. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — ARRL, the National Association for Amateur Radio, expressed its appreciation to members of the U.S. House of Representatives who were instrumental in the passage of the Amateur Radio Parity Act — H.R. 1301 — unanimously by a voice vote on September 12, 2016. The bill would guarantee Amateur Radio operators who are living in deed-restricted communities, such as a homeowner’s association (HOA), the ability to construct an effective outdoor antenna. It is now awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.

Amateur, or “Ham,” Radio, is a popular personal communications service in which over 760,000 federally-licensed participants communicate by radio — locally, around the world and even into space — without the need for normal communications infrastructure, such as cell phone networks or the Internet. Because of this flexibility and independence, Amateur Radio is regularly relied upon during and after natural disasters to help local emergency and served agencies respond when normal communications methods are disrupted. These skilled communications services are provided by radio amateurs free of charge, as a public service. H.R. 1301 would ensure that Amateurs living in deed-restricted communities will be able to provide this vital community service during an emergency or disaster by protecting their ability to install an effective outdoor antenna. At the same time, the Bill affirms that local homeowners associations have a voice in the process.

ARRL is extremely grateful for the leadership of Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Joe Courtney (D-CT) for sponsoring and advocating the Amateur Radio Parity Act. Both of these skilled lawmakers have championed this bill for the past three years and they have proven to be great allies of Amateur Radio operators.

ARRL also extends our appreciation to Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-CA) for their skillful stewardship of the bill in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Passage of H.R. 1301 was the direct result of their capable leadership.

In addition, ARRL thanks Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chairman and Ranking Member of the full House Energy and Commerce Committee, respectively, also provided extremely valuable bipartisan support of the legislation that led to House passage of the landmark legislation.

ARRL also extends our appreciation to Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), the son of a ham and a long-time supporter of amateur radio and ARRL’s efforts to guarantee every amateur radio operator access to an effective outdoor antenna.

H.R. 1301 now awaits consideration in the U.S. Senate.

More information on H.R. 1301 is available at www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-parity-act

More information on Amateur Radio is available at www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160914/407966

SOURCE : ARRL