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Shown Here: Introduced in House (06/25/2014)
113th CONGRESS 2d Session
H. R. 4969
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to extend to private land use restrictions its rule
relating to reasonable accommodation of amateur service communications.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 25, 2014
Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois (for himself and Mr. Courtney) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to extend to private land use restrictions its rule
relating to reasonable accommodation of amateur service communications.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1.Short title.
This Act may be cited as the “Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014”.
SEC. 2. Findings.
Congress finds the following:
(1) More than 700,000 radio amateurs in the United States are licensed by the Federal Communications
Commission in the amateur radio service.
(2) Amateur radio, at no cost to taxpayers, provides a fertile ground for technical self-training in
modern telecommunications, electronics technology, and emergency
communications techniques and protocols.
(3) There is a strong Federal interest in the effective performance of amateur radio stations
established at the residences of licensees. Such stations have been shown
to be frequently and increasingly precluded by unreasonable private land
use restrictions, including restrictive covenants.
(4) Federal Communications Commission regulations have for 28 years prohibited the application to
amateur radio stations of State and local regulations that preclude or
fail to reasonably accommodate amateur service communications, or that do
not constitute the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish a
legitimate State or local purpose. Commission policy has been and is to
permit erection of a station antenna structure at heights and dimensions
sufficient to accommodate amateur service communications.
(5) The Federal Communications Commission has sought guidance and direction from Congress with respect
to the application of the Commission’s limited preemption policy regarding
amateur radio communications to private land use restrictions, including
restrictive covenants.
SEC. 3. Accommodation of amateur service communications.
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications
Commission shall amend section 97.15(b) of title 47, Code of Federal
Regulations, so that such section prohibits application to amateur service
communications of any private land use restriction, including a
restrictive covenant, that—
(1) precludes such communications;
(2) fails to reasonably accommodate such communications; or
(3) does not constitute the minimum practicable restriction on such communications to accomplish the
legitimate purpose of the private entity seeking to enforce such
restriction.
