AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025

AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a rule requiring AM radio capabilities to be standard in all new passenger vehicles. (AM radio is often used to deliver emergency alerts and news and entertainment programming; some newer vehicles do not include AM equipment.)

Specifically, this bill applies to passenger vehicles (1) manufactured in the United States for sale in the United States, imported into the United States, or shipped in interstate commerce; and (2) manufactured after the rule's effective date. The rule must require all such vehicles to have devices that can receive signals and play content transmitted by AM stations or digital audio AM stations installed as standard equipment and made easily accessible to drivers.

Prior to the rule's effective date, manufacturers that do not include devices that can access AM radio as standard equipment (1) must inform purchasers of this fact through clear and conspicuous labeling, and (2) may not charge an additional or separate fee for AM radio access.

DOT may assess civil penalties for any violation of the rule. The Department of Justice may also bring a civil action to enjoin a violation.

DOT’s authority to issue the rule expires 10 years after the bill’s enactment. 

Further, the Government Accountability Office must study and report on the dissemination of emergency alerts to the public, including by conducting an assessment of AM broadcast stations relative to other Integrated Public Alert and Warning System communication technologies.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 315 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 315

 To require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring 
 access to AM broadcast stations in passenger motor vehicles, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 29, 2025

    Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Cruz, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Banks, Mr. 
  Barrasso, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Budd, Ms. 
 Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Daines, 
  Ms. Ernst, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Hawley, Ms. 
Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Justice, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lankford, 
   Mr. Lujan, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Moran, Mr. 
 Murphy, Mr. Reed, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Scott of 
Florida, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Sheehy, Ms. Smith, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Wyden, 
  Mr. Young, and Mr. Wicker) introduced the following bill; which was 
  read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring 
 access to AM broadcast stations in passenger motor vehicles, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
            (2) AM broadcast band.--The term ``AM broadcast band'' 
        means the band of frequencies between 535 kilohertz and 1705 
        kilohertz, inclusive.
            (3) AM broadcast station.--The term ``AM broadcast 
        station'' means a radio broadcast station--
                    (A) licensed by the Federal Communications 
                Commission for the dissemination of radio 
                communications intended to be received by the public; 
                and
                    (B) operated on a channel in the AM broadcast band.
            (4) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure of the House of Representatives;
                    (D) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (E) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives.
            (5) Comptroller general.--The term ``Comptroller General'' 
        means the Comptroller General of the United States.
            (6) Device.--The term ``device'' means a piece of equipment 
        or an apparatus that is designed--
                    (A) to receive signals transmitted by a radio 
                broadcast station; and
                    (B) to play back content or programming derived 
                from those signals.
            (7) Digital audio am broadcast station.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``digital audio AM 
                broadcast station'' means an AM broadcast station that 
                uses an In Band On Channel DAB System (as defined in 
                section 73.402 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations 
                (or a successor regulation)) for broadcasting purposes.
                    (B) Exclusion.--The term ``digital audio AM 
                broadcast station'' does not include an All-digital AM 
                station (as defined in section 73.402 of title 47, Code 
                of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)).
            (8) IPAWS.--The term ``IPAWS'' means the public alert and 
        warning system of the United States described in section 526 of 
        the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 321o).
            (9) Manufacturer.--The term ``manufacturer'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 30102(a) of title 49, United 
        States Code.
            (10) Passenger motor vehicle.--The term ``passenger motor 
        vehicle'' has the meaning given the term in section 32101 of 
        title 49, United States Code.
            (11) Radio broadcast station.--The term ``radio broadcast 
        station'' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
        Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153).
            (12) Radio station license.--The term ``radio station 
        license'' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
        Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153).
            (13) Receive.--The term ``receive'' means to receive a 
        broadcast signal via over-the-air transmission.
            (14) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
            (15) Signal.--The term ``signal'' means radio frequency 
        energy that a holder of a radio station license intentionally 
        emits or causes to be emitted at a specified frequency for the 
        purpose of transmitting content or programming to the public.
            (16) Standard equipment.--The term ``standard equipment'' 
        means motor vehicle equipment (as defined in section 30102(a) 
        of title 49, United States Code) that--
                    (A) is installed as a system, part, or component of 
                a passenger motor vehicle as originally manufactured; 
                and
                    (B) the manufacturer of the passenger motor vehicle 
                recommends or authorizes to be included in the 
                passenger motor vehicle for no additional or separate 
                monetary fee, payment, or surcharge, beyond the base 
                price of the passenger motor vehicle.
            (17) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, 
        territory, or possession of the United States, and each 
        federally recognized Indian Tribe.

SEC. 3. AM BROADCAST STATIONS RULE.

    (a) Rule Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Administrator and the Federal Communications Commission, shall issue a 
rule--
            (1) requiring devices that can receive signals and play 
        content transmitted by AM broadcast stations be installed as 
        standard equipment in passenger motor vehicles--
                    (A) manufactured in the United States for sale in 
                the United States, imported into the United States, or 
                shipped in interstate commerce; and
                    (B) manufactured after the effective date of the 
                rule;
            (2) requiring access to AM broadcast stations through the 
        devices required under paragraph (1) in a manner that is easily 
        accessible to drivers; and
            (3) allowing a manufacturer to comply with that rule by 
        installing devices as described in paragraph (1) that can 
        receive signals and play content transmitted by digital audio 
        AM broadcast stations.
    (b) Compliance.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), in 
        issuing the rule required under subsection (a), the Secretary 
        shall establish an effective date for the rule that is not less 
        than 2 years, but not more than 3 years, after the date on 
        which the rule is issued.
            (2) Certain manufacturers.--In issuing the rule required 
        under subsection (a), the Secretary shall establish an 
        effective date for the rule that is at least 4 years after the 
        date on which the rule is issued with respect to manufacturers 
        that manufactured not more than 40,000 passenger motor vehicles 
        for sale in the United States in 2022.
    (c) Interim Requirement.--For passenger motor vehicles manufactured 
after the date of enactment of this Act and manufactured in the United 
States for sale in the United States, imported into the United States, 
or shipped in interstate commerce during the period beginning on the 
day after the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the day 
before the effective date of the rule issued under subsection (a) that 
do not include devices that can receive signals and play content 
transmitted by AM broadcast stations, the manufacturer of the passenger 
motor vehicles--
            (1) shall provide clear and conspicuous labeling to inform 
        purchasers of those passenger motor vehicles that the passenger 
        motor vehicles do not include devices that can receive signals 
        and play content transmitted by AM broadcast stations; and
            (2) may not charge an additional or separate monetary fee, 
        payment, or surcharge, beyond the base price of the passenger 
        motor vehicles, for access to AM broadcast stations for the 
        period described in this subsection.
    (d) Relationship to Other Laws.--After the date of enactment of 
this Act, a State or a political subdivision of a State may not 
prescribe or continue in effect a law, regulation, or other requirement 
applicable to access to AM broadcast stations in passenger motor 
vehicles.
    (e) Enforcement.--
            (1) Civil penalty.--Any person who violates the rule issued 
        under subsection (a) shall be liable to the United States 
        Government for a civil penalty under section 30165(a)(1) of 
        title 49, United States Code, as if that rule were a regulation 
        described in that section.
            (2) Civil action.--The Attorney General may bring a civil 
        action under section 30163 of title 49, United States Code, in 
        an appropriate district court of the United States to enjoin a 
        violation of the rule issued under subsection (a) of this 
        section, as if that rule were a regulation described in 
        subsection (a)(1) of that section 30163.
    (f) GAO Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General shall conduct a 
        comprehensive study on disseminating emergency alerts and 
        warnings to the public.
            (2) Requirements.--The study required under paragraph (1) 
        shall include--
                    (A) an assessment of--
                            (i) the role of passenger motor vehicles in 
                        IPAWS communications, including by providing 
                        access to AM broadcast stations;
                            (ii) the advantages, effectiveness, 
                        limitations, resilience, and accessibility of 
                        existing IPAWS communication technologies, 
                        including AM broadcast stations in passenger 
                        motor vehicles;
                            (iii) the advantages, effectiveness, 
                        limitations, resilience, and accessibility of 
                        AM broadcast stations relative to other IPAWS 
                        communication technologies in passenger motor 
                        vehicles; and
                            (iv) whether other IPAWS communication 
                        technologies are capable of ensuring the 
                        President (or a designee) can reach at least 90 
                        percent of the population of the United States 
                        at a time of crisis, including at night; and
                    (B) a description of any ongoing efforts to 
                integrate new and emerging technologies and 
                communication platforms into the IPAWS framework.
            (3) Consultation required.--In conducting the study 
        required under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall 
        consult with--
                    (A) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
                    (B) the Federal Communications Commission;
                    (C) the National Telecommunications and Information 
                Administration;
                    (D) the Secretary;
                    (E) Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local 
                emergency management officials;
                    (F) first responders;
                    (G) technology experts in resilience and 
                accessibility;
                    (H) radio broadcasters;
                    (I) manufacturers of passenger motor vehicles; and
                    (J) other relevant stakeholders, as determined by 
                the Comptroller General.
            (4) Briefing and report.--
                    (A) Briefing.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
                of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
                brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the 
                results of the study required by paragraph (1), 
                including recommendations for legislation and 
                administrative action as the Comptroller General 
                determines appropriate.
                    (B) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
                on which the Comptroller General provides the briefing 
                required under subparagraph (A), the Comptroller 
                General shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
                Congress a report describing the results of the study 
                required under paragraph (1), including recommendations 
                for legislation and administrative action as the 
                Comptroller General determines appropriate.
    (g) Review.--Not less frequently than once every 5 years after the 
date on which the Secretary issues the rule required by subsection (a), 
the Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator and the Federal 
Communications Commission, shall submit to the appropriate committees 
of Congress a report that shall include an assessment of--
            (1) the impacts of the rule issued under that subsection, 
        including the impacts on public safety; and
            (2) possible changes to IPAWS communication technologies 
        that would enable resilient and accessible alerts to drivers 
        and passengers of passenger motor vehicles.
    (h) Sunset.--The authority of the Secretary to issue the rule 
required by subsection (a) shall expire on the date that is 10 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act.
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