Put it in the Perpetually Pending file. The AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act — proposed legislation which, if made into law — would require American car makers to put an AM radio into every new car, is in the news again.
In the latest step of an inching process which has spanned years, we learn that the bill received renewed interest from lawmakers during the summer, and is now incrementally advancing through the congressional slog. Specifically, the current version of the bill will undergo committee markup tomorrow, Wednesday September 17.
Committee markup is a critical and incremental step in which a group of proponents examines, debates, and edits a piece of potential legislation, readying it for the next stage of advancement. In this case, that next step would be a full committee markup tomorrow.
The bill has achieved considerable support in Congress, surpassing the threshold (two-thirds of votes) needed to keep moving. Sixty-one senators are co-sponsors.
The key argument for mandating AM radios in all new cars puts a focus on public safety, especially the broadcast of emergency alerts during storms and other public crises.
The 12-page bill is HERE.
