The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 — also known as H.R.1301 — has attracted 55 cosponsors as of May 12. The bill, introduced earlier this year in the US House of Representatives by Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), would direct the FCC to extend its rules relating to reasonable accommodation of Amateur Service communications to private land use restrictions. This weekend’s Dayton Hamvention will offer an opportunity for ARRL to speak with individual radio amateurs and encourage them to seek their House member’s support. ARRL Regulatory Information and Legislative Action Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, said those stopping by his booth at ARRL EXPO, in about a minute, can have a letter addressed to their representative and personalized with their contact information, printed and ready to sign.

“The ARRL will collect these signed letters and have them hand-delivered to the various Congressional offices by our DC legislative action team,” Henderson explained. “This easy-to-use process has succeeded at several major hamfests already this year and helped generate several hundred letters.”

The latest lawmakers to sign aboard H.R. 1301 include Representatives Pete Olson of Texas, Ed Perlmutter of Colorado, John Shimkus of Illinois, Dr Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, and Roger Williams of Texas.

Henderson said that the typically high number of attendees at Dayton Hamvention presents an excellent opportunity for Amateur Radio operators to get involved in the HR 1301 grassroots legislative effort.

Henderson said the League is also working on securing an original sponsor and co-sponsor for a companion Amateur Radio Parity Act bill in the US Senate. He encouraged all who may not be attending Hamvention to visit the ARRL’s HR 1301 page, where they can download a letter that can be personalized for your member of Congress.

“Once you have printed and signed the letter, send it to ARRL Grassroots Letter program, 225 Main St, Newington CT 06111,” Henderson said. “Once received these will be sorted and sent to the ARRL DC team for hand delivery on Capitol Hill.”

“We have gotten off to a good start on H.R. 1301, but we have a long way to go,” Henderson said. “We need every ARRL member to get involved with this important fight.”