SB QST @ ARL $ARLB005
ARLB005 New "Amateur Radio Parity Act" Bill Introduced in US House
of Representatives

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ARRL Bulletin 5  ARLB005
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  January 17, 2017
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB005
ARLB005 New "Amateur Radio Parity Act" Bill Introduced in US House
of Representatives

H.R. 555 - a new "Amateur Radio Parity Act" bill - has been
introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill's language
is identical to that of the 2015 measure, H.R. 1301, which passed in
the House late last summer but failed in the waning days of the US
Senate to gain the necessary support. As with H.R. 1301, the new
measure introduced on January 13 in the 115th Congress was sponsored
by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), with initial co-sponsorship by Rep.
Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Rep. Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR). Walden now
chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, to which the new
bill has been referred. H.R. 555 will get an initial airing in the
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. When H.R. 1301 came
up in committee, Walden spoke forcefully in favor of the measure,
which ultimately attracted 126 House cosponsors.

Information on H.R. 555 can be found on the web at,
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/555?r=27 .

"Rep. Kinzinger has again stepped forward to introduce this
important legislation," said ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, NY2RF.
"Kinzinger's commitment stems from exposure to what the Amateur
Radio community brings to the service of all communities. The ARRL
and radio amateurs nationwide owe Rep. Kinzinger a resounding 'Thank
You!' for his efforts on their behalf."

H.R. 555 calls on the FCC to establish rules prohibiting the
application of deed restrictions that preclude Amateur Radio
communications on their face or as applied. Deed restrictions would
have to impose the minimum practicable restriction on Amateur Radio
communications to accomplish the lawful purposes of homeowners
association seeking to enforce the restriction.

The ARRL Board of Directors is expected to discuss the pending
legislation when it meets January 20-21.
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