[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 90 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. J. RES. 90

   To recognize the achievements of radio amateurs, and to establish 
             support for such amateurs as national policy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                May 7 (legislative day, April 19), 1993

Mr. Robb (for himself, Mr. Akaka, Mr. DeConcini, Mr. Pressler, and Mr. 
Shelby) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice 
 and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
   To recognize the achievements of radio amateurs, and to establish 
             support for such amateurs as national policy.

Whereas Congress has expressed its determination in section 1 of the 
        Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151) to promote safety of life and 
        property through the use of radio communication;
Whereas Congress, in section 7 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
        157), established a policy to encourage the provision of new 
        technologies and services;
Whereas Congress, in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934, defined radio 
        stations to include amateur stations operated by persons interested in 
        radio technique without pecuniary interest;
Whereas the Federal Communications Commission has created an effective 
        regulatory framework through which the amateur radio service has been 
        able to achieve the goals of the service;
Whereas these regulations, set forth in part 97 of title 47 of the Code of 
        Federal Regulations clarify and extend the purposes of the amateur radio 
        service as a--

    (1) voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with 
respect to providing emergency communications;

    (2) contributing service to the advancement of the telecommunications 
infrastructure;

    (3) service which encourages improvement of an individual's technical 
and operating skills;

    (4) service providing a national reservoir of trained operators, 
technicians and electronics experts; and

    (5) service enhancing international good will;

Whereas Congress finds that members of the amateur radio service community has 
        provided invaluable emergency communications services following such 
        disasters as Hurricanes Hugo, Andrew, and Iniki, the Mt. St. Helens 
        eruption, the Loma Prieta earthquake, tornadoes, floods, wild fires, and 
        industrial accidents in great number and variety across the Nation; and
Whereas Congress finds that the amateur radio service has made a contribution to 
        our Nation's communications by its crafting, in 1961, of the first Earth 
        satellite licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, by its 
        proof-of-concept for search and rescue satellites, by its continued 
        exploration of the low Earth orbit in particular pointing the way to 
        commercial use thereof in the 1990s, by its pioneering of communications 
        using reflections from meteor trails, a technique now used for certain 
        government and commercial communications, and by its leading role in 
        development of low-cost, practical data transmission by radio which 
        increasingly is being put to extensive use in, for instance, the land 
        mobile service: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS OF CONGRESS.

    Congress finds and declares that--
            (1) radio amateurs are hereby commended for their 
        contributions to technical progress in electronics, and for 
        their emergency radio communications in times of disaster;
            (2) the Federal Communications Commission is urged to 
        continue and enhance the development of the amateur radio 
        service as a public benefit by adopting rules and regulations 
        which encourage the use of new technologies within the amateur 
        radio service; and
            (3) reasonable accommodation should be made for the 
        effective operation of amateur radio from residences, private 
        vehicles and public areas, and that regulation at all levels of 
        government should facilitate and encourage amateur radio 
        operation as a public benefit.

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