[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 113 (Tuesday, July 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4300-S4301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2100. Mr. MARKEY (for himself and Mr. Cruz) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in subtitle H of title X, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. __. AM RADIO FOR EVERY VEHICLE.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (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 broadcast station licensed for the 
     dissemination of radio communications--
       (A) 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 (as defined in section 3 of the Communications Act of 
     1934 (47 U.S.C. 153)); 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--
       (i) is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission; 
     and
       (ii) uses an In-band On-channel 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) Integrated public alert and warning system; ipaws.--The 
     terms ``Integrated Public Alert and Warning System'' and 
     ``IPAWS'' mean 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) Receive.--The term ``receive'' means to receive a 
     broadcast signal via over-the-air transmission.
       (12) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Transportation.
       (13) Signal.--The term ``signal'' means radio frequency 
     energy that a holder of a radio station license granted or 
     authorized by the Federal Communications Commission pursuant 
     to sections 301 and 307 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
     U.S.C. 301, 307) intentionally emits or causes to be emitted 
     at a specified frequency for the purpose of transmitting 
     content or programming to the public.
       (14) 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 motor 
     vehicle as originally manufactured; and
       (B) the manufacturer of the motor vehicle recommends or 
     authorizes to be included in the motor vehicle for no 
     additional or separate monetary fee, payment, or surcharge, 
     beyond the base price of a motor vehicle.
       (b) AM Broadcast Stations Rule.--
       (1) 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--
       (A) requiring devices that can receive signals and play 
     content transmitted by AM broadcast stations be installed as 
     standard equipment in passenger motor vehicles--
       (i) manufactured in the United States, imported into the 
     United States, or shipped in interstate commerce; and
       (ii) manufactured after the effective date of the rule;
       (B) requiring access to AM broadcast stations in a manner 
     that is easily accessible to a driver after the effective 
     date of the rule; and
       (C) allowing a manufacturer to comply with that rule by 
     installing devices that can receive signals and play content 
     transmitted by digital audio AM broadcast stations as 
     standard equipment in passenger motor vehicles manufactured 
     in the United States, imported into the United States, or 
     shipped in interstate commerce after the effective date of 
     the rule.
       (2) Compliance.--
       (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), in 
     issuing the rule required under paragraph (1), 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.
       (B) Certain manufacturers.--In issuing the rule required 
     under paragraph (1), 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.
       (3) Interim requirement.--For passenger motor vehicles 
     manufactured after the date of enactment of this Act and 
     manufactured in the United States, imported into the United 
     States, or shipped in interstate commerce between the period 
     of time beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and 
     ending on the effective date of the rule issued under 
     paragraph (1) that do not include devices that can receive 
     signals and play content transmitted by AM broadcast 
     stations, the manufacturer of the passenger motor vehicles--
       (A) 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
       (B) 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 of time described in this paragraph.
       (4) Relationship to other laws.--When the rule issued under 
     paragraph (1) is in effect, 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.
       (5) Enforcement.--
       (A) Civil penalty.--Any person failing to comply with the 
     rule issued under paragraph (1) shall be liable to the United 
     States Government for a civil penalty in accordance with 
     section 30165(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code.
       (B) Civil action.--The Attorney General may bring a civil 
     action in an appropriate district court of the United States 
     to enjoin a violation of the rule issued under paragraph (1) 
     in accordance with section 30163 of title 49, United States 
     Code.
       (6) GAO study.--
       (A) In general.--The Comptroller General shall conduct a 
     comprehensive study on disseminating emergency alerts and 
     warnings to the public.
       (B) Requirements.--The study required under subparagraph 
     (A) shall include--
       (i) 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

       (ii) a description of any ongoing efforts to integrate new 
     and emerging technologies and communication platforms into 
     the IPAWS framework.
       (C) Consultation required.--In conducting the study 
     required under subparagraph (A), the Comptroller General 
     shall consult with--
       (i) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
       (ii) the Federal Communications Commission;
       (iii) the National Telecommunications and Information 
     Administration;
       (iv) the Secretary;
       (v) Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local 
     emergency management officials;
       (vi) first responders;
       (vii) technology experts in resilience and accessibility;
       (viii) radio broadcasters;
       (ix) manufacturers of passenger motor vehicles; and
       (x) other relevant stakeholders, as determined by the 
     Comptroller General.
       (7) 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 (6)(A), including

[[Page S4301]]

     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 (6)(A), 
     including recommendations for legislation and administrative 
     action as the Comptroller General determines appropriate.
       (8) Review.--Not less frequently than once every 5 years 
     after the date on which the Secretary issued the rule 
     required by paragraph (1), 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--
       (A) the impacts of the rule issued under that paragraph, 
     including the impacts on public safety; and
       (B) changes to IPAWS communication technologies that enable 
     resilient and accessible alerts to drivers and passengers of 
     passenger motor vehicles.
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