he ARRL has made public some of its legislative objectives for the coming 114th Congressional year.
The League says that it will continue to secure passage of legislation instructing the FCC to extend the requirement for “reasonable accommodation” of Amateur Radio station antennas to all forms of land-use regulation. The League also will continue to oppose legislation leading to the reallocation of amateur spectrum, or to sharing arrangements that reduce the utility of existing allocations. Any legislation that diminishes the rights of federal licensees in favor of unlicensed emitters, or that encourages the deployment of spectrum-polluting technologies will also be opposed by the League.
Among the other objectives, the ARRL will seek recognition of the unique resources, capabilities, and expertise of the Amateur Radio Service in any legislation addressing communications issues related to emergencies, disasters, or homeland security.
The League says it will support complementary legislative objectives of other radio communication services, particularly the public safety and scientific services that require spectrum access and protection from interference for noncommercial purposes that benefit the public.
Support will also be given to legislation authorizing the FCC to appoint an electrical engineer or scientist as an additional staff member to ensure the Commissioners have adequate access to technical expertise when making decisions.
The ARRL continues to oppose “distracted driving” legislation that does not clearly define the class of devices included in the regulation, so as to exclude two-way mobile radio transmitters or receivers used by Amateur Radio licensees.
Source: ARRL