WASHINGTON, September 23 — The House of Representatives passed H.R. 979, the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act,” by voice vote on Tuesday, a move that would require AM radios to remain in every new automobile sold in the United States for at least the next eight years. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to pass. If approved as drafted by the House, it will go to President Trump for his signature.
The voice vote signals broad bipartisan support. The legislation responds to a push by automobile manufacturers to exclude AM radios from new cars due to electromagnetic interference from electric drivetrains.
The propulsion system of electric vehicles interferes with AM radio transmission. Car manufacturers can engineer around the problem, but it adds weight and, more importantly, cost to the price of the vehicle. By some estimates, it will cost approximately $3.8 billion to make the EMI shielding and filtering — an expense that is eventually passed on to the person purchasing the car.
Reach and Resilience
Supporters point to AM radio’s reach and resilience. By some estimates, more than 80 million Americans tune into AM radio every month. Radios have been in cars for more than one hundred years, though factory-installed models began appearing in the 1930s.
With the advent of smartphones and satellite radio, Americans have far more options than ever before while driving. Yet the push to preserve AM radio in automobiles extends beyond tradition or familiar habit.
Bipartisan support for the current legislation stems from AM’s ability to reach people in the event of a disaster — when cellular networks, internet service or electrical infrastructure go down or are compromised. AM radio is the backbone of the Emergency Alert System.
Broadcaster Support
Nic Anderson, national Religious Broadcasters’ vice president of public policy, praised the House passage. “Make no mistake: House passage of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is a tremendous victory for Christian broadcasters and communicators across the country,” he said. “AM radio remains a vital platform for sharing the Gospel, serving our communities, and delivering trusted, lifesaving information during emergencies.
Today’s vote affirms that free, local, over-the-air radio still matters and must remain available in every vehicle for the next generation of listeners. We are grateful to the bipartisan coalition in Congress that brought us to this moment, and we look forward to working with the Senate to get this important legislation across the finish line and onto President Trump’s desk for his signature.” The Senate now takes up the measure.
What this signals is a rare point of agreement in a divided Congress — and a rebuke to automakers who had argued the technology is obsolete. The calculus for the industry shifts to the Senate floor, where the bill’s bipartisan backing in the House will be tested against manufacturer lobbying. If it clears, the eight-year mandate becomes law, and the question of AM’s place on the dashboard is settled for at least a generation.
