Contact person: E-mail: INFO@W1BAA.ORG
Southern Berkshire Amateur Radio Club
Presents the
18th Annual Hamfest
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Click the pictures for enlargements
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111 TH CONGRESS 1 ST SESSION H. R. 2160
To promote and encourage the valuable public service, disaster relief, and emergency communications provided on a volunteer basis by licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a study of the uses of amateur radio for emergency and disaster relief communications, by identifying unnecessary or unrea-sonable impediments to the deployment of Amateur Radio emergency and disaster relief communications, and by making recommendations for relief of such unreasonable restrictions so as to expand the uses of amateur radio communications in Homeland Security planning and response. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES A PRIL 29, 2009 Ms. J ACKSON -L EE of Texas (for herself, Ms. B ORDALLO , Mr. L UETKEMEYER , Ms. K ILROY , Ms. Z OE L OFGREN of California, and Mr. T HOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-mittee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To promote and encourage the valuable public service, dis-aster relief, and emergency communications provided on a volunteer basis by licensees of the Federal Communica-tions Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by un-dertaking a study of the uses of amateur radio for emer-gency and disaster relief communications, by identifying unnecessary or unreasonable impediments to the deploy-ment of Amateur Radio emergency and disaster relief communications, and by making recommendations for VerDate Nov 24 2008 06:37 Apr 30, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H2160.IH H2160 rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
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2 •HR 2160 IH relief of such unreasonable restrictions so as to expand the uses of amateur radio communications in Homeland Security planning and response. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Amateur Radio Emer-4gency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6The Congress finds the following: 7(1) Nearly 700,000 amateurs radio operators in 8the United States are licensed by the Federal Com-9munications Commission in the Amateur Radio 10Service. 11(2) Amateur Radio operators provide, on a vol-12unteer basis, a valuable public service to their com-13munities, their States, and to the Nation, especially 14in the area of national and international disaster 15communications. 16(3) Emergency and disaster relief communica-17tions services by volunteer Amateur Radio operators 18have consistently and reliably been provided before, 19during, and after floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, for-20est fires, earthquakes, blizzards, train accidents, 21chemical spills, and other disasters. These commu-22nications services include services in connection with 23 VerDate Nov 24 2008 06:37 Apr 30, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2160.IH H2160 rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
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3 •HR 2160 IH significant examples, such as hurricanes Katrina, 1Rita, Hugo, and Andrew; the relief effort at the 2World Trade Center, and the Pentagon following the 32001 terrorist attacks; and the Oklahoma City 4bombing in April 1995. 5(4) Amateur Radio has formal agreements for 6the provision of volunteer emergency communica-7tions activities with the Department of Homeland 8Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agen-9cy, the National Weather Service, the National Com-10munications System, and the Association of Public 11Safety Communications Officials, as well as with dis-12aster relief agencies, including the American Na-13tional Red Cross and the Salvation Army. 14(5) The Congress passed Public Law 103–408 15which was signed by the President on October 22, 161994. This included in Section 1 the following find-17ing of Congress: ‘‘Reasonable accommodation should 18be made for the effective operation of amateur radio 19from residences, private vehicles and public areas, 20and the regulation at all levels of government should 21facilitate and encourage amateur radio operation as 22a public benefit.’’ 23(6) The Congress passed Public Law 109–295 24which was signed by the President on October 4, 25 VerDate Nov 24 2008 06:37 Apr 30, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2160.IH H2160 rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
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4 •HR 2160 IH 2006. This included a provision in the Department 1of Homeland Security Appropriations legislation for 2fiscal year 2007 that directed the Department’s Re-3gional Emergency Communications Coordinating 4Working Group to coordinate their activities with 5‘‘ham and amateur radio operators’’ among the elev-6en other emergency organizations such as ambulance 7services, law enforcement, and others. 8(7) Amateur Radio, at no cost to taxpayers, 9provides a fertile ground for technical self-training 10in modern telecommunications, electronic technology, 11and emergency communications techniques and pro-12tocols. 13(8) There is a strong Federal interest in the ef-14fective performance of Amateur Radio stations, and 15that performance must be given support at all levels 16of government and given protection against unrea-17sonable regulation and impediments to the provision 18of these valuable communications. 19 SEC. 3. STUDY OF ENHANCED USES OF AMATEUR RADIO IN 20 EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RELIEF COMMU- 21 NICATION, AND FOR RELIEF OF RESTRIC- 22 TIONS. 23(a) A UTHORITY .—The Secretary of Homeland Secu-24rity— 25 VerDate Nov 24 2008 06:37 Apr 30, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2160.IH H2160 rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
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5 •HR 2160 IH (1) shall undertake a study on the uses and ca-1pabilities of Amateur Radio communications in 2emergencies and disaster relief; and 3(2) shall report its findings to Congress not 4later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 5this Act. 6(b) S COPE OF THE S TUDY .—The study required by 7this section shall— 8(1) include recommendations— 9(A) for enhancements in the voluntary de-10ployment of Amateur Radio licensees in disaster 11and emergency communications and disaster re-12lief efforts; and 13(B) for improved integration of Amateur 14Radio operators in planning and in furtherance 15of the Department of Homeland Security initia-16tives; 17(2)(A) identify unreasonable or unnecessary im-18pediments to enhanced Amateur Radio communica-19tions, such as the effects of private land use regula-20tions on residential antenna installations; and 21(B) make recommendations regarding such im-22pediments; and 23 VerDate Nov 24 2008 06:37 Apr 30, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2160.IH H2160 rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
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6 •HR 2160 IH (3)(A) include an evaluation of section 207 of 1the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Public Law 2104–104, 110 Stat. 56 (1996)); and 3(B) make a recommendation whether that sec-4tion should be modified to prevent unreasonable pri-5vate land use restrictions that impair the ability of 6an amateur radio operator licensed by the Federal 7Communications Commission to conduct, or prepare 8to conduct, emergency communications by means of 9effective outdoor antennas and support structures at 10reasonable heights and dimensions for the purpose, 11in residential areas. 12(c) U SE OF E XPERTISE AND I NFORMATION .—In con-13ducting the study required by this section, the Secretary 14of Homeland Security shall— 15(1) utilize the expertise of the American Radio 16Relay League, representing the National Amateur 17Radio community; and 18(2) seek information from private and public 19sectors for the study. 20 Æ VerDate Nov 24 2008 23:11 Apr 30, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2160.IH H2160 rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
