[AReU] California PRB-1 on the way to the law books.

[w4tas]

News from the ARRL letter on the California PRB-1 legislation. 
Hope this is a solid reminder to the US Senate and the House 
of Representatives. 

From: ARRL Letter Mailing List <letter-dlvy@arrl.org>
To: w4tas@gte.net <w4tas@gte.net>
Subject: The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 15
Date: Friday, April 11, 2003 9:58 PM

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 15
April 11, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:


* +California PRB-1 bill on its way to Senate

==>CALIFORNIA ANTENNA BILL ZIPS THROUGH ASSEMBLY

Just eight days after being voted out of committee, California's latest
effort to pass an Amateur Radio antenna bill--Assembly Bill 1228--this
week got the approval of the California Assembly on a 67-0 vote on April
10. The measure's had its first reading in the Senate. The next major step
will be a hearing--as yet unscheduled--before the Senate Local Government
Committee.

"Excellent news!" was the reaction of ARRL Southwestern Division Director
Art Goddard, W6XD. The bill, introduced February 21 by Assemblyman Bob
Dutton (R-63rd), got a unanimous 9-0 favorable vote at an April 2 hearing
of the Assembly Committee on Local Government at which ARRL staffer and
antenna expert Dean Straw, N6BV--a California resident--testified on
behalf of the measure. ARRL Pacific Division Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG,
also spoke at the hearing.

Mike Mitchell, W6RW, who's spearheading the Amateur Radio community's
effort to promote the bill says AB 1228, now is seeking witnesses for the
Senate committee hearing. Straw already has volunteered to appear. AB 1228
marks the first bill sponsored by Dutton--who was elected last
November--to reach the Assembly floor.

AB 1228 would incorporate the language of PRB-1 into the statutes of
California. The state is home to some 100,000 Amateur Radio licensees--by
far the greatest number of any other state and nearly 15 percent of total
US licensees. The measure would require any ordinance regulating Amateur
Radio antenna structures to not preclude but to "reasonably accommodate"
Amateur Radio communications, to allow amateur station antenna structures
"at heights and dimensions sufficient to accommodate Amateur Radio Service
communications" and to constitute "the minimum practicable regulation to
accomplish the legitimate purpose of the city or county."

The California legislature approved a nearly identical PRB-1 measure three
years ago, but Gov Gray Davis vetoed it. Davis said at the time that he
did so because funds for required studies were not included in his budget.
The new bill does not carry a price tag.

A copy of the proposed legislation is available on the California
Legislature Web site
<http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1201-1250/ab_1228_bill_20030221
_introduced.html>. Utah recently became the latest of 17 states to
incorporate the essence of PRB-1 into their laws.