[ARRL-OK] [Fwd: New Legislative Bill Number]

[Eddie Manley]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	New Legislative Bill Number
Date: 	Sat, 26 Feb 2005 11:55:20 -0600
From: 	Eddie Manley <jema1 at pcwan.net>
To: 	ARRL Oklahoma Section List <arrl-ok at mailman.qth.net>




NEW HOUSE BILL NUMBER:
Since this is a NEW session of Congress [109th] we have a NEW bill 
number to follow  in regard to the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection 
Act.   This bill which was previously HR 713 in the 108th Congress --  
will now be called HR 691.   The language is the same, nothing has 
changed except the Bill number. 

If you need a copy of the Bill, or a sample letter to send to your 
Congressional Representative, please drop me an e-mail.  
LET'S GET THIS BILL PASSED THIS SESSION ... contact your Congressional 
Representative and ask them to 'sign on' as  Rep Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) 
has already done. Information about how to contact your Representative 
is in the text below.

Be pro active on this legislation ... it will help secure our 
frequencies for the next generation .... your children and 
grandchildren.   DO IT NOW! ... DON'T WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE ... WRITE, 
CALL OR EMAIL
Thanks
Eddie  -- K5EMS
 [Oklahoma Ass't Sec Mang]
================================================================================

==>AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT OF 2005 INTRODUCED

At the urging of the ARRL, Rep Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) has introduced The
Amateur Radio Spectrum Act of 2005 into the US House of Representatives. The
bill, designated HR 691, has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce
Committee where Bilirakis serves as vice chairman. Like previous versions of
the proposal, the current measure would require the FCC to provide
"equivalent replacement spectrum" to Amateur Radio if the FCC reallocates
primary amateur frequencies, reduces any secondary amateur allocations, or
makes additional allocations within such bands that would substantially
reduce their utility to amateurs. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP,
expressed his appreciation to Bilirakis this week.

"As president of the American Radio League and on behalf of the more than
670,000 federally licensed Amateur Radio operators throughout the country, I
would like to thank you for once again sponsoring the 'Amateur Radio
Spectrum Protection Act,'" Haynie told the Florida Republican. "As you know,
this legislation is vital for ensuring that the Amateur Radio Service, the
only 100-percent fail safe emergency communication capability, remains a
viable public safety option."

HR 691 references Amateur Radio's role in providing "voluntary,
noncommercial radio service, particularly emergency communications," and it
points out that hams have "consistently and reliably" provided communication
support in the event of emergencies and disasters including tornadoes and
hurricanes, chemical spills, forest fires and rail accidents. As the measure
notes, FCC actions already have led to the loss of at least 107 MHz of
spectrum to radio amateurs.

Rep Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) has signed on as the bill's first co-sponsor.
Bartlett chairs the Projection Forces Subcommittee of the Armed Services
Committee. One of three scientists in the 109th Congress, Bartlett also is a
senior member of the House Science Committee.

Efforts now will focus on attracting additional cosponsors for the
legislation. The League is encouraging members to urge their congressional
representatives to sign aboard HR 691. A sample letter is available on the
ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr-691-sample-letter.html>.
More than 100 lawmakers agreed to cosponsor similar legislation in the 108th
Congress, where it was designated HR 713. Work is proceeding to have
identical legislation introduced in the US Senate.

The text of HR 691 is available on the Government Printing Office Web site
<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&do
cid=f:h691ih.txt.pdf>.

For general guidance on the best methods of contacting your members of
Congress, see "Communicating with Congress," by Derek Riker, KB3JLF, on the
ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/news/bandthreat/0304046.pdf>.