[BCVHFA] Fwd: ARLB029 Landmark bill could provide amateurs relief from restrict ive

[K8CM]

>Subject: ARLB029 Landmark bill could provide amateurs relief from 
>restrict      ive
>Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 17:09:40 -0400
>To: K8CM@cinci.rr.com
>CC: Subscribed ARRL Members: ;
>From: "ARRL Web site" <memberlist@www.arrl.org>
>
>SB QST @ ARL $ARLB029
>ARLB029 Landmark bill could provide amateurs relief from restrictive
>covenants
>
>ZCZC AG29
>QST de W1AW
>ARRL Bulletin 29  ARLB029
> From ARRL Headquarters
>Newington CT  May 14, 2002
>To all radio amateurs
>
>SB QST ARL ARLB029
>ARLB029 Landmark bill could provide amateurs relief from restrictive
>covenants
>
>A bill introduced in Congress May 14 could provide relief to
>amateurs prevented by private deed covenants, conditions and
>restrictions--CC&Rs--from installing outdoor antennas. Rep Steve
>Israel (D-NY) has introduced the ''Amateur Radio Emergency
>Communications Consistency Act.'' The measure is aimed at preventing
>private land-use rules from ''unreasonably interfering with'' the
>installation and use of ''appropriate antenna structures'' for
>amateurs. Rep Greg Walden, WB7OCE (R-OR)--the only Amateur Radio
>operator in Congress--and Rep Pete Sessions (R-TX) have signed on as
>original cosponsors.
>
>The measure contains but one sentence: ''For purposes of the Federal
>Communications Commission's regulation relating to station antenna
>structures in the Amateur Radio Service (47 CFR 97.15), any private
>land use rules applicable to such structures shall be treated as a
>state or local regulation and shall be subject to the same
>requirements and limitations as a state or local regulation.''
>
>The bill, which does not yet have a number, is expected to be
>assigned to the Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee of the
>House Energy and Commerce Committee.
>
>After the ARRL ran into a brick wall trying to convince the FCC to
>include CC&Rs under the limited federal preemption known as PRB-1,
>the League's Board of Directors agreed to pursue a congressional
>remedy. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, and other League officials
>met with Israel, Walden, Sessions and others on Capitol Hill earlier
>this year to discuss the prospect of such a bill and how it should
>be worded. With the proposal now in the legislative hopper, Haynie
>says the ''really hard work'' is up to the amateur community, League
>members or not.
>
>''It becomes important for all of us to write your congressman, call
>your congressman and voice your support,'' Haynie said. ''This will
>have to be a grassroots effort, and we're going to pull out all the
>stops.''
>
>Israel, whose father, Howard, is K2JCC, said in a statement read
>into the Congressional Record that his bill seeks to ensure the
>continued viability of a volunteer public service resource. ''My
>bill would provide Amateur Radio licensees with the ability to
>negotiate reasonable accommodation provisions with homeowners'
>associations,'' Israel said, ''just as they do now with governmental
>land-use regulators, to ensure that our nation is not left with
>areas devoid of the public safety services amateurs can provide.''
>
>Visit the US House of Representatives ''Write Your Representative
>Service'' Web page http://www.house.gov/writerep/ for information on
>how to contact your representative.
>
>ARRL requests those contacting members of Congress to copy ARRL on
>their correspondence--via e-mail to ccr-bill@arrl.org or via US Mail
>to CC&R Bill, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Please include
>your name and address on all correspondence.
>NNNN
>/EX