[CTSARA] Fwd: Responding to your message

[Lawrence Stoler]

Dear SARA e-mail list,


I'm forwarding a response I got from Senator Richard Blumenthal about S. 
1534 the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017.


I'm sure all of you know everything he points out about what we do 
during emergencies but I think it's great that he introduced this piece 
of legislation again last month.


Pass this on to anyone who you think will be interested in this as the 
approval of this will benefit all of us.


Sincerely,

Larry

WA1PDK





-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Responding to your message
Date: 	Mon, 14 Aug 2017 16:38:56 -0400
From: 	U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal <Senator at Blumenthal.Senate.gov>
To: 	lstoler99 at optonline.net



Dear Mr. Stoler,

Thank you for your message regarding S. 1534, the Amateur Radio Parity 
Act of 2017. I appreciate hearing from you.

The federal government allocates radio frequencies to a diverse array of 
users, from HAM radio operators to the U.S. military. There are more 
than 700,000 radio amateurs licensed by the Federal Communications 
Commission in the United States. Currently, amateur radio operators are 
often denied the ability to install reasonable and necessary equipment 
at their own personal residencies due to regulations.

Amateur radio operators often provide valuable services to their 
communities. By allowing licensed users to have their own antennas, they 
can assist in emergency communication and rescue efforts by working with 
public service agencies when main lines are down, in critical times such 
as natural disasters. Cases in which HAM operators have aided in rescue 
efforts when other communications have failed can be seen during 
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as well as in 2013, during the Boston 
Marathon bombing. On race day in Boston, amateur radio operators worked 
alongside the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency in providing 
real-time status updates regarding the developing situation and rescue 
efforts.

You may be pleased to know that I reintroduced this legislation in the 
Senate with Senator Roger Wicker on July 12, 2017. As you know, the 
Amateur Radio Parity Act would direct the Federal Communications 
Commission to amend their regulations to reasonably accommodate amateur 
operations.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the 
future with any additional questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Richard Blumenthal
United States Senator