[K3CAL] Fwd: Progress with our HOA bill - Your help needed

[Shawn Donley]

Takes less than a quarter minute.  https://send-a-letter.org/hoa/ 

> ---------- Original Message ----------
> From: ARRL Members Only Web site <memberlist at arrl.org>
> Date: 10/08/2025 3:31 PM EDT
> Subject: Progress with our HOA bill - Your help needed
>  
>  
> By now many of you have seen the message to all of our members inviting
> them to participate in the ARRL HOA bill effort we are advancing through
> Congress. If you are not aware of the program or have not yet created
> your letter of support to your Representatives and Senators in DC,
> navigate directly to our website: https://send-a-letter.org/hoa/ and see
> how simple it is to send a letter to your US legislators. The website
> will use your call sign to populate the letter with your information and
> automatically select the appropriate legislators to address your
> letters. When you finish and approve the letter on your screen, hit
> send and the rest is automatic. All hams can use this site! It is not
> just for ARRL Members. Pass it on.
> 
> Your letter will be delivered by hand to the DC offices of your
> Representative and Senators by our two DC firms who are shepherding this
> effort. This is important. While sending your own letter to your
> legislators is OK, such letters will likely not end up on the right
> desk, if at all, for some months. However, our ARRL representatives in
> Washington will deliver the letters you create directly to the correct
> office by appointment and to discuss your interests.
> 
> Some members argue that HOA dwellers made their own bed and should not
> have bought a home in an HOA. I would not choose to live in one. But
> this argument ignores that HOA restrictions affect all style family
> homes, even homes with large yards and other style homes in which the
> home owner controls the property around his or her house. Also, many
> new hams were not licensed when they bought their home or had to move to
> an HOA in retirement. Younger hams may have no choice of where they
> live until later years.
> 
> In response to your concerns that we have tried this approach before,
> it is important to understand that our newest bill eliminates the
> serious shortcomings of our last HOA bill attempt. If you are
> interested in the differences from past to present, compare the old
> Parity Act language side by side with our new, well-crafted bill. You
> will understand why we spent years planning the new bill. Our proposal
> is flexible based on the HOA home style and how much room is available
> for simple antennas.
> 
> Towers on smaller HOA lots such as with townhouses with no room in the
> yard will likely never happen. But those homeowners should be able to
> use indoor antennas, minimal impact wire antennas or simple deck mounted
> antennas in certain circumstances. Some HOA rules prohibit any ham
> radio operations at all, even with indoor antennas in single family
> homes. I assist hams suffering with such draconian restrictions and
> they are not uncommon.
> 
> What our new HOA bill also asks for are the same rights HOA dwellers
> already have to install outdoor Over the Air Reception Devices (OTARD)
> for TV, satellite and internet wireless service antennas. Such antennas
> are allowed under existing law without permission and without seeking
> approval of the HOA board. You should have the same rights for similar
> sized antennas. The bill is carefully drafted to be palatable in crowded
> circumstances. We also comply with flagpole laws which supersede HOA
> prohibitions. If you are allowed a flagpole, well, why not a flagpole
> antenna of reasonable height?
> 
> The site is open to ALL licensed radio amateurs, not just ARRL members.
> And before you ask, only individual hams can use the site. No GMRS
> licensees or non-hams can use the site correctly as the letter it
> generates for you is carefully crafted and would not work with non-hams.
> We are considering expansion of the site for such additional support.
> 
> And for our Pennsylvania members, this past summer you heard from our
> PA Section Managers and myself asking for your PA radio club to send us
> separate club endorsements to deliver to certain targeted legislators in
> PA we needed to step up to sponsor the bill to get started. Delaware
> section leaders also stepped up much earlier and collected club letters
> urging their Congress members to support our bill. Those letters have
> been delivered.
> 
> Another campaign for club letters for the other states in our division
> has been rolled out yesterday. See the additional website link:
> https://send-a-letter.org/club contains a revised set of Instructions
> for club letters with a link to the MS Word version of the Club letter.
> Clicking on the link automatically downloads the letter for your use.
> Regardless, please use the site above to create your personal letter
> ASAP.
> 
> If you still have questions or concerns about our legislative push, let
> me know. As time permits I will address your questions or comments. In
> my view, the most important ham radio issues of our time are radio
> spectrum protection, antenna rights and RFI pollution suppression. The
> rest of what we all love about ham radio becomes less important if we do
> not pay attention to these threats. This campaign is meant to address
> one of these issues that currently affects many of you reading this.
> Let’s continue to move forward.
> 
> 73, and I will see you on the radio.
> 
> Bob Famiglio, K3RF
> 
> ARRL Atlantic Division Director
> Chairman Legal Defense Committee
> Chairman ARES Subcommittee
> 610-359-7300
> 
> www.QRZ.com/db/K3RF
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> ARRL Atlantic Division
> Director: Robert B Famiglio, K3RF
> k3rf at arrl.org
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
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