H.R.5709 - Pirate Radio Act

[Strange Beacons]

Posted on my Twitter feed today: Full text of the Pirate Radio Act.

(To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for enhanced penalties for pirate radio, and for other purposes).

W9SPY/Curt

Edit: Fixed broken link

[redhat]

Your link doesn't work.

Text here.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr5709/text

+-RH

[ChrisSmolinski]

It passed the House https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5709/actions

"07/23/2018   Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote."

The technique used is commonly used to pass non-controversial bills that that broad support. There was no actual vote by each congressman. Now we have to follow it in the Senate. Considering how quickly it passed in the House, and with no opposition, I suspect the odds are high it will make it through the Senate and become law.

[MDK2]

Who says there's gridlock in Washington? 

[PresentedIn4D]

Interesting that the text says

The term pirate radio broadcasting means the transmission of communications on spectrum frequencies between 535 to 1705 kHz or 87.7 to 108 MHz without a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission, but does not include unlicensed operations in compliance with part 15 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.

So this does not affect shortwave pirates?

[TheRelayStation]

the Communications Act of 1934 will apply to all illegal unlicensed radio transmissions outside of the FM/AM broadcast band.
the amended HR 5709 bill to the Communications Act of 1934 will apply to pirates broadcasting in the FM/AM broadcast band.
both have differences in their procedures and levied fine amounts.

[Josh]

"between 535 to 1705 kHz or 87.7 to 108 MHz"

Cat's outta the bag now. This will be used in court to protect hf piracy.

[Strange Beacons]

Your link doesn't work.

Text here.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr5709/text

+-RH

Fixed it. Thanks for the head's up. 

[KaySeeks]

"between 535 to 1705 kHz or 87.7 to 108 MHz"

Cat's outta the bag now. This will be used in court to protect hf piracy.

Again, the new act does not renounce The Communications Act of 1934; it simply strengthens the penalties and fines for operating in the AM and FM bands. It does not say that HF pirates are now, all the sudden, acceptable.

I'm not sure why you say it will be used to "protect" HF pirates.

[JimIO]

Are 520, 530 and 1710 OK? Those are on my AM radio.

[ChrisSmolinski]

Are 520, 530 and 1710 OK? Those are on my AM radio.

OK in that you only get a $100,000 fine, not a $2,000,000 fine.

[redhat]

This "law" (if enacted) is not in the public interest, it's in the private special-interest

And that would differ from which piece of legislation passed in the last 100 or so years?

+-RH

[KaySeeks]

And that would differ from which piece of legislation passed in the last 100 or so years?

  Now THAT'S a hot take....

[Josh]

"between 535 to 1705 kHz or 87.7 to 108 MHz"

Cat's outta the bag now. This will be used in court to protect hf piracy.

Again, the new act does not renounce The Communications Act of 1934; it simply strengthens the penalties and fines for operating in the AM and FM bands. It does not say that HF pirates are now, all the sudden, acceptable.

I'm not sure why you say it will be used to "protect" HF pirates.

Because you can't have two definitions for the same act?

[TheRelayStation]

"between 535 to 1705 kHz or 87.7 to 108 MHz"

Cat's outta the bag now. This will be used in court to protect hf piracy.

Again, the new act does not renounce The Communications Act of 1934; it simply strengthens the penalties and fines for operating in the AM and FM bands. It does not say that HF pirates are now, all the sudden, acceptable.

I'm not sure why you say it will be used to "protect" HF pirates.

Because you can't have two definitions for the same act?

unless the definition for a specific "act" is defined in the amended bill and as in this case, the amended "act" and definition is for the FM/AM broadcast band.
this changes nothing for pirating in the HF band as far as im concerned but does significantly change things for those pirating in the FM/AM broadcast band.
like the news media, its fear that is being pushed, since it is now much easier for the justice department to go after the individual(s) and collect these fine amounts since they are now levied at a significantly higher amount than it was historically, but if the individual(s) cannot pay, will the justice department have the authority to place a lien on the accused subject(s) property (house/land/other) or a legal (through federal court) monetary judgement on  and against the individual(s) accused in an attempt to collect the fine amount ?