WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bill first championed by Rep. Josh Gottheimer to keep AM radio in every new vehicle passed the U.S. House Tuesday and now heads to the Senate.
The bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act passed by voice vote Sept. 15. The legislation would require automakers to provide access to AM broadcast radio as standard equipment in new passenger vehicles without charging consumers an additional fee.
Gottheimer, D-N.J., who represents Bergen County, helped introduce the legislation in 2023 after some automakers began removing AM radio from electric vehicles.
“AM radio saves lives when everything else goes dark — from 9/11 to Hurricane Sandy, we have to be prepared when disaster strikes,” Gottheimer wrote on Facebook after the House vote.
The congressman said the House passage was a major step toward keeping AM radio available to drivers.
“Yesterday, the House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, first championed by me, which keeps it in every new vehicle, free for drivers,” Gottheimer wrote. “Now it's the Senate's turn to finish the job.”
The bill directs the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue rules requiring automakers to include devices capable of receiving AM broadcast stations in new passenger vehicles without a separate or additional charge.
Supporters of the legislation have pointed to AM radio's role in providing emergency information, particularly when internet or cellular networks are unavailable.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee said tens of millions of Americans use AM radio and described it as an important tool for emergency communications when broadband networks are unavailable.
New Jersey Broadcasters Association Executive Director Jordan Walton also credited Gottheimer and other lawmakers for advancing the legislation.
“For more than 100 years, AM radio stations have provided music, sports, news, and entertainment to listeners across the Garden State and the country. More importantly over the last century, radio has provided a critical lifeline in times of emergency,” Walton said.
Gottheimer first helped introduce the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act in May 2023 with Reps. Tom Kean Jr., Rob Menendez, Bruce Westerman and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
He has also called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to take action related to AM radio access in vehicles.
The National Association of Broadcasters praised the House vote and said it would continue working with lawmakers as the legislation moves to the Senate.
