BRATS The Milliwatt ARRL
The award-winning monthly publication of
The Baltimore Radio Amateur Television Society
P.O.Box 5915 Baltimore, MD 21282-5915

April, 2005

Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2005 Introduced

At the urging of the ARRL, Rep Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) has introduced The Amateur Radio Spectrum Act of 2005 into the US House of Representatives. The bill, designated HR 691, has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee where Bilirakis serves as vice chairman. Like previous versions of the proposal, the current measure would require the FCC to provide "equivalent replacement spectrum" to the Amateur Radio and Amateur-Satellite services in the event of reallocation to other services of primary amateur spectrum or the diminution of secondary amateur spectrum. The bill also would cover additional allocations within Amateur Radio bands that "would substantially reduce" their utility to Amateur Service licensees. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, expressed his appreciation to Bilirakis this week.

FCC Morse, restructuring proposals could hit the street by mid-year

The FCC continues to work toward developing a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that will spell out what the Commission has in mind with respect to possible changes in the current Morse code requirement and Amateur Radio licensing. A total of 18 petitions have been filed, including one from the ARRL, seeking Part 97 rule changes addressing the future of the 5 WPM Morse requirement (Element 1) and revisions to the overall Amateur Radio licensing structure. The FCC plans to tackle all 18 in a single proceeding. As far as the code issue is concerned, petitions--and comments in response to them--run the gamut from retaining or even beefing up the Morse requirement to eliminating it altogether. (The ARRL's proposal would retain the 5 WPM Morse examination for Amateur Extra class applicants only.) The League and others have also put forth proposals for a new entry-level Amateur Radio license class. At this point, personnel in the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau are continuing to review the thousands of comments filed on the 18 petitions. While the FCC appears unlikely to release an NPRM any sooner than mid-year, the issue still may be a major discussion topic at the FCC Forum at Dayton Hamvention, May 20-22. Once public, the NPRM would initiate another round of comments on what the FCC has proposed. It could be late 2006 or even into 2007 before the FCC releases a Report and Order to implement any new rules, although it's possible the Commission could wrap up the proceeding before that time frame.

League Asks FCC to Void Florida RFI Statute

The ARRL has asked the FCC to declare invalid a Florida law that prohibits anyone making radio transmissions without a license or Commission "exemption" from interfering with a licensed broadcast station. In a Request for Declaratory Ruling to the Commission February 25, the League maintains that only the FCC has authority to regulate radio stations and RFI. By prohibiting interference to broadcasters, the ARRL contends, the Florida law could have the apparently unintended consequence of affecting ham radio licensees as well as operators of certain unlicensed Part 15 devices, such as cordless telephones. (Full story on ARRL web page)

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