United States 116th Congress ✓ Enacted · P.L. 116-109 Bipartisan · 5 D · 5 R cosponsors

HR 583 — PIRATE Act

Last action — Became Public Law No: 116-109.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 16, 2019. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 78% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    1 primary, 9 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (5 D · 5 R) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act or the PIRATE Act This bill addresses unlicensed radio broadcasting (called pirating), including by increasing the maximum fine for a pirate radio broadcasting violation to $2 million and imposing a fine of up to $100,000 per day for pirating violations subject to the $2 million limit. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must (1) annually submit to Congress a report summarizing implementation of this bill and associated enforcement activities for the previous fiscal year; and (2) at least once a year, assign appropriate enforcement personnel to focus specific and sustained attention on the elimination of pirate radio broadcasting within the top five radio markets. The FCC may not preempt any state or local law prohibiting pirate radio broadcasting. The FCC shall (1) revise its rules to require that, absent good cause, in any case alleging a violation, it shall proceed directly to issue a Notice of Apparent Liability without first issuing a Notice of Unlicensed Operation; and (2) publish a database of all licensed radio stations operating in the AM and FM band that includes each licensed station and all entities that have received a Notice of Unlicensed Operation, Notice of Apparent Liability, or Forfeiture Order issued by the FCC.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

62 added · 56 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment adds new provisions regarding penalties for pirate radio broadcasting in the Communications Act of 1934. It specifies that entities violating the law may face fines of up to $100,000 for each day the offense continues and requires the Commission to conduct monitoring sweeps to check for ongoing illegal broadcasts. This change aims to enhance the enforcement of regulations against unauthorized radio operations.

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[Congressional Bills 116th Congress] [From the U.S.
[116th Congress Public Law 109] [From the U.S.
Government Publishing Office] [H.R.
Government Publishing Office] [[Page 134 STAT.
583 Referred in Senate (RFS)] <DOC> 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H.
3]] Public Law 116-109 116th Congress An Act To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for enhanced penalties for pirate radio, and for other purposes.
R.
<<NOTE:
583 _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 26, 2019 Received;
Jan.
read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for enhanced penalties for pirate radio, and for other purposes.
24, - [H.R.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.
583]>> Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE:
Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act.
47 USC 609 note.>> SECTION 1.
ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR PIRATE RADIO BROADCASTING;
<<NOTE:
47 USC 511.>> ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR PIRATE RADIO BROADCASTING;
``(d) Enforcement Sweeps.-- ``(1) Annual sweeps.--Not less than once each year, the Commission shall assign appropriate enforcement personnel to focus specific and sustained attention on the elimination of pirate radio broadcasting within the top 5 radio markets identified as prevalent for such broadcasts.
``(d) <<NOTE:
Deadlines.>> Enforcement Sweeps.-- [[Page 134 STAT.
4]] ``(1) Annual sweeps.--Not less than once each year, the Commission shall assign appropriate enforcement personnel to focus specific and sustained attention on the elimination of pirate radio broadcasting within the top 5 radio markets identified as prevalent for such broadcasts.
``(f) Revision of Commission Rules Required.--The Commission shall revise its rules to require that, absent good cause, in any case alleging a violation of subsection (a) or (b), the Commission shall proceed directly to issue a notice of apparent liability without first issuing a notice of unlicensed operation.
``(f) <<NOTE:
``(g) Pirate Radio Broadcasting Database.-- ``(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, and semi-annually thereafter, the Commission shall publish a database in a clear and legible format of all licensed radio stations operating in the AM and FM bands.
Notification.>> Revision of Commission Rules Required.--The Commission shall revise its rules to require that, absent good cause, in any case alleging a violation of subsection (a) or (b), the Commission shall proceed directly to issue a notice of apparent liability without first issuing a notice of unlicensed operation.
The database shall be easily accessible from the Commission home page through a direct link.
``(g) Pirate Radio Broadcasting Database.-- ``(1) <<NOTE:
Deadline.>> In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, and semi- annually thereafter, the Commission shall publish a database in a clear and legible format of all licensed radio stations operating in the AM and FM bands.
<<NOTE:
Website.>> The database shall be easily accessible from the Commission home page through a direct link.
``(h) Definition of Pirate Radio Broadcasting.--In this section, the term `pirate radio broadcasting' means the transmission of communications on spectrum frequencies between 535 and 1705 kilohertz, inclusive, or 87.7 and 108 megahertz, inclusive, without a license issued by the Commission, but does not include unlicensed operations in compliance with part 15 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.''.
``(h) Definition of Pirate Radio Broadcasting.--In this section, the term `pirate radio broadcasting' means the transmission of communications on spectrum frequencies between 535 and 1705 kilohertz, inclusive, or 87.7 and 108 megahertz, inclusive, without a license issued by the Commission, but does not include unlicensed [[Page 134 STAT.
Passed the House of Representatives February 25, 2019.
5]] operations in compliance with part 15 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.''.
Attest:
Approved January 24, 2020.
CHERYL L.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R.
JOHNSON, Clerk.
583 (S.
1228):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- SENATE REPORTS:
No.
116-178 (Comm.
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation) accompanying S.
1228.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
Vol.
165 (2019):
Feb.
25, considered and passed House.
Vol.
166 (2020):
Jan.
8, considered and passed Senate.
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Action History

  1. Introduced in House

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

  4. Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

  5. Mr. Tonko moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

  6. Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2050-2052)

  7. DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 583.

  8. Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H2050)

  9. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2050)

  10. Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  11. Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

  12. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.

  13. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.

  14. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S84)

  15. Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S84)

  16. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  17. Presented to President.

  18. Presented to President.

  19. Signed by President.

  20. Signed by President.

  21. Became Public Law No: 116-109.

  22. Became Public Law No: 116-109.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 9 co-sponsors · 537 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (9)

Not signed on (537)

537 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 537 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Frequently asked questions

What does HR 583 do?
Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act or the PIRATE Act This bill addresses unlicensed radio broadcasting (called pirating), including by increasing the maximum fine for a pirate radio broadcasting violation to $2 million and imposing a fine of up to $100,000 per day for pirating violations subject to the $2 million limit. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must (1) annually submit to Congress a report summarizing implementation of this bill and associated enforcement activities for the previous fiscal year; and (2) at least once a year, assign appropriate enforcement personnel to focus specific and sustained attention on the elimination of pirate radio broadcasting within the top five radio markets. The FCC may not preempt any state or local law prohibiting pirate radio broadcasting. The FCC shall (1) revise its rules to require that, absent good cause, in any case alleging a violation, it shall proceed directly to issue a Notice of Apparent Liability without first issuing a Notice of Unlicensed Operation; and (2) publish a database of all licensed radio stations operating in the AM and FM band that includes each licensed station and all entities that have received a Notice of Unlicensed Operation, Notice of Apparent Liability, or Forfeiture Order issued by the FCC.
Who sponsors HR 583?
HR 583 is sponsored by Bilirakis, Gus M. (Republican), Rice, Kathleen M. (Democratic), Collins, Chris (Republican), Maloney, Sean Patrick (Democratic), Maloney, Carolyn B. (Democratic), Velázquez, Nydia M. (Democratic), King, Peter T. (Republican), Flores, Bill (Republican), Brooks, Susan W. (Republican), and Tonko, Paul (Democratic).
What is the current status of HR 583?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 16, 2019. Enacted.
Where can I track HR 583?
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