Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 12 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 12

                Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2025

   Mr. Womack (for himself, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mrs. Houchin, Mr.
Bentz, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Luttrell, Mr. LaLota, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Bost,
Mr. Costa, Mr. Finstad, Ms. Foxx, Mr. Moylan, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Mrvan,
  Mr. Ciscomani, Mr. Sessions, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Flood, Mrs. Miller of
    Illinois, Mr. Ezell, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Lucas, Mr.
     Garbarino, Ms. Stansbury, Mr. Lawler, Ms. Maloy, Mr. Kelly of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Clyde, Mr. Alford, Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida, Mr.
   Collins, Mr. Kennedy of New York, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Feenstra, Mr.
Bilirakis, Mr. Balderson, Mr. Keating, Mr. Langworthy, Ms. De La Cruz,
Mr. Graves, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Golden of Maine, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Rogers of
 Alabama, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Meuser, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Bean of Florida,
 Mr. Turner of Ohio, Mr. Rulli, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Vasquez, Mr. Bishop,
Ms. Budzinski, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Amodei of
 Nevada, Mrs. Miller of West Virginia, Mr. Tiffany, Mr. Davis of North
   Carolina, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. LaHood, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Huizenga, Mr.
   Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Cole, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Smith of
Nebraska, Mrs. Sykes, Mr. Westerman, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Comer, Mr. Kean,
 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr. Moran,
  Mr. Yakym, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Norman, Mr. Connolly, Mr.
   Bergman, Mr. Van Orden, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Perry, Mrs. Dingell, Mr.
 Carey, Mr. Ellzey, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Latta,
   Ms. Van Duyne, Mr. Guest, Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. Mann, Mr. Weber of
 Texas, Mr. Webster of Florida, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Kustoff, Mr. Fallon,
 Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Deluzio, Ms. Hageman, Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Sorensen,
 Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Donalds, Mr. Baumgartner, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Burlison,
 and Mr. Pfluger) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which
             was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

                Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.

Whereas the United States enjoys broadcasting and sound recording industries
        that are the envy of the world, due to the symbiotic relationship that
        has existed among these industries for many decades;
Whereas, for nearly a century, Congress has rejected repeated calls by the
        recording industry to impose a performance fee on local radio stations
        for simply playing music on the radio and upsetting the mutually
        beneficial relationship between local radio and the recording industry;
Whereas local radio stations provide free publicity and promotion to the
        recording industry and performers of music in the form of radio air
        play, interviews with performers, introduction of new performers,
        concert promotions, and publicity that promotes the sale of music,
        concert tickets, ring tones, music videos and associated merchandise;
Whereas Congress found that ``the sale of many sound recordings and the careers
        of many performers benefited considerably from airplay and other
        promotional activities provided by both noncommercial and advertiser-
        supported, free over-the-air broadcasting'';
Whereas local radio broadcasters provide tens of thousands of hours of essential
        local news and weather information during times of national emergencies
        and natural disasters, as well as public affairs programming, sports,
        and hundreds of millions of dollars of time for public service
        announcements and local fundraising efforts for worthy charitable
        causes, all of which are jeopardized if local radio stations are forced
        to divert revenues to pay for a new performance fee;
Whereas there are many thousands of local radio stations that will suffer severe
        economic hardship if any new performance fee is imposed, as will many
        other small businesses that play music including bars, restaurants,
        retail establishments, sports and other entertainment venues, shopping
        centers and transportation facilities; and
Whereas the hardship that would result from a new performance fee would hurt
        American businesses, and ultimately the American consumers who rely on
        local radio for news, weather, and entertainment; and such a performance
        fee is not justified when the current system has produced the most
        prolific and innovative broadcasting, music, and sound recording
        industries in the world: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty,
or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings
on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the
air, or on any business for such public performance of sound
recordings.
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