The Kansas House of Representatives has joined the multitudes backing AM radio by approving House Concurrent Resolution 5026 on March 27. This resolution endorses the Federal AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, signaling Kansas’s support for maintaining AM radio in vehicles.
State Representative and broadcaster Ken Rahjes spearheaded the resolution, which passed with a decisive 109-14 vote.
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, currently under consideration in Congress, would mandate that all new vehicles sold in the U.S. include AM radio receivers, acknowledging AM radio’s critical role in emergency broadcasting and access to essential information, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
The Kansas Association of Broadcasters has been actively lobbying for the bill, securing backing from key members of the state’s federal delegation, including US Senator Roger Marshall and Representatives Sharice Davids, Ron Estes, and Tracey Mann.
The bipartisan bill has a majority of support in the US House of Representatives, currently standing at 238 total sponsors, and is at the threshold in the Senate, at 48. The Senate version of the legislation has been on the Senate floor waiting to be scheduled for a vote since July.
Kansas Association of Broadcasters President Allison Mazzei said, “The passage of this resolution tells Congress that Kansans want AM radio in vehicles. Radio serves as a cornerstone of communication, providing essential information and ensuring public safety across our state.”
State Representative Rahjes added, “Bad weather or just information, where do you turn? You turn to the radio. What this resolution does is send notice to our delegation to support the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.”
