UPDATE HB 37 Telecommunications Bill

Telecommunications Bill
posted in: News Articles |


ARRL leadership in Pennsylvania is actively involved in a process that we hope will conclude shortly with an exemption to the restrictions in House Bill 37 that now await action in the Pennsylvania Senate.

HB 37 as you may know, prohibits the use of handheld devices while driving. The original intent was most likely to eliminate the use of cell phones and texting on cell phones while driving, but an exemption to permit Amateur Radio mobile microphone use was removed from the original bill. It passed the house without the exemption and awaits action in the Senate.

The Eastern and Western Pennsylvania ARRL Section Managers (W3GWM and W3BC), and the Eastern PA ARES Section Emergency Coordinator (WN3LIF) along with ARRL Vice-Director, attorney Bob Famiglio (K3RF Delaware County), are meeting with the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee January 30th to hammer out an exemption for ham mobile use. We’ll report back via email on our progress after the meeting.

Rest assured that your ARRL/ARES leaders are actively engaged in this process and working to ensure that the PA Senate recognizes the vital role Amateur Radio Operators in the Commonwealth play in Emergency Response to incidents and disasters.

73,

George Miller W3GWM

Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager

Good evening. I recently wrote my SS and SR regarding this topic. An idea would be to have a “canned” statement here in the forum so users can copy and paste, making it easier for the busier folks to write to their Representative and Senator. Mike

Feel free to share this with other non-CCAR amateur radio operators in PA.  Make sure to provide the COMPLETE text of this message if you do share it.  We want everyone to have the same understanding and the same information to avoid any confusion.



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DATE: January 30, 2020
MEMO TO: Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Operators
FROM: George Miller W3GWM EPA Section Manager
re: Amendment to HB 37
_____________________________________________________________________________________
During a conference this morning with the Executive Director of the
Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee, we learned that partly as
a result of our efforts, Senator Farnese of Philadelphia will be
introducing an amendment to this bill that will exempt Amateur Radio
Operators from its prohibition on the use of Amateur Radio equipment
while mobile.

The committee’s executive director is unsure of the timing for a
future vote on this bill but feels certain that if Amateur Radio
Operators in Pennsylvania communicate their support for the amendment,
it will contribute to a successful outcome.

Senator Farnese’s staff is currently preparing the language of the
amendment following input from your ARRL team. Once the Senate includes
this exemption and passes the bill, it will go to a conference committee
where the differences in the House and Senate versions must be ironed
out. So, your support for this amendment is crucial. Contact your State
Representative and State Senator and ask them to support the amendment
to HB37 exempting Amateur Radio Operators.

Use this link https://www.legis.state.pa.us/ to find out who represents
you in the Senate and House. Contact them and simply ask them to support
the exemption amendment.
We’ll post more updates as the bill progresses.

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ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section
Section Manager: George W Miller, W3GWM
w3gwm@arrl.org

From ARRL Letter...

The ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section team has learned that the PA
Senate Transportation Committee Chair, Senator Kim Ward, (R –
Westmoreland) is now aware of the unintended consequence of the House
action to eliminate the Amateur Radio exemption from HB37 – the bill
prohibiting the use of hand held devices while driving. She has agreed
to work with Senator Larry Farnese (D-Philadelphia) who will propose an
amendment exempting ham radio operators from the restrictions in the
House bill. More updates as they are available once the Senate
Transportation Committee’s next session begins after March 16th.

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ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section
Section Manager: George W Miller, W3GWM
w3gwm@arrl.org