Skip to main content
S. 459 119th Congress Senate

Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act

Official title: A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the application of certain private land use restrictions to amateur station antennas, and for other purposes.

Introduced: February 6, 2025 Introduced by: Roger F. Wicker Republican · Mississippi See on congress.gov
Science, Technology, Communications
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 6, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Feb 6, 2025
Introduced in Senate
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

What's happening now February 6, 2025

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act

This bill limits the adoption and enforcement of private land use restrictions (e.g., rules of a homeowners' association) that prohibit, restrict, or impair the installation, maintenance, or operation of an amateur station antenna on property controlled by an amateur radio operator.

Private land use restrictions are deemed to prohibit, restrict, or impair the installation, maintenance, or operation of an amateur station antenna if they unreasonably delay, prevent, or increase the cost or difficulty of such installation, maintenance, or operation; or if they prevent or degrade the reception or transmission of a signal acceptable to the operator. 

However, the bill permits certain private land use restrictions, including restrictions that require amateur station antennas (1) to be maintained in a structurally safe condition; or (2) to be installed in compliance with manufacturer specifications, applicable zoning ordinances, amateur radio tower ordinances, and building codes. 

The bill also establishes certain limits on the adoption and enforcement of private land use restrictions that require an amateur radio operator to obtain prior approval before installing an amateur station antenna, and exempts certain categories of amateur station antenna from prior approval requirements altogether. 

Finally, the bill sets forth procedures for the enforcement of these provisions and provides a private right of action for individuals harmed by violations of the provisions. 

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 1094 Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 10

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

  • THE VOGEL GROUP
    for ARRL, THE NATIONAL TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO · Connecticut · 3rd Quarter 2026 (July 1 - Sep 30)
  • THE VOGEL GROUP
    for ARRL, THE NATIONAL TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO · Connecticut · 2nd Quarter 2026 (Apr 1 - June 30)
  • DLA PIPER LLP (US)
    for THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO · Connecticut · 2nd Quarter 2026 (Apr 1 - June 30)
  • THE VOGEL GROUP
    for ARRL, THE NATIONAL TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO · Connecticut · 1st Quarter 2026 (Jan 1 - Mar 31)
  • DLA PIPER LLP (US)
    for THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO · Connecticut · 1st Quarter 2026 (Jan 1 - Mar 31)
  • DLA PIPER LLP (US)
    for THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO · Connecticut · 4th Quarter 2025 (Oct 1 - Dec 31)

Bodies those filers lobbied

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

See all 10 filings →
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1
D
Blumenthal, Richard
Connecticut · Feb 6, 2025
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 459: Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-459/
MLA
"S. 459: Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-459/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 459, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-459/.
Markdown link
[S. 459: Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-459/)
Report a problem