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[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.
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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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