PIRATE Act Passes Congress

House OKs PIRATE Act

The revived PIRATE Act -- the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act (H.R. 583), amping up enforcement of anti-unlicensed operator laws and increasing fines to up to $100,000 per violation and $2 million maximum, passed Congress today by unanimous vote.  The bill now awaits passage by the Senate.

NAB Pres./CEO GORDON SMITH said, “NAB applauds the House of Representatives for unanimous passage of the PIRATE Act, which strengthens the FCC’s ability to combat illegal pirate radio operations. Unlawful pirate radio stations not only interfere with licensed radio broadcasts, but also jeopardize air traffic control communications and threaten public safety. We commend Reps. (PAUL) TONKO (D-NY) and (GUS) BILIRAKIS (R-FL) for their leadership on this issue and urge swift passage of the PIRATE Act by the Senate.”

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