119-hconres12

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 12 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. CON. RES. 12

 Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.

_______________________________________________________________________

 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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