House Passed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act
The legislation aims to preserve AM radio as a reliable disaster alert system during cellular network failures.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Safety
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The U.S. House of Representatives passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act in September 2026 to ensure emergency information reaches the public. Proponents argue that radio remains a critical tool for survival when cellular networks experience outages during natural disasters.
Why it matters
Cellular networks frequently fail or experience significant latency during natural disasters, leaving residents without reliable emergency updates. Supporters contend that mandating AM radio in vehicles provides a necessary backup communications channel for life-saving alerts.
Flash floods in Kerr County, TX, resulted in over 100 deaths in July 2025, where delayed emergency alerts were cited as a critical factor. Similar failures occurred during 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires and a week-long cell outage in Hendersonville, NC.
The players
Jeff Jury
He is an SVP and General Manager at Xperi who has been a vocal advocate for maintaining AM radio as a standard emergency alert medium.
Genie Chance
She was a reporter who maintained a critical broadcast link from her car for 30 hours after the 1964 Alaska earthquake knocked local stations off the air.
Florida Public Radio Emergency Network
This network utilizes HD Radio technology to provide continuous hurricane data updates to the public.
U.S. House of Representatives
This is the legislative body that passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act to address concerns regarding the reliability of digital alert systems.
The details
Xperi SVP Jeff Jury and other advocates emphasize that HD Radio technology can send written alerts and audio via digital subchannels to receivers capable of waking from standby mode. Historical examples, such as reporter Genie Chance broadcasting for 30 hours following the 1964 Alaska earthquake, underscore the enduring role of radio in disaster response.
Timeline
1964: Alaska earthquake occurred.
July 2025: Flash floods occurred in Kerr County, TX.
2025: Wildfires occurred in Los Angeles County.
August 2026: NAB pushed back on FCC EAS modernization proposal.
September 2026: House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.
Seasonal Patterns
The passage of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act marks a legislative shift to prioritize terrestrial broadcast as a fail-safe against modern network fragility. This action reflects an effort to institutionalize emergency response protocols that mirror the effectiveness of radio during historical disasters.
Residents should ensure they have battery-powered or hand-crank emergency radios to receive alerts when cellular towers are compromised by weather events. Maintaining access to terrestrial broadcast frequencies serves as a vital redundant measure for receiving life-saving information during regional outages.
The takeaway
Reliable communication remains the single most important factor during a natural disaster, often requiring a mix of digital and analog technologies. Citizens should prepare by identifying multiple ways to receive emergency alerts beyond standard mobile smartphone notifications.
Further reading
For more on how infrastructure supports disaster resilience, visit Safety.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Radio Ink.
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