NAB Presses Congress on AM Radio Bill Before Session Ends
Broadcasters urge lawmakers to pass the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act in the lame duck session before January 3.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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The National Association of Broadcasters is pressing lawmakers to pass the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act during the current lame duck session. The House passed the bill in September, and it has more than 60 Senate co-sponsors.
Why it matters
Radio lobbyists want action before the current Congress ends, since a stalled bill would need to be reintroduced and move through the entire legislative process again. The push comes alongside a Bull Moose Project petition urging the FCC to loosen radio ownership caps.
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has more than 60 Senate co-sponsors and passed the House in September. Whether the Senate takes up the bill before the session ends on January 3 has not been determined.
The players
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
The NAB is a trade association representing radio and television broadcasters across the United States, and it is leading the lobbying effort for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.
Chuck Grassley
Grassley is a long-serving Republican senator from Iowa who publicly backed the AM radio legislation in October.
Shawn Donilon
Donilon is a veteran Washington lobbyist who will serve as NAB's Chief Advocacy Officer as Rick Kaplan exits.
The details
NAB released public service announcements in English and Spanish asking radio listeners to text AM to 39179 and contact their members of Congress. The group is pursuing passage by having the Senate take up the House-passed bill, sending it to the president's desk, or attaching it to a larger legislative package.
Timeline
September 2026: The House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.
October 2026: Sen. Chuck Grassley commented in support of the bill.
January 3, 2027: The current session of Congress ends.
Legislative Context
The bill's progress from the 118th Congress, where it stalled and had to be restarted, shows why supporters are racing the January 3 session deadline. Lawmakers must either finish passage this session or begin the process over in the next Congress, which is expected to take a harder look at big tech and AI.
If the bill passes, new vehicles would be required to include AM radio, keeping broadcast news and emergency alerts accessible to drivers. If it stalls, supporters must restart the legislative process in the next Congress.
The takeaway
Drivers who rely on AM radio for news and emergency information should watch whether the Senate acts before the session closes, since a stalled bill would delay any requirement for years.
What happens next
The current session of Congress ends January 3, 2027, which sets the deadline for the bill to pass before it must be reintroduced.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Legislative Policy in the United States section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Radio Ink.
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