The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is moving again, with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce set to hold a full committee markup Wednesday in the Rayburn House Office Building. Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) announced the session after a late-summer push revived attention on the bipartisan measure.
HR 979, led by Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), would require automakers to include AM radio as standard equipment in all new vehicles, including EVs, framing AM as an essential safety feature rather than an optional add-on. The bill has amassed 296 House cosponsors—clearing the two-thirds mark—and 61 cosponsors in the Senate, signaling filibuster-proof support.
Guthrie has repeatedly linked his advocacy to the December 2021 Southern Kentucky tornadoes, citing AM’s role in delivering emergency information. In June, sixteen Kentucky public officials—mayors, lawmakers, and first responders—urged congressional leaders to advance the act.
If the measure clears committee, floor timing falls to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). In the Senate, action awaits Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). Johnson publicly endorsed the effort during the 2024 NAB Marconi Radio Awards, praising AM’s reliability, and later highlighted its value during tours of Hurricane Helene-affected communities.
The committee plans to consider the AM bill alongside six other items addressing rural healthcare, telehealth, and generic-drug transparency.