WASHINGTON — The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has moved from an advocacy campaign to the House floor calendar, creating the clearest congressional decision point yet for the proposal.
The House’s official floor documents list House bill H.R. 979 among measures that may be considered under suspension of the rules during the week of September 14. That procedure is commonly used for legislation expected to receive broad support, but it requires a two-thirds vote of members present and voting.
Placement on the calendar does not mean the bill has passed, and the House listing does not establish an exact vote time. It does mean the measure is now positioned for possible action after years of lobbying by broadcasters, public-safety groups and other supporters.
What the bill would require
The legislation would require automakers to include amplitude modulation (AM) broadcast radio as standard equipment in new passenger vehicles, including electric models, without charging buyers an additional fee for access.
Supporters say AM remains important for emergency information, agricultural coverage, multilingual programming, sports and community service. Automakers and technology groups have raised questions about interference in electric vehicles, design flexibility and whether other communications systems can provide comparable alerts.
A House vote would not finish the process
If the House passes H.R. 979, the Senate would still need to complete action on identical legislation before the measure could be sent to the president. Any differences between House and Senate language would have to be resolved first.
For broadcasters, the immediate task is to separate the confirmed procedural development from the final outcome. The bill is on the House calendar for possible consideration this week; it is not yet law.
Radio News Now will update this report when the House schedules or completes a vote.
Source: U.S. House of Representatives floor documents, updated September 14, 2026.