Congress mandates AM radio in every new car—at your expense
H.R. 979 — AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025 · Filed by Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) · 317 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 5, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill requires the Department of Transportation to issue a rule within one year mandating that all new passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. include AM radio receivers as standard equipment. Manufacturers must make AM radio easily accessible to drivers and can comply by installing digital AM receivers. The rule takes effect within 2 years for most manufacturers and 4 years for small manufacturers (under 40,000 vehicles annually). The bill frames AM radio as critical infrastructure for emergency alerts and warnings, and includes a GAO study on emergency communication technologies.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a straightforward regulatory mandate requiring AM radio hardware in all new vehicles. The emergency-alert justification (IPAWS) is stated openly but appears secondary to the core requirement; the bill does not establish that AM radio is the optimal or necessary emergency channel, only that it should be available.
What the text implies
- The bill preempts all state and local regulation of AM radio access in vehicles, centralizing automotive radio policy at the federal level and eliminating state-level experimentation or alternative standards.
- Compliance costs (hardware, integration, testing) will likely be passed to consumers through higher vehicle prices, creating a de facto tax on all new vehicle purchases to fund an emergency communication system whose necessity relative to cell-based alternatives is not demonstrated.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
AM radio broadcasters (increased audience reach and relevance); Automotive suppliers and component manufacturers (new hardware demand); Automotive manufacturers (potential regulatory compliance consulting and engineering services)