Steve Herman, W7VOA’s, love of amateur radio and media led him into a career as a news correspondent for the Associated Press, freelance overseas journalist, and ultimately with the Voice of America (VOA) as its White House correspondent, traveling and reporting on the President of the United States. Even with his 24 X 7 busy schedule, W7VOA has time for amateur radio and this QSO Today with Eric, 4Z1UG. Show Notes: http://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/W7VOA Podcast Link: https://goo.gl/h7hViB iTunes Store: http://goo.gl/CvLNmV Stitcher: http://goo.gl/uhf1XZ
Good afternoon Eric, I have read that you have a very 24 X 7 busy schedule. However as a news correspondent for the Associated Press and a White House correspondent, and with the love of amateur radio, I have thought you might just be interested in helping with an important Senate Bill (S.B. 1534 entitled Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017). In past years Amateur Radio operations with in private land use, or within the boundaries of HOA's (Home Owner Associations) convenient restrictions, have not allow Amateur Radio operators to erect and maintain effective outdoor antennas at their home residents. This Bill originated in the House Of Representatives and gained little traction until recently. Now the bill has been approved by the House and given to the Senate. This bill was read twice on 7/12/2017 as required. This Senate Bill 1534 was sent to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportion where it now sets. This bill directs the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), to amend its rules. The Bill would further direct the FCC to apply its reasonable accommodation standard evenly to all types of residential areas, including in communities that now have restrictions blocking the installation of amateur radio antennas. Twenty-nine years ago Eric, the FCC found that there was a “strong Federal interest” in supporting effective Amateur Radio communications. The FCC also found that zoning ordinances often unreasonably, and restricted Amateur Radio antennas in residential areas. The FCC, in a docket proceeding referred to as “PRB-1”, created a three-part test for municipal regulations affecting Amateur Radio communications. State or local land use regulations: (A) cannot preclude Amateur Radio communications; (B) must make “reasonable accommodation” for Amateur Radio communications; and (C) must constitute the “minimum practicable restriction” in order to accomplish a legitimate municipal purpose. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 ordered the FCC to enact regulations that preempted municipal and private land use regulation over small satellite dish antennas and television broadcast antennas in residences. The FCC found that: (a) it does have jurisdiction to preempt private land use regulations that conflict with Federal policy; and (b) that private land use regulations are entitled to less deference than municipal regulations. This is because the former are premised exclusively on aesthetics considerations. The FCC did not extend this policy to private land use regulations at that time to those amateurs who are living in deed-restricted communities!! The ARRL (American Radio Relay League), repeatedly has requested that FCC to revisit its decision and apply its policy equally to all types of land use regulations which unreasonably restrict or preclude volunteer, public service communications. The FCC has stated said that it would do so upon receiving some guidance from Congress in this area. The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, in an Order released November 19, 1999, stated that the Commission “strongly encourage(s)” homeowner’s associations to apply the “no prohibition, reasonable accommodation, and least practicable regulation” three-part test to private land use regulation of Amateur Radio antennas. I have researched this "Order" with the local HOA (Williamsburg Plantation - Jacksonville, NC), and have found they know nothing about it. They are still having a fuss over trivial matters such as the small satellite antennas. The bill, SB 1534 includes a provision to allow amateur radio operators to negotiate with individual homeowner associations to install antennas that conform to the community’s aesthetic interests. The provision would preserve the associations’ control over a community’s appearance, but also enable expansion of amateur radio networks in areas that were previously off-limits to operators. The provision is the result of a consensus reached by the American Radio Relay League and the Community Associations Institute, each representing thousands of amateur radio operators and community associations in the U.S. respectively. In times of emergency, and we have had allot of those recently, amateur radio operators have continue to provide communications network backup when first responder network repeaters and infrastructure are not working. Amateur radio operators restored communications lines with FEMA, the Red Cross, and other disaster relief entities when the primary emergency response network was down. In closing it is my hope that you can find a means of getting some ones attention, Respectfully, William E. Kratch WA6TUV
Dear William, I am the host of the QSO Today podcast where VOA White House correspondent, Steve Herman, W7VOA was my guest. I will send the link to your message to Steve to bring it to his attention. Thanks for your message and bringing SB1534 to my attention. 73, Eric,
