Both houses of Congress have resolved their differences over bicameral, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) to stop illegal broadcasters and the bill is now set to become law.
“This is great news for Montana local radio and rural broadcasters,” Sen. Daines said. “My bipartisan bill protects law-abiding broadcasters and ensures their voices can be heard across Montana, free from the disruption and interference of illegal pirate broadcasters.”
The U.S. Senate on Jan. 8 unanimously approved the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act, S. 1228, which Sen. Daines sponsored in April 2019 with U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) to authorize a fine of not more than $2 million to anyone “who willfully and knowingly does or causes or suffers to be done any pirate radio broadcasting,” according to the text of the bill.
Specifically, the Senate reconciled S. 1228 with the identical bill, H.R. 583, and on Jan. 9 sent the measure back to the U.S. House of Representatives, which had approved its version in February 2019.
The bill, which is supported by several broadcast industry organizations, now heads to the president for his signature to make it law.
“The Montana Broadcasters Association and Montana broadcasters thank Senator Daines for his leadership for getting this important bill