Majority of House of Representatives Backs Local Radio Freedom Act

Five new co-sponsors push LRFA support to 220 in House

WASHINGTON, DC -- A majority of the House of Representatives now supports the Local Radio Freedom Act after a bipartisan group of five House members signed a resolution opposing "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations. The Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA) now has 220 cosponsors in the House, two more than is needed to constitute a majority in the 438-member body. There are 25 LRFA co-sponsors in the Senate.

Adding their support recently for the Local Radio Freedom Act in the House are Reps. Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), Tom Garrett (VA-5), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Gregory Meeks (NY-5) and Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2).

"We’re gratified that most House members stand with America’s hometown radio stations against a job-killing performance royalty,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. “For decades, local radio has jump-started careers of countless musicians and exposed legacy artists to younger listeners. We thank Congress for its support, and local radio looks forward to continuing to provide unparalleled promotional value to record labels and artists in the form of free airplay of music.”

Reps. Michael Conaway (R-TX) and Gene Green (D-TX) are the principal cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act (H. Con. Res. 13) in the House of Representatives. Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced a companion resolution in the Senate (S. Con. Res. 6).

"Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station broadcast over the air," reads the Local Radio Freedom Act.

The 220 House co-sponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act include (new cosponsors in bold):

Ralph Abraham (LA-5)
Alma Adams (NC-12)
Rick Allen (GA-12)
Mark Amodei (NV-2)
Brian Babin (TX-36)
Don Bacon (NE-2)
Jim Banks (IN-3)
Lou Barletta (PA-11)
Andy Barr (KY-6)
Joe Barton (TX-6)
Joyce Beatty (OH-3)
Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)
Sanford Bishop (GA-2)
Rod Blum (IA-1)
Madeleine Bordallo (AL-GU)
Mike Bost (IL-12)
Kevin Brady (TX-8)
Dave Brat (VA-7)
Jim Bridenstine (OK-1)
Mo Brooks (AL-5)
Susan Brooks (IN-5)
Anthony Brown (MD-4)
Vern Buchanan (FL-16)
Larry Bucshon (IN-8)
Ted Budd (NC-13)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
G.K. Butterfield (NC-1)
Bradley Byrne (AL-1)
Ken Calvert (CA-42)
Michael Capuano (MA-7)
Andre Carson (IN-7)
Buddy Carter (GA-1)
Kathy Castor (FL-14)
Steve Chabot (OH-1)
Liz Cheney (WY-AL)
Katherine Clark (MA-5)
Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-1)
Mike Coffman (CO-6)
Tom Cole (OK-4)
Chris Collins (NY-27)
James Comer (KY-1)
Michael Conaway (TX-11)
Paul Cook (CA-8)
Lou Correa (CA-46)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Joe Courtney (CT-2)
Kevin Cramer (ND-AL)
Rick Crawford (AR-1)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
John Culberson (TX-7)
Elijah Cummings (MD-7)
Carlos Curbelo (FL-26)
Rodney Davis (IL-13)
Peter DeFazio (OR-4)
John Delaney (MD-6)
Charlie Dent (PA-15)
Debbie Dingell (MI-12)
Dan Donovan (NY-11)
Sean Duffy (WI-7)
Jeff Duncan (SC-3)
John Duncan (TN-2)
Neal Dunn (FL-2)
Keith Ellison (MN-5)
Tom Emmer (MN-6)
Elizabeth Esty (CT-5)
Dwight Evans (PA-2)
Blake Farenthold (TX-27)
John Faso (NY-19)
Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-8)
Bill Flores (TX-17)
Virginia Foxx (NC-5)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11)
Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1)
Mike Gallagher (WI-8)

Tom Garrett (VA-5)
Bob Gibbs (OH-7)
Greg Gianforte (MT-AL)
Vicente Gonzalaz (TX-15)
Paul Gosar (AZ-4)
Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5)
Kay Granger (TX-12)
Sam Graves (MO-6)
Tom Graves (GA-14)
Al Green (TX-9)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Glenn Grothman (WI-6)
Brett Guthrie (KY-2)
Gregg Harper (MS-3)
Andy Harris (MD-1)
Vicky Hartzler (MO-4)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3)
French Hill (AR-2)
Trey Hollingsworth
Richard Hudson (NC-8)
Randy Hultgren (IL-14)
Evan Jenkins (WV-3)
Lynn Jenkins (KS-2)
Bill Johnson (OH-6)
Walter Jones (NC-3)
Jim Jordan (OH-4)
David Joyce (OH-14)
Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)
John Katko (NY-24)
Bill Keating (MA-9)
Mike Kelly (PA-3)
Trent Kelly (MS-1)
Ruben Kihuen (NV-4)
Derek Kilmer (WA-6)
Ron Kind (WI-3)
Adam Kinzinger (IL-16)
Steve Knight (CA-25)
Ann Kuster (NH-2)
Darin LaHood (IL-18)
Doug LaMalfa (CA-1)
Doug Lamborn (CO-5)
Leonard Lance (NJ-7)
Bob Latta (OH-5)
Al Lawson (FL-5)
Jason Lewis (MN-2)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2)
Dave Loebsack (IA-2)
Billy Long (MO-7)
Barry Loudermilk (GA-11)
Frank Lucas (OK-3)
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-1)
Ben Ray Lujan (NM-3)
Stephen Lynch (MA-8)
Kenny Marchant (TX-24)
Roger Marshall (KS-1)
Thomas Massie (KY-4)
Donald McEachin (VA-4)
Patrick McHenry (NC-10)
David McKinley (WV-1)
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5)
Martha McSally (AZ-2)
Mark Meadows (NC-11)
Gregory Meeks (NY-5)
Luke Messer (IN-6)
Paul Mitchell (MI-10)
Alex Mooney (WV-2)
Seth Moulton (MA-6)
Markwayne Mullin (OK-2)
Dan Newhouse (WA-4)
Kristi Noem (SD-AL)
Donald Norcross (NJ-1)
Ralph Norman (SC-5)

Devin Nunes (CA-22)
Tom O'Halleran (AZ-1)
Pete Olson (TX-22)
Beto O'Rourke (TX-16)
Steven Palazzo (MS-4)
Frank Pallone (NJ-6)
Erik Paulsen (MN-3)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-9)
Donald Payne (NJ-10)
Steve Pearce (NM-2)
Robert Pittenger (NC-9)
Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL)
Ted Poe (TX-2)
Bill Posey (FL-8)
Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (AS-AL)
Tom Reed (NY-23)
Jim Renacci (OH-16)
Tom Rice (SC-7)
Hal Rogers (KY-5)
Mike Rogers (AL-3)
Todd Rokita (IN-4)
Pete Roskam (IL-6)
Dennis Ross (FL-15)
David Rouzer (NC-7)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2)
Steve Russell (OK-5)
Tim Ryan (OH-13)
Kurt Schrader (OR-5)
David Schweikert (AZ-6)
Austin Scott (GA-8)
David Scott (GA-13)
Pete Sessions (TX-32)
Terri Sewell (AL-7)
John Shimkus (IL-15)
Bill Shuster (PA-9)
Mike Simpson (ID-2)
Albio Sires (NJ-8)
Adrian Smith (NE-3)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9)
Chris Smith (NJ-4)
Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
Chris Stewart (UT-2)
Steve Stivers (OH-15)
Claudia Tenney (NY-22)
Glenn Thompson (PA-5)
Mac Thornberry (TX-13)
Pat Tiberi (OH-12)
Michael Turner (OH-10)
Fred Upton (MI-6)
David Valadao (CA-21)
Marc Veasey (TX-33)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Peter Visclosky (IN-1)
Ann Wagner (MO-2)
Tim Walberg (MI-7)
Mark Walker (NC-6)
Greg Walden (OR-2)
Jackie Walorski (IN-2)
Tim Walz (MN-1)
Randy Weber (TX-14)
Brad Wenstrup (OH-2)
Bruce Westerman (AR-4)
Roger Williams (TX-25)
Frederica Wilson (FL-24)
Joe Wilson (SC-2)
Rob Wittman (VA-1)
Steve Womack (AR-3)
John Yarmuth (KY-3)
Kevin Yoder (KS-3)
David Young (IA-3)
Don Young (AK-AL)
Lee Zeldin (NY-01)

The Local Radio Freedom Act's 25 Senate cosponsors are:

John Barrasso (R-WY)
John Boozman (R-AR)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Steve Daines (R-MT)
Mike Enzi (R-WY)
Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Cory Gardner (R-CO)
Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
John Hoeven (R-ND)
James Inhofe (R-OK)
Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Mike Rounds (R-SD)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Roger Wicker (R-MS)

About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.