House · HR 979 · 119th Congress
AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025
Summary
This bill requires the Department of Transportation to create a rule making AM radio standard equipment in all new passenger vehicles. Manufacturers must include AM radio at no extra charge to buyers. The rule expires eight years after the bill becomes law.
In Favor
AM radio reaches nearly everyone and works even when cell towers fail during disasters. Many newer cars have dropped AM radio, leaving drivers without emergency alerts on the road. This bill ensures every driver can receive life-saving warnings at no added cost.
Against
Car makers must redesign vehicles to add AM radio, which can raise production costs for the industry. Electric vehicles in particular face engineering challenges because their motors can interfere with AM signals. Forcing a single technology solution may slow innovation in how emergency alerts reach drivers.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
The bill aims to require AM radio to be standard equipment in all new passenger vehicles. It targets a gap where some newer vehicles no longer include AM radio, which is used to deliver emergency alerts to the public.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The bill focuses mainly on requiring AM radio in new vehicles. It also includes a Government Accountability Office study on emergency alert systems and requires regular reviews of the rule, which stay tied to the same public safety goal.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Drivers and passengers gain access to AM radio in new vehicles at no extra charge. Vehicle makers must add AM radio as standard equipment and label vehicles that currently lack it before the rule takes effect.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill does not state a dollar amount or cost estimate. It shifts costs onto manufacturers to install AM radio devices and comply with new labeling rules, and it directs a federal agency to write and enforce the rule.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
The bill sets a one-year deadline for the agency to write the rule and a two-year window for most makers to comply. The bill also sunsets after eight years, which would end the rule and the agency's power to enforce it.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 10/14/2026