Legislative UpdateLegislative Update

Bob Conder K4RLCBob Conder K4RLC

State Government LiaisonState Government Liaison

Purpose of SGLPurpose of SGL

• Monitor Legislature for bills that Monitor Legislature for bills that could help or hurt Amateur Radiocould help or hurt Amateur Radio

• Introduce Legislation for Ham radioIntroduce Legislation for Ham radio

• Assist members in addressing their Assist members in addressing their Legislators with legislative issuesLegislators with legislative issues

Last Year’s successLast Year’s successPRB-1 Antenna Bill NCGS PRB-1 Antenna Bill NCGS 153A-341.2. Reasonable

accommodation of amateur radio antennas.A county ordinance based on health, safety, or

aesthetic considerations that regulates the placement, screening, or height of the antennas or support structures of amateur radio operators must reasonably accommodate amateur radio communications and must represent the minimum practicable regulation necessary to accomplish the purpose of the county. A county may not restrict antennas or antenna support structures of amateur radio operators to heights of 90 feet or lower unless the restriction is necessary to achieve a clearly defined health, safety, or aesthetic objective of the county. (2007-147)

This year’s success: SB 12This year’s success: SB 12

Senate Commerce CommitteeSenate Commerce CommitteeSenator Purcell and ISenator Purcell and I

-courtesy Gary Pearce-courtesy Gary Pearce

Weekly Agenda for Senate Weekly Agenda for Senate Commerce CommitteeCommerce Committee

If you or members have If you or members have Legislative concerns, please Legislative concerns, please contact me:contact me:K4RLC@earthlink.netK4RLC@earthlink.net• If it concerns a specific bill, need specific If it concerns a specific bill, need specific

bill Number, eg, SB 12bill Number, eg, SB 12

• Let me review the Bill, before writing to Let me review the Bill, before writing to your Legislatoryour Legislator

• Let me suggest text of letterLet me suggest text of letter

• Go to: Go to: www.ncga.state.nc.us for address of for address of your person. Check out their Committeesyour person. Check out their Committees

• Just write Legislator for your DistrictJust write Legislator for your District

Letter should be:Letter should be:• A) Polite: Thank you Senator for listening A) Polite: Thank you Senator for listening

to my concernsto my concerns• B) State your relationship: As a B) State your relationship: As a

constituent, supporter, financial constituent, supporter, financial contributor, someone who knows what you contributor, someone who knows what you did last Tuesday night..did last Tuesday night..

• C) Be brief with your concernsC) Be brief with your concerns• D) Tell them you are a ham radio operator D) Tell them you are a ham radio operator

and how this bill would impact provision of and how this bill would impact provision of Emergency Amateur Radio servicesEmergency Amateur Radio services

• E) Thank them, and ask them to contact E) Thank them, and ask them to contact you for any needed clarification.you for any needed clarification.

US House Bill HR 2160US House Bill HR 2160

• Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009Act of 2009

• "promote and encourage the valuable public service, disaster "promote and encourage the valuable public service, disaster relief, and emergency communications provided on a relief, and emergency communications provided on a volunteer basis by licensees of the Federal Communications volunteer basis by licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a study of the uses of Amateur Radio for emergency and study of the uses of Amateur Radio for emergency and disaster relief communications, by identifying unnecessary or disaster relief communications, by identifying unnecessary or unreasonable impediments to the deployment of Amateur unreasonable impediments to the deployment of Amateur Radio emergency and disaster relief communications, and by Radio emergency and disaster relief communications, and by making recommendations for relief of such unreasonable making recommendations for relief of such unreasonable restrictions so as to expand the uses of Amateur Radio restrictions so as to expand the uses of Amateur Radio communications in Homeland Security planning and communications in Homeland Security planning and response." response."

• Go to: Go to: www.house.gov and look up your Representative, and and look up your Representative, and send a nice note asking their support or asking them to Co-send a nice note asking their support or asking them to Co-Sponsor the bill.Sponsor the bill.

My goalMy goal

• If HR 2160 passes, to have a similar If HR 2160 passes, to have a similar bill introduced here in North Carolinabill introduced here in North Carolina

• Or, to have a statutory definition of Or, to have a statutory definition of Amateur Radio in the NC General Amateur Radio in the NC General StatutesStatutes

Legislator of the YearLegislator of the Year

• Accomplishments Accomplishments this past Monday this past Monday night:night:

• Driving 102 in 65 Driving 102 in 65 mph zone in Orange mph zone in Orange CoCo

• At Legislature At Legislature drinkingdrinking

• Kissing teenage page Kissing teenage page in publicin public