Why you can trust our reporting

Our reporting on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act dates back to mid-2023, when the legislation was first proposed in Congress. Since then, we have covered multiple angles of the proposed law, including calls from lawmakers to mandate AM radio tuners in electric vehicles, efforts by industry lobbying organizations to advance the measure and concerns from automakers and consumer technology groups over how the law would affect future car prices.

Proposed legislation that would force car manufacturers to install AM radio tuners in their vehicles received a second chance at life this week after it was rolled into a broader transportation funding bill.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted Thursday to include the AM radio mandate in H.R. 7389, also known as the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026, during a committee markup. The amended bill later advanced out of committee on a 48-1 vote, sending the broader measure to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

The bill, originally known as the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, sprang up three years ago after some electric car makers said they would stop supporting the technology over concerns that engines used in those vehicles interfered with received AM radio signals, leading to interference playing out on sound systems.

Automakers were concerned that the interference, a normal byproduct of engines found in some electric cars, would result in consumers feeling their vehicles were defective. Most AM radio stations are also available over broadband via free streaming apps offered by Audacy, iHeart and Stingray’s TuneIn.

Lawmakers who support the proposal appear swayed by AM radio advocates who say the technology is needed to keep Americans informed about emergency situations, with AM radio stations often acting as the “carrier” station for emergency alert notifications that are distributed to other radio stations and television partners.

The commercial AM radio industry relies primarily on “reach” — the availability of tuners in vehicles — to support their advertising business at a time when most Americans have switched to on-demand music apps and other digital audio platforms. As hybrid and fully electric vehicles gain momentum, some industry advocates are concerned that pulling AM radio tuners will lead to a significant drop in reach, which would undermine their business.

So far, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has failed to make its way to a president’s desk since it was first introduced several years ago. But proposed legislation that is rolled into broader appropriations bills tend to have an easier time becoming law, since they often receive little scrutiny.

On Thursday, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) praised the action of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, saying the future passing of the bill will ensure AM radio tuners are maintained in future cars, regardless of the technology in them.

“As lawmakers consider policies affecting America’s transportation infrastructure, ensuring continued access to AM radio in vehicles remains essential for public safety,” Curtis LeGeyt, the CEO of the NAB, said in a statement.

The legislation has already drawn broad bipartisan support as a standalone measure. The House version, H.R. 979, and Senate companion, S. 315, have attracted hundreds of co-sponsors, though the standalone bill has not yet received a final floor vote.

A Congressional Budget Office summary of H.R. 979 says the measure would direct the Department of Transportation to require AM broadcast access in passenger vehicles imported into, shipped within or manufactured and sold in the United States.

But some automakers say requiring AM radio tuners at a time when programming and emergency messages are readily available through other means would needlessly raise the cost of cars, trucks and other vehicles sold in the United States, at a time when inflation and other economic factors are already causing Americans to shell out more for those machines.

In 2023, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) said mandating AM radio tuners in vehicles would require automakers to invest in research and development to figure out how to make engines and other components work without interfering with radio signals, which will lead to price increases. The statement was released prior to President Donald Trump’s second term in office, during which consumer prices on most goods — including car radio equipment — have soared due to inflation, illegal tariffs imposed on imported goods and military actions in Venezuela and Iran that never received Congressional approvals.

The Motor Vehicle Modernization Act could also become part of the broader surface transportation reauthorization package now moving through Congress. House transportation leaders released the BUILD America 250 Act this week, a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill covering highways, transit, rail and other transportation programs. Current surface transportation authority expires at the end of September.

The committee package also included language from the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide. That provision has drawn concern from some AM radio operators because later winter sunrises could keep certain stations operating at reduced power during morning drive time.

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• Ford CEO says company will support AM radio in vehicles (May 2023)
• NAB takes automakers to task over AM radio statements (November 2023)
• Carmakers, streaming audio execs say AM radio bill is flawed (May 2023)
• Car prices could jump if AM radio bill goes through, CTA says (May 2023)
• Lawmakers introduce bill to keep AM radio in cars (May 2023)
• TuneIn offers AM broadcasters free access to premium products (June 2023)