[HiDARG-MEMBERS] Fwd: Legislative Update

[Jeff Moore]

This just came in from the ARRL re: pending Oregon legislation!!

Jeff Moore  --  KE7ACY


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ARRL Members Only Web site <memberlist at www.arrl.org>
Date: Thu, Apr 20, 2017 at 5:26 PM
Subject: Legislative Update
To: tnetcenter at gmail.com


Legislative Update on Senate Bill 2 / House Bill 2597 “Distracted
Driving”

Dear Oregon ARRL Members: Here’s the latest news on the Oregon 2017
Legislature’s action on the “Distracting Driving” bills
introduced early this year in both chambers:

Both bills are identical and both have been amended and approved by
their respective Committees.
Significantly, neither bill includes the specific exemption for FCC
licensed amateur radio operators that many of you requested and that
was requested in the testimony I submitted on behalf of the Oregon
Section.

A link to Senate Bill 2 with proposed amendments can be found at this
link:

https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB2/A-
Engrossed

These bills will now go to the Joint Ways and Means Committee for
further consideration. I have earlier contacted Senator Betsy Johnson
(D) from Scappoose and received strong support. Senator Johnson is
Co-Chair of Ways and Means as well as a ham radio operator, so we are
off to a good start.  I have also contacted the Oregon Emergency
Management Association (OEMA) to express my concern about how this
proposed legislation might impact amateur radio mobile emergency
communications and will be meeting with them May 2nd.

Our Oregon Section State Government Liaison Kevin Curry has been of
great help in tracking, analyzing and strategy development for all of
us.

We need you will continue to write, email and talk to our legislators!


•       A link to the Joint Ways and Means Committee can get you started:
https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Committees/JWM/Overview

•       Contact legislators that are on Ways and Means to request their
support. We believe that Senator Roblan (D) from Coos Bay might be
especially helpful to us. You will find information on discussion
points we have used on the ARRL Oregon Section website at:

http://arrloregon.org/?page_id=557

Finally, read through the ARRL article below. We don’t want to find
ourselves in this position. I will put out more information as things
develop. Thanks for your support of Amateur Radio in Oregon!


*****
ARRL weighs in on California statute

March 16, 2017
ARRL is recommending that Amateur Radio be specifically excluded from a
California statute prohibiting the use of 'wireless communication
devices' while driving. ARRL Southwestern Division Vice Director Marty
Woll, N6VI, is taking point on the effort to revise the statute, known
by its legislative bill number AB 1785. It was signed into law last
September, and it took effect on January 1, amending §23123.5 of the
state’s Vehicle Code. “ARRL has received a huge volume of inquiries
and complaints about this statute in particular, since its enactment,”
ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, wrote in a letter to Woll to
provide guidance in amending the California statute. “I would urge
that you present this letter at any meetings you have with California
State legislators on this topic, thus to bring the issues contained
herein to their attention.” Imlay pointed out that that the prior
statute excluded Amateur Radio by definition. The new law, which
completely replaced the earlier statute, never mentions Amateur Radio,
but instead contains an open-ended definition of an “electronic
wireless communications device,” the operation of which while driving
is prohibited.

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ARRL Oregon Section
Section Manager: John E Core, KX7YT
kx7yt at arrl.org
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