ACB's Legislative Agenda Makes Significant Advances
by Melanie Brunson
The months of May and June have been among the busiest ever in ACB's Washington office. We are very excited to report to you that all of this activity has netted some very significant results, as both houses of Congress have begun to take action on ACB's top legislative priorities. Here's the latest information about this legislative activity. Quiet Cars
We were very gratified when both the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce incorporated provisions of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 into The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010, and then proceeded to approve that bill for consideration by the full House and Senate. This package includes a number of measures aimed at improving the safety of motor vehicles sold in the U.S. It was a very good fit for the provisions of our quiet car bill. We believe that this legislation will pass both houses of Congress later this year, so stay tuned for additional information on its progress. Telecommunications
S. 3304, the Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act, was introduced by Sen. Mark Pryor. A hearing on the bill was held by the Senate Subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Approval by the full committee is expected shortly.
In the House, the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on a bill that many of you have been following for some time, H.R. 3101, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009, introduced by Rep. Edward J. Markey. The next step in the process would be approval by the full committees in both chambers. As of this writing, we do not know when the committees will take up these bills, but there is a good chance they will do so before their August recess. We will let you know as soon as we learn more details.
Exciting victories may be just around the corner, so look for more information here in the near future.