From: 0003829147@mcimail.com (Sander J. Rabinowitz) Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc Subject: Alarming Scanner Legislation (Relayed Article) Date: Wed Aug 14 19:52:00 1991 * Downloaded from: BARF-80 - Cleveland Uploaded to: HAMNET - Cleveland USER: Jay Reynolds "N8OOL" 9/28/91 * [Note: At the same time I'm posting this article to the net, I'm sending a courtesy copy to the ARRL, where I'm an associate member. -SJR] I wish to relay to the net an item posted in the rec.radio.shortwave conference. I feel this announcement is important enough and has enough significance even within the ham-radio community that I am posting the articles in their entirety. *** BEGIN ARTICLE #1 *** From: antenna@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Horvitz) Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave Subject: Scanner Ban Sought by Cellular Industry Date 9 Aug 91 03:54:34 GMT Organization: Internews The cellular industry is once again trying to ban scanners capable of receiving any frequency allocated to their service. As usual, they waited until Congress' summer recess drained Washington of observers. If their strategy works - and unless scanner owners act quickly, it looks like it will - the tuning capabilities of radio receivers will shrink as other services try the same legislative tactic. On 30 July 1991, Rep. Matthew J. Rinaldo (R-NJ) introduced H.R. 1674, the FCC's budget authorization for 1992. This bill includes the following passage: "...SEC. 8...(d)(1) INTERCEPTION OF CELLULAR TELECOMMUNICATIONS --Within 180 days after the date of enactment of the Federal Communications Commission Authorization Act of 1991, the Commission shall prescribe and make effective regulations denying equipment authorization...for any scanning receiver that is capable of-- (A) receiving transmissions in the frequencies allocated to the domestic cellular radio telecommunications service, (B) readily being altered by the user to receive transmissions in such frequencies, or (C) being equipped with decoders that convert digital cellular transmissions to analog voice audio. "(2) MANUFACTURE OF NONCOMPLYING EQUIPMENT.--Beginning one year after the effective date of the regulations adopted..., no receiver having the capabilities described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1) shall be manufactured that does not comply with the requirements set forth in paragraph (1)." H.R. 1674 was quickly adopted (passed) by the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance, and is now before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The Committee can be reached by writing/calling/faxing: John D. Dingell, Chairman Committee on Energy and Commerce 2125 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-6115 Phone: 202-225-2927 Fax: 202-225-2525 The Committee's Legislative Assistant is Lisa Kountoups. Since Rep. Rinaldo is Republican, it might be better to contact the Minority staff's Legislative Assistant, Darlene McMullen. Here is a list of Representatives serving on the Committee. If your Congressman is among them, call the US Capitol's Locator Service (202-224-3121, open 24 hrs/day) to get their address and phone number. CALL/WRITE/FAX THEM IMMEDIATELY TO EXPRESS YOUR OPPOSITION to the scanner ban contained in SECTION 8 of H.R. 1674 (FCC authorization bill for 1992). Since Congress is now in recess, contact their Home District Office. The Locator Service can give you that address & phone number, too: Joe Barton (R-TX), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Thomas Bliley (R-VA), Rick Boucher (D-VA), Terry Bruce (D-IL), John Bryant (D-TX), Sonny Callahan (R-AL), Cardiss Collins (D-IL), Jim Cooper (D-TN), Willian Dannemeyer (R-CA), John Dingell (D-MI), Dennis Eckart (D-OH), Jack Fields (R-TX), Ralph Hall (D-TX), Claude Harris (D-AL), Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Clyde Holloway (R-LA), Peter Kostmayer (D-PA), Richard Lehman (D-CA), Norman Lent (R-NY), Thomas Manton (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Alex McMillan (R-NC), Tom McMillen (D-MD), Carlos Moorhead (R-CA), Michael Oxley (R-OH), Bill Richardson (D-NM), Matthew Rinaldo (R-NJ), Don Ritter (R-PA), J. Roy Rowland (D-GA), Dan Schaefer (R-CO), James Scheuer (D-NY), Philip Sharp (D-IN), Gerry Sikorski (D-MN), Jim Slattery (D-KS), Gerry Studds (D-MA), Al Swift (D-WA), Mike Synar (D-OK), Billy Tauzin (D-LA), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Fred Upton (R-MI), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR). -- !.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.|.!.| Robert Horvitz 1122-1/2 E St. SE Washington, DC 20003-2232 USA uucp: ...uunet!capital!rhorvitz *** BEGIN ARTICLE #2 *** From: antenna@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Horvitz) Subject: House Commerce Committee passes Cellular Scanner Ban Date: 12 Aug 91 05:23:33 GMT Benn Kobb (KC5CW) just notified me that the FCC's 1991 authorization bill, which contains a passage that would ban all scanners capable of tuning cellular radio frequencies, or being modified to do so, was passed by the House Commerce Committee just before they adjourned for the August recess. The bill will be taken up by the full House when Congress returns from vacation. So the ban has moved a giant step closer to implementation. In the next step, all Representatives will have a vote. So it no longer matters whether your Representative serves on the Commerce Committee. EVERYONE should contact their Representative and urge them not to accept Section 8 of HR 1674. The Senate will have to concur in this, so you might also contact your Senator to stop similar language from being added to the Senate version of the bill. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * This isn't just about cellular and privacy protection. It's about the public airwaves being made inaccessible to the public. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** END OF QUOTED ARTICLES *** The last sentence echoes my sentiments exactly. Frankly, if scanning equipment should become this hard hit by Federal legislation, it's hard to believe that ham radio equipment would be very far behind. Hence, the relevance of the above to this newsgroup. Sander J. Rabinowitz | sjr@mcimail.com -or- | No callsign as yet Brentwood, Tenn. | sander@attmail.com | 8-)