AG Moody Leads Bipartisan Fight for AM Radio to Protect Americans During Devastating Hurricanes and Other Emergency Situations

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and 10 other state attorneys general today called on Congress to pass the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2024. Last year, Attorney General Moody led a 16-state coalition urging automobile manufacturers to protect AM radio. The destruction and life-threatening conditions caused during Hurricane Helene shows that bipartisan protections for AM radios in vehicles are critical—as electric vehicles and other new vehicles are being manufactured without the vital communication devices.
 
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, leaving widespread damage and catastrophic flooding across the Southeast United States. The storm caused more than 190 deaths, with hundreds still missing. Helene left roughly 6 million people without power and many without cellphone and internet service. Six days after the storm, only 60% of cell service was restored in impacted areas across North Carolina.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Following devastation and loss in Florida and across multiple states in the wake of Hurricane Helene, it has never been clearer how vital it is to protect access to AM radio. I have personally heard on-the-ground stories of Floridians who lost power, access to internet and cellphone service during storms, including Hurricane Helene. AM radio signals remained functional. We must ensure access to AM radio signals; lives depend on it.”

The attorneys general state, “AM radio is the constant support network that provides life-saving information to our citizens. During emergencies, it is vitally important that federal, state, and local officials be able to deliver emergency warnings and other information to their citizens. AM radio signals travel greater distances as compared to FM, and citizens can receive information via AM radio even when phone lines, electricity, and cell phones are inoperable…Nearly 80 AM radio stations across the country are Primary Entry Points for emergency alerts distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Weather Service. Those stations, alone, cover approximately 90% of the US population and ensure that state and federal agencies can quickly, dependably, and economically distribute life-saving information across vast geographical areas.”

The attorneys general go on to state concerns regarding reports of car manufacturers not including AM radios in cars. In fact, in a letter from last year, seven former leaders of FEMA described the removal of AM radios from cars as a “grave threat to future local, state, and federal disaster response and relief efforts.” 

The attorneys general urge Congress to “prioritize the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and to support the protections of this vital communications network.”

Attorney General Moody and Attorney General Bird are joined by the attorneys general from Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

Read the full letter here.

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