H.Con.Res. 12: Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.

The resolution is a single sentence of operative text. Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge on local radio stations for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for publicly playing those recordings.

That simplicity is the point. This is not a bill with sections and mechanisms — it is a political statement with enough signatures behind it to pass the House if it came to a floor vote.

The fight underneath is decades old. The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world where terrestrial radio pays no performance royalty to artists and labels for playing their recordings. Stations pay songwriters and publishers through ASCAP and BMI licenses, but performers and record labels get nothing from the AM/FM broadcast itself. Digital services like Spotify and SiriusXM do pay performance royalties — creating what the recording industry calls an uneven playing field.

Supporters of the resolution argue that radio provides massive promotional value to artists. A song played on AM/FM reaches audiences that drive concert ticket sales, streaming plays, and album purchases. Opponents counter that performers deserve payment when their work is broadcast, the same way they are paid when it streams online.

The resolution also covers businesses — restaurants, bars, retail stores — that play recorded music in their establishments. Any new performance royalty for radio could cascade into new fees for those businesses too.