Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act
Public Law 110-459 · S. 3663 · 110th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 23, 2008 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Byron Dorgan
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act - Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), notwithstanding any other provision of law, to develop and implement a program to encourage and permit, to the extent technically feasible, the continued broadcasting in the analog television service of specified public safety information and digital television transition information for 30 days after the transition.
Requires the FCC, in designing the program, to consider certain factors, including: (1) taking into account market-by-market needs; (2) avoiding digital signal interference; and (3) already-adopted transition and coordination plans.
Prohibits: (1) analog broadcasting on any spectrum that is approved or pending approval for public safety radio services; and (2) including the analog spectrum between channels 52 and 69 reclaimed from analog television broadcasting.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 7013Related bill
Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.
- Dec 23, 2008Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-459.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 12, 2008FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 10, 2008FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Mrs. Capps asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Dec 9, 2008FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Nov 24, 2008FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Nov 20, 2008FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 1, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10324-10325)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 5698SenateSen. Jay RockefellerD-WV· offered Nov 20, 2008Agreed to
To provide for the short-term partial extension of analog broadcasting.
Nov 20, 2008: Amendment SA 5698 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.