PIRATE Act
Public Law 116-109 · H.R. 583 · 116th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jan 24, 2020 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY-20)
Cosponsors (9): Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Rep. Kathleen Rice,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- 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.
This bill addresses unlicensed radio broadcasting (called pirating), including by increasing to $2 million the maximum fine for a pirate radio broadcasting violation and imposing a fine of up to $100,000 per day for pirating violations subject to the $2 million limit.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must (1) annually submit to Congress a report summarizing implementation of this bill and associated enforcement activities for the previous fiscal year; and (2) at least once a year, assign appropriate enforcement personnel to focus specific and sustained attention on the elimination of pirate radio broadcasting within the top five radio markets.
The FCC may not preempt any state or local law prohibiting pirate radio broadcasting.
The FCC shall (1) revise its rules to require that, absent good cause, in any case alleging a violation, it shall proceed directly to issue a Notice of Apparent Liability without first issuing a Notice of Unlicensed Operation; and (2) publish a database of all licensed radio stations operating in the AM and FM band that includes each licensed station and all entities that have received a Notice of Unlicensed Operation, Notice of Apparent Liability, or Forfeiture Order from the FCC.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Commerce Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Communications and Technology Subcommittee
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.
S. 1228Identical billRelated bill
PIRATE 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. 15 actions.
- Jan 24, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-109.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jan 14, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jan 9, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jan 8, 2020FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Feb 26, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Feb 25, 2019FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 583.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Tonko moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jan 25, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
- Jan 16, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
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
No amendments to this bill are on record.
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.