SB QST @ ARL $ARLB002   
   ARLB002 Michigan Passes, Governor Signs Antenna Accommodation   
   Legislation   
      
   ZCZC AG02   
   QST de W1AW     
   ARRL Bulletin 2  ARLB002   
   >From ARRL Headquarters     
   Newington CT  January 16, 2015   
   To all radio amateurs    
      
   SB QST ARL ARLB002   
   ARLB002 Michigan Passes, Governor Signs Antenna Accommodation   
   Legislation   
      
   Ten years of work within the ARRL Michigan Section have culminated   
   in an Amateur Radio antenna bill that mirrors the "reasonable   
   accommodation" provisions of the PRB-1 federal pre-emption policy.   
   Michigan Gov Rick Snyder signed the measure, Senate Bill 0493, into   
   law on January 15, creating Public Act 556. Senator Rick Jones   
   sponsored the bill. ARRL Michigan Section Manager Larry Camp, WB8R,   
   said Michigan is the 31st state to have a PRB-1 bill on its books.   
      
   "The current PRB-1 Team has been working for 3 years to get this   
   accomplished," he said. "Our bill endured four votes on its way to   
   becoming law - Senate and House committees and the Senate and House   
   floors. Each vote was unanimous."   
      
   The most pertinent language in the new Michigan law, which comes   
   directly from Part 97.15 of the FCC Amateur Service rules, states:   
      
   "An Amateur Radio Service station antenna structure may be erected   
   at heights and dimensions sufficient to accommodate Amateur Radio   
   Service communications. Regulation of an Amateur Radio Service   
   station antenna structure by a local unit of government must not   
   preclude Amateur Radio Service communications. Rather, it must   
   reasonably accommodate those communications and must constitute the   
   minimum practicable regulation to accomplish the local unit of   
   government's legitimate purpose."   
      
   The new law also provides for an advisory committee that may be   
   established jointly by the Michigan Section and other state   
   organizations, such as the Michigan Municipal League and the   
   Michigan Township Association. Camp said the advisory board could   
   become involved at the request of the amateur, the community, zoning   
   board, or representative associations as required. "The purpose of   
   having the Michigan Section and the ARRL named specifically," Camp   
   said, "is to ensure that the technical information that the advisory   
   committee receives is accurate and pertinent to the questions at   
   hand."   
      
   "The Michigan Section of the ARRL will be available to provide   
   information and training as an ongoing educational effort for   
   communities and their representative organizations," Camp added.   
      
   Camp said the PRB-1 Team believes the advisory committee will be an   
   important tool in situations when community officials know little or   
   nothing about Amateur Radio. "We will be able to provide accurate   
   information and support from the ARRL, as required," he said. "This   
   committee will help explain the reasons why radio amateurs need to   
   have antennas in the air in order to communicate in an emergency."   
      
   The new law also echoes federal requirements that owners of certain   
   Amateur Radio antenna structures extending more than 200 feet above   
   ground level at the site or that are located near or at an airport   
   must notify the Federal Aviation Administration and register with   
   the FCC.   
      
   In addition to Camp and ARRL Great Lakes Director Dale Williams,   
   WA8EFK - who served as an advisor - Michigan PRB-1 Team members   
   included State Government Liaison Ed Hude, WA8QJE; Local Government   
   Liaisons Butch Hedges, KD8NKJ, and Hal Thomas, N8HAL; Webmaster Jay   
   Nugent, WB8TKL; Legal Advisor Raoul Revord, W8RDR, and Public   
   Information Officer Pat Mullet, KC8RTW.   
   NNNN   
   /EX    
      
      
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until   
   you hire an amateur.   
      
   --- FMail/Win32 1.60   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.71)