posted on 11.12.2024

- State Bill Filing Opens, DC Meetings on Tap

With the General Election in the rear-view mirror, Texas broadcasters can anticipate significant action in the Texas Legislature, Congress and the FCC relating to everything from newsgathering practices, tax policy and Open Government on the state side, to music royalties, Big Tech competition and regulatory relief on the federal front.

Texas Legislature

Broadcast issues on TAB's agenda range from various newsgathering and tax concerns to high school sports playoff coverage and Artificial Intelligence.

With defense being every business interest's first priority, TAB also will be studying the 6,000+ bills anticipated for a potential impact on our interests.

Member station GMs will receive regular updates as bills are filed, scheduled for committee hearing and considered for floor votes, as well as calls to action when their engagement is urgently needed.

Before the session shifts into high gear, TAB will continue to arrange meetings with lawmakers and their local broadcasters in Austin and various markets across the state such as the East Texas event held Nov. 1 and the El Paso meeting planned for Nov. 15.

These small, focused events replace the biennial statewide legislative luncheon TAB used to present. When an ice storm forced the cancelation of the 2023 conference, lawmakers and broadcasters expressed a preference for the smaller, regional meetings held in the TAB Board Room in Austin.

TAB 2025 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

A lot needs to happen before state lawmakers get to work, though. Here's a brief timetable of "pre-game" activities:

Pre-Filing of Legislation - State lawmakers began pre-filing bills for the 2025 session on Nov. 11. Bill filing continues until the March 14 filing deadline.

Fundraising Deadline - State lawmakers and statewide elected officials cannot legally accept political contributions after Dec. 14, so there'll be a crush of fundraising as soon as the polls close. They can resume fundraising 30 days after the session ends on June 2.

Legislative Day - That's the official title of the first day of the session which falls on Jan. 14.

Once lawmakers kick off the session, House members will elect a Speaker and then several weeks will likely pass before House committee assignments are made. Senate committee assignments will be announced earlier. The Governor will present his State of the State address late January/early February.

Congressional, FCC Front

The trades have been chock full of prognostications of what the FCC will do under the new administration, with the industry hopeful for much-needed modernization of its regulations to ensure that broadcasters can thrive in the modern media marketplace.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is ready in terms of sufficient congressional support to be attached to whatever year-end spending package or other must-pass legislation.

Texas broadcasters can be assured that co-author Sen. Ted Cruz will work with his Democratic partner Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts to push it past the finish line, but a plethora of competing interests will be challenging to overcome.

It's unclear at this time whether broadcasters' most immediate concerns on the AI front will be addressed with passage this year of the NO FAKES Act which in September won support from a diverse group of creatives and their advocacy organizations, such as the National Association of Broadcasters, the Motion Picture Association, the Human Artistry Campaign, major talent agencies, and others.

This legislation would, in part, protect the voice and visual likeness of all individuals, including the most trusted broadcast news anchors and local on-air personalities, from unauthorized computer-generated recreations made by generative AI.

More likely, the bill will be held for the next Congress.

TAB is arranging for two dozen Texas Radio and TV broadcasters to advocate for our agenda with Texas members of Congress in early March as part of the NAB's annual State Leadership Conference the week of March 3.

They'll meet with nearly all 40 Texas offices over a two-day period, including the dozen or so lawmakers who serve on the broadcast industry's key committees of jurisdiction, Judiciary and Energy & Commerce, though the new make-up of those committees will likely change.

Questions? Contact Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.

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