United States · Law · HR
H.R. 583 (116th)
PIRATE Act
Introduced
16 January 2019
Last action
—
Status
Became Public Law No: 116-109.
Sponsors
—
Subjects
Discovery layer
Source updated
5 December 2025
Summary
Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act or the PIRATE Act This bill addresses unlicensed radio broadcasting (called pirating), including by increasing the maximum fine for a pirate radio broadcasting violation to $2 million 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 issued by the FCC.
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Timeline
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Votes
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Versions
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Documents
14 official files
Enrolled Bill (text)
Enrolled Bill (text)
Enrolled Bill · EN
Enrolled Bill (PDF)
Enrolled Bill · EN
Public Law (text)
Public Law · EN · 25 January 2020
Public Law (PDF)
Public Law · EN · 25 January 2020
Public Law
summary · EN · 24 January 2020
Passed Senate
summary · EN · 8 January 2020
Referred in Senate (text)
Referred in Senate · EN · 26 February 2019
Referred in Senate (PDF)
Referred in Senate · EN · 26 February 2019
Engrossed in House (text)
Engrossed in House · EN · 25 February 2019
Engrossed in House (PDF)
Engrossed in House · EN · 25 February 2019
Passed House
summary · EN · 25 February 2019
Introduced in House (text)
Introduced in House · EN · 16 January 2019
Introduced in House (PDF)
Introduced in House · EN · 16 January 2019
Introduced in House
summary · EN · 16 January 2019
Sponsors
No sponsors or actors listed by the source.
Related records
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Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/583
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/116/hr/583