The Silvercreek Amateur Radio Association has filed an official response to the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking under Docket 20-270. The FCC has proposed the new fees for licenses of all types after being required by Congress to change to a “cost-based” model of licensing fees. Part of this NPRM sets a fee of $50 for each new, renewed, or modified license in the amateur radio service (i.e. license types HA and HV). Additionally, under the NPRM, the FCC states that the fees will not be used by the FCC for services but rather will be sent to the US Treasury for the general fund.
The Executive Committee of SARA has filed an official comment with the FCC in response. SARA’s response outlines the number of ways that the amateur radio service benefits the government and the public far beyond any license fees collected. SARA asks the FCC to reconsider the fee structure in the following ways:
- Continue the long tradition of the free amateur radio license for individuals in the systematic/automatic license system – that is the “HA” license type.
- Apply the $50 fee for new applications and renewals of vanity licenses – that is the “HV” license type. Address changes would be exempt from the fee.
- Permit HV type holders, at renewal time, to convert their license to the HA license type and obtain a new systematic callsign of the appropriate group.
- All licenses regardless of type, HA or HV, that are for Amateur Clubs would be charged the $50 fee as proposed.
The complete filing can be viewed here.