H.R. 583 · 116th Congress · enacted
PIRATE Act
Became Public Law No: 116-109.
Latest official action 2020-01-24 · Enacted
The bill, briefly
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.
Congressional Research Service · 2019-01-16
Who reported lobbying on this bill?
Amount spent specifically on this bill: not disclosed
The reports below name this bill and disclose an organization’s overall lobbying expenses or a firm’s client income for the period. They can cover many bills and issues. These amounts are not payments to the bill or its politicians.
No matching lobbying report is imported yet. This is not evidence that no lobbying occurred.
2,409 latest lobbying reports imported. Some source imports are still in progress.
Politicians behind the bill
Sponsors and cosponsors from the official source, limited to members currently in office. Campaign amounts are cycle-wide and are not payments for this bill.
Sponsor
Paul Tonko
House · NY District 20 · Democratic
$702,550PAC receipts · 2025–2026
Cosponsor
Gus M. Bilirakis
House · FL District 12 · Republican
$935,244PAC receipts · 2025–2026
Cosponsor
Nydia M. Velázquez
House · NY District 7 · Democratic
$62,250PAC receipts · 2025–2026
9 of 9 source cosponsor records retrieved; only current officials and unwithdrawn sponsorships appear.
PAC donors to the listed sponsors
These are all-cycle contributions to the listed sponsors’ and cosponsors’ campaigns. FEC does not attribute them to this bill. A donation plus sponsorship does not establish why a politician acted.
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$20,000
AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION PHYSICAL THERAPY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (PT-PAC)$19,000
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$17,500
Paul Tonko · Sponsor · $2,500
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Nydia M. Velázquez · Cosponsor · $5,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$17,500
NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION AMERICA'S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES PAC$17,500
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NABPAC)$16,850
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (SKINPAC)$15,000
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION$15,000
AUTO CARE ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$15,000
MACHINISTS NON PARTISAN POLITICAL LEAGUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERS$15,000
AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$14,000
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC. TECHNOLOGIES PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL (HONPAC)$13,000
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES P E O P L E$12,500
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR RADIATION ONCOLOGY PAC (''ASTRO-PAC'')$12,500
PSYCHOLOGY PAC OF AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION SERVICES INC.$12,500
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$12,000
Paul Tonko · Sponsor · $5,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $5,000
Nydia M. Velázquez · Cosponsor · $2,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION PAC$11,000
AT&T INC. EMPLOYEE FEDERAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AT&T EMPLOYEE FEDERAL PAC)$11,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$11,000
Paul Tonko · Sponsor · $5,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $5,000
Nydia M. Velázquez · Cosponsor · $1,000
Official PAC recordALZHEIMERS IMPACT MOVEMENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,500
NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICINE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE / AMERICAN COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS$10,500
AMERICAN CLINICAL LABORATORY ASSOCIATON PAC (LABPAC)$10,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIATION ONCOLOGY, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITEE (ACRO PAC)$10,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES (ACEC/PAC)$10,000
AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,000
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEALTH SYSTEM PHARMACIST - PAC$10,000
Paul Tonko · Sponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordAVANGRID POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,000
Paul Tonko · Sponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordBALL CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,000
Paul Tonko · Sponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordCARPENTERS LEGISLATIVE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CARPENTERS AND JOINERS$10,000
Paul Tonko · Sponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordHALL RENDER KILLIAN HEATH & LYMAN PC EMPLOYEE PAC AKA HALLWAY PAC FEDERAL$10,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordLABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION COMMITTEE$10,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordNATIONAL AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordPFIZER INC. PAC$10,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordPG&E CORPORATION EMPLOYEES ENERGYPAC$10,000
Paul Tonko · Sponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordSOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR ANGIOGRAPHY AND INTERVENTIONS ASSOCIATION PAC$10,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordSPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP. PAC$10,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordTHE AMERICAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AOTPAC)$10,000
Paul Tonko · Sponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordTHE EYE OF THE TIGER POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$10,000
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $10,000
Official PAC recordAMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$9,994
Gus M. Bilirakis · Cosponsor · $9,994
Official PAC recordTOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (TOYOTA/LEXUS PAC)$9,500
The largest 40 donor totals appear here. Open each politician for their complete, paginated PAC donor list.
What happened after enactment?
Dated agency-reported implementation and uptake measures are shown with their scope. They do not by themselves establish causal success. If no evidence is listed, the outcome is not established.
Measured outcome: not established
Enactment alone does not show whether a law improved its intended outcome. We need a dated evaluation, observed result or verified implementation record before claiming success or failure.