the U.S. House of Representatives just passed a bill mandating the presence of AM radio in all new vehicles, and as standard equipment - it can't be some ad-on option or subscription-based feature.

the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act - isn't law just yet.

It still has to make it through the Senate, and clear the Commerce Committee.

If it does successfully pass through the Senate, that bill would then have to be signed off by the President.

If all of that happens, the Department of Transportation (DoT) would have one year to write a final rule, and then two years would pass before it takes effect for major automotive manufacturers

Those that build fewer than 40,000 vehicles annually for the domestic market would have four years or more to comply. 

However, automakers who sell vehicles without AM radio would also have to justify its absence in the meantime.

https://fordauthority.com/2026/09/us-house-passes-bill-mandating-am-radio-for-all-vehicles

What's the point? The last two major catastrophes in the country, 9-11 and Covid didn't use any public broadcast to help citizens, and in fact, the govt actively suppresses information every chance it gets, as much as it can, for as long as possible. 

EG assassination of JFK, Pentagon Papers, Iran Contra, NSA mass surveillance post 9-11 (every cell phone, every GPS (car/truck/plane/phone), Monica Lewinsky, Epstein's murder, Jack Abramoff, Chappaquiddick, Wikileaks, Hurricane Katrina... hell, I just learned of the Union Pacific scam last week

So, do we need an AM radio in new cars? Nope. We don't/won't need it. If shit hits the fan, the govt isn't going to be honest about it for decades, no city can evacuate, none even has a plan, or place to go. When catastrophic things occur (annually or more often) FEMA consistently screws it up (can't transport water, ice, trailers, meds, etc)