Ref: Demilitarization

[Bob Peters]

This just came out in the ARRL Letter for those that may not subscribe>>>
Looks like all us BA Guys and Gals are safe!!!!

K1JNN


==>SENATE BILL'S PROVISION NOT VIEWED AS THREAT TO SURPLUS RADIO FANS



Amateurs who also collect military surplus radio "boat anchors" apparently
have nothing to fear about a provision contained in the Senate version of
the huge Department of Defense appropriations bill, S.1438. The provision,
Sec 1062, would create governmental authority to "ensure demilitarization of
significant military equipment."
That provision, now a topic for discussion on news groups and Web sites,
would require anybody possessing "significant military equipment formerly
owned by the Department of Defense" either to have it "demilitarized" or to
return it to the government for demilitarization. The provision also has the
National Rifle Association and a large number of firearms enthusiasts up in
arms and wondering whether it would affect their hobby if it's included in
the final legislation.
ARRL Legislative and Public Affairs Manager Steve Mansfield, N1MZA, looked
into the issue and determined that those with surplus radio gear have
nothing to worry about. "While we cannot speak reliably for the issue of
firearms, we did contact one of the top lawyers for the Senate Committee on
Armed Forces, where the provision was added to the bill," Mansfield said,
"and he assured us that it would not be an issue unless a ham somehow had
custody of some kind of top-secret and highly sophisticated military radio
gear."
Mansfield said his Capitol Hill contact explained that the definition of
"significant" derives specifically from the Arms Export Control Act (22 USC
2778), and that, in turn, was intended to provide "control of arms exports
and imports" and not the typical ARC-5 transmitter or BC-348 receiver.
"In other words, it does not refer to radios, but rather to large shipments
of large military ordinance like missile guidance systems and rocket
launchers," Mansfield said.
The text of federal legislation may be found on the Thomas Legislative
Information Web site, <http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.html>. Mansfield
said the ARRL will continue to monitor the issue.

-----------------------------------------------------------
This list is a public service of the City of Tempe, Arizona
-----------------------------------------------------------

Subscription control - http://www.tempe.gov/lists/control.asp?list=BOATANCHORS
To post - BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Archives - http://interactive.tempe.gov/archives/BOATANCHORS.html