The ARRL Executive Committee (EC) will meet on March 25 in Denver, Colorado, to tackle a wide-ranging agenda. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, will chair the session.

The EC will hear a report on FCC and regulatory items. This includes a review of enforcement issues and concerns, as well as a status update on FCC-related items and filings and on open items that have not received any FCC action since the January Board of Directors meeting. One FCC-related matter that is likely to come up for discussion is the status of the ARRL Petition for Rule Making (RM 11759), to make changes in the 80/75-meter band. In addition, ARRL is still waiting for FCC to approve operational rules for the 2,200- and 630-meter bands or finalize the allocation of the 2,200-meter band.

The EC also is expected to receive an update on the ARRL's January 12 Petition for Rule Making to allocate a new, secondary amateur band in the vicinity of 5 MHz, while keeping four of the current five 60-meter channels and the 100 W power limit. The FCC designated the League's Petition as RM-11785; comments on the League's petition are due on March 20, and ARRL will file comments to bolster its assertions.

The report to the EC also will address noteworthy antenna and RF interference cases.

On the legislative front, the EC will get a status report on the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017 (H.R. 555). The bill has passed the US House, with Senate action still pending. The EC also will discuss the Amateur Radio implications of H.R. 588, "Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act." Introduced by New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone Jr., this measure -- which already has received House approval -- would require the FCC to submit to Congress "a study on the public safety benefits, technical feasibility, and cost of providing the public with access to 9-1-1 services during times of emergency, when mobile service is unavailable" through open Wi-Fi access points and "other alternative means."

It would amend the Stafford Act to "expand the categories of essential service providers that may access a disaster site to restore and repair essential services in an emergency or major disaster without being denied or impeded by a federal agency."

The EC also will review the status of the Amateur Auxiliary Study Ad Hoc Committee. Meetings have been held with the FCC concerning more effective FCC use of the volunteer resources of the Amateur Auxiliary (Official Observers) program, the current FCC-ARRL Amateur Auxiliary Agreement, and the development of a new Memorandum of Understanding that better incorporates the Amateur Auxiliary program.

The Executive Committee is tasked by the ARRL Bylaws to address League matters between regular Board meetings.