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Title 47 — Telecommunications

Part I · Chapter 5 — Wire or Radio Communication

§ 304. Waiver by license of claims to particular frequency or of electromagnetic spectrum

Statutory text

No station license shall be granted by the Commission until the applicant therefor shall have waived any claim to the use of any particular frequency or of the electromagnetic spectrum as against the regulatory power of the United States because of the previous use of the same, whether by license or otherwise.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 73–652 · 48 Stat. 1064

    Enacted · 47 U.S.C. § 304

    June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, § 304, 48 Stat. 1083

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, § 304, 48 Stat. 1083

  2. Pub. L. 97–259 title I § 127(a) · 96 Stat. 1087

    Substituted · 47 U.S.C. § 304

    Pub. L. 97–259 substituted “electromagnetic spectrum” for “ether”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 97–259 substituted “electromagnetic spectrum” for “ether”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (a) Section 304 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 804) is amended by striking out “ether” and inserting in lieu thereof “electromagnetic spectrum”.

  3. Telecommunications Authorization Act of 1992

    Pub. L. 102–538 title II § 204(a) · 106 Stat. 3533

    Substituted · 47 U.S.C. § 304

    Pub. L. 102–538 substituted “waived” for “signed a waiver of”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 102–538 substituted “waived” for “signed a waiver of”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (a) Waiver of Frequency or Spectrum Claim.— Sections 304 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 304) is amended by striking “signed a waiver of” and inserting in lieu thereof “waived”.

2 of 3 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Editorial Notes

Amendments1982–1992 · 2 rounds

1992

Pub. L. 102–538 substituted “waived” for “signed a waiver of”.

1982

Pub. L. 97–259 substituted “electromagnetic spectrum” for “ether”.

Credits

1934–1992 · 3 acts
  1. 1934June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, § 304, 48 Stat. 1083
  2. 1982Pub. L. 97–259, title I, § 127(a), , 96 Stat. 1099
  3. 1992Pub. L. 102–538, title II, § 204(a), , 106 Stat. 3543.
Show as published

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, § 304, 48 Stat. 1083; Pub. L. 97–259, title I, § 127(a), , 96 Stat. 1099; Pub. L. 102–538, title II, § 204(a), , 106 Stat. 3543.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc47.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-09-09

USLM identifier /us/usc/t47/s304