Legislation proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives intends to require commercial radio stations to pay performance royalty fees, but it could also mean a “financial disaster” for noncommercial and community stations, including those run by students, college-radio representatives say.

The Performance Rights Act, introduced by Rep. John Conyers Jr., Democrat of Michigan, would require educational and community radio stations to pay annual fees of $500 to $1,000.

In a letter delivered to Congress yesterday under the banners of the Free Radio Alliance and College Broadcasters Inc., more than 80 faculty, staff and student representatives from colleges, universities and high schools opposed the legislation. The fees “represent large portions of annual budgets for student-operated radio stations,” according to the letter.

Representatives of radio stations at Harvard and Rice Universities, the University of Kansas, Virginia Tech, and the State University of New York at Brockport all signed the letter.

“Particularly in the present economic times — as students, their families and educational institutions face sharply increasing fiscal pressures — now is not the time to impose new fees on our small stations principally to benefit foreign-owned recording labels,” they wrote.

Internet, cable, and satellite radio stations already pay artists performance royalties, as do stations in the European Union. FM and AM stations in the U.S. currently pay royalties to songwriters and publishers, but not to performers.

“The record labels are completely out of touch as to how college radio stations operate,” wrote Warren Kozireski, president of College Broadcasters Inc., in the letter. “The extensive record keeping requirements that will be required by the Copyright Royalty Board alone will add hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to the true cost of a performance fee.”

The bill was approved by Mr. Conyer’s judiciary committee in May, but has not yet come up for a vote.

The proposed fees would be “crippling” at Harvard University, said Christa Hartsock, a rising senior. Harvard’s station,WHRB 95.3FM, is independent of the university, which means its operating budget relies on the few advertisements student representatives sell. Ms. Hartsock, who is the station’s president, is unpaid, as are the station’s other executive members and DJ’s.

“If we were forced to pay those fees, our budget would just be devastated,” she said.

Rep. Gene Green, Democrat of Texas, and Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln, Democrat of Arkansas, have introduced concurrent resolutions in the Senate supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act, which would protect radio stations from performance fees. Both bills are waiting to be reviewed by committees.

“We’re just one station among so many other student-run and community stations that are run by volunteers and driven by ad revenue,” Ms. Hartsock said. “We signed the letter not only to protect ourselves, but to protect other colleges and universities and communities with local, independent radio too.” —Erica R. Hendry