“A bill to expedite processing of satellite and space licenses, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states the sense of Congress that (1) the U.S. space industry is vital to the economy through job creation, innovation, and U.S. leadership; (2) the Federal Communications Commission should advance forward-looking policies to sustain U.S. global leadership in commercial space and serve as the global standard setter; (3) coordination among federal agencies is important to monitor and minimize harm to the space environment for the benefit of future generations; and (4) U.S. engagement at World Radiocommunication Conferences of the International Telecommunication Union is important to space leadership.
This section adds a new section 346 to the Communications Act of 1934 to establish processing deadlines at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for radiofrequency licenses and related actions involving non-geostationary orbit (non-GSO) and geostationary orbit (GSO) space stations and earth stations (including blanket-licensed earth stations). The FCC must issue implementing rules within one year of enactment, applicable to applications and petitions submitted after enactment. Specifically, the section requires the FCC to (1) grant or deny, within one year of receiving a completed application (subject to coordination with federal users as applicable), any application for such a space station license or earth station license or major amendment thereof; (2) grant or deny, after public notice of acceptance, any petition for market access for such space stations, with grants limited to 15 years (and existing grants expiring no later than 15 years from enactment); (3) process renewals of such licenses or market access grants within 180 days (granting if section 309(k) requirements are met, denying if substantial service failures occurred under section 309(k)(3), or extending once by 180 days with congressional notice if needed for national defense or security); and (4) grant, within 90 days, requests for minor modifications limited to increasing transmission capacity or improving spectral efficiency (absent national defense or security concerns). Review periods may be extended only under limited circumstances (e.g., extraordinary danger to life or property, national defense or security needs, processing round completion needs up to 90 days, or appropriations lapse), not exceeding 90 days per extension or two extensions total; failure to act by deadlines results in applications, major amendments, or renewals being deemed granted upon applicant notice to the FCC. (Thus, these provisions impose mandatory timelines and "deemed grant" remedies to expedite satellite licensing, overriding general 30-day public notice requirements in section 309(b).)