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HR 7021 116th Congress House Science, Technology, Communications Administrative law and regulatory procedures Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Intergovernmental relations Radio spectrum allocation Space flight and exploration

LAUNCHES Act

Introduced: May 26, 2020 Introduced by: Soto, Darren Democratic · Florida See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 26, 2020
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
May 26, 2020
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Leveraging American Understanding of Next-generation Challenges Exploring Space Act or the LAUNCHES Act

This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to facilitate access to specified broadband spectrum frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries.

Under current law, commercial missions launching from the United States to space must use government-owned spectrum to communicate with the rockets during launch, and private companies must apply to the FCC to receive special temporary authority to use such spectrum.

The bill requires the FCC to adopt service rules for access to specified frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries and to allocate such frequencies on a co-primary basis for such launches and reentries.

The FCC must also streamline the process for access authorizations, providing for (1) authorizations to access specified frequencies for multiple commercial space launches and reentries from one or more launch or reentry sites, (2) authorizations for multiple uses of such frequencies for a commercial space launch or reentry, (3) automation of the FCC's review process for access applications, and (4) improved coordination between the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to increase the speed of review for such applications.

What's happening now May 26, 2020

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1