IIB 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 682 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 26, 2023 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

and Transportation 

AN ACT 

To facilitate access to electromagnetic spectrum for 

commercial space launches and commercial space reentries. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Launch Communica3 tions Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ACCESS TO SPECTRUM FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE 

5 LAUNCHES AND REENTRIES. 

6 (a) SERVICE RULES; ALLOCATION.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

8 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commis9 sion shall complete any proceeding in effect as of 

10 such date of enactment related to the adoption of 

11 service rules for access to the frequencies described 

12 in subsection (c) for commercial space launches and 

13 commercial space reentries, including technical spec14 ifications, eligibility requirements, coordination pro15 cedures to preserve the Nation’s defense capabilities, 

16 and the allocation on a secondary basis of the fre17 quencies described in subsection (c). 

18 (2) COORDINATION WITH NATIONAL TELE19 COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRA20 TION.—The coordination procedures adopted under 

21 paragraph (1) shall include requirements for persons 

22 conducting commercial space launches and commer23 cial space reentries to coordinate with the Assistant 

24 Secretary regarding access to the frequencies de25 scribed in subsection (c) for commercial space 

26 launches and commercial space reentries. 


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1 (b) STREAMLINING OF PROCESS FOR GRANTING AU2 THORIZATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

3 of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall issue 

4 new regulations to streamline the process for granting au5 thorizations for access to the frequencies described in sub6 section (c) for commercial space launches and commercial 

7 space reentries so as to provide for— 

8 (1) authorizations that include access to such 

9 frequencies for multiple commercial space launches 

10 from one or more Federal space launch sites and 

11 multiple commercial space reentries to one or more 

12 Federal space launch sites; 

13 (2) authorizations that include access to such 

14 frequencies for multiple commercial space launches 

15 from one or more private space launch sites and 

16 multiple commercial space reentries to one or more 

17 private space launch sites; 

18 (3) authorizations that include access to mul19 tiple uses of such frequencies for commercial space 

20 launch or commercial space reentry; 

21 (4) automation of the processes of the Commis22 sion to review applications for authorizations for ac23 cess to such frequencies for commercial space 

24 launches and commercial space reentries; and 


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1 (5) improved coordination by the Commission 

2 with the Assistant Secretary (who shall coordinate 

3 with the heads of such other Federal agencies as the 

4 Assistant Secretary considers appropriate) to in5 crease the speed of review of applications for author6 izations for access to such frequencies for commer7 cial space launches and commercial space reentries. 

8 (c) FREQUENCIES DESCRIBED.—The frequencies de9 scribed in this subsection are the frequencies between 

10 2025 and 2110 megahertz, between 2200 and 2290 mega11 hertz, between 2360 and 2395 megahertz, and between 

12 5650 and 5925 megahertz. 

13 (d) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.— 

14 (1) FREQUENCY RANGES.—Each range of fre15 quencies described in this section shall be construed 

16 to be inclusive of the upper and lower frequencies in 

17 the range. 

18 (2) SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY.—Noth19 ing in this section may be construed to authorize or 

20 require elimination or limitation of, or any amend21 ment to, or otherwise to affect, special temporary 

22 authority, as provided for by section 1.931 of title 

23 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 

24 regulation). 

25 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist2 ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of 

3 Commerce for Communications and Information. 

4 (2) COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH.—The term 

5 ‘‘commercial space launch’’ means a launch licensed 

6 under chapter 509 of title 51, United States Code. 

7 (3) COMMERCIAL SPACE REENTRY.—The term 

8 ‘‘commercial space reentry’’ means a reentry li9 censed under chapter 509 of title 51, United States 

10 Code. 

11 (4) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

12 means the Federal Communications Commission. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 25, 2023. 

Attest: KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 

Clerk. 


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