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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1526

To promote the international competitiveness of the United States commercial

space industry, to ensure access to space for the Federal Government

and the private sector, and to minimize the opportunities for the transfer

to other nations of critical satellite technologies.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 22, 1999

Mr. WELDON of Florida (for himself and Mrs. CAPPS) introduced the

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

A BILL

To promote the international competitiveness of the United

States commercial space industry, to ensure access to

space for the Federal Government and the private sector,

and to minimize the opportunities for the transfer to

other nations of critical satellite technologies.

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commercial Space

5 Competitiveness Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—
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1 (1) the commercial space industry is an essen2 tial part of the United States economy and opportu3 nities for United States companies are growing as

4 international markets expand;

5 (2) the Federal Government should continue to

6 encourage, facilitate, and promote the use of the

7 United States commercial space industry in order to

8 continue United States aerospace preeminence;

9 (3) the United States commercial space indus10 try must be competitive in the international market11 place;

12 (4) Federal Government policies should recog13 nize the responsibility of the United States under

14 international treaties for activities conducted by

15 United States citizens in space;

16 (5) the United States must limit the opportuni17 ties for the transfer of critical satellite technologies

18 by providing efficient range infrastructure to ensure

19 access to space for both the Government and private

20 sector;

21 (6) the United States must maintain a competi22 tive advantage in international commercial space by

23 providing the private sector with equal access to

24 launch opportunities, launch property, and launch

25 services at the Nation’s ranges;
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1 (7) infrastructure at United States launch

2 ranges is outdated and inefficient and the rate at

3 which launch opportunities are lost due to range

4 failures has tripled in the past 2 years;

5 (8) demand for range infrastructure at Federal

6 Government ranges will exceed supply beginning in

7 the year 2002; and

8 (9) the current level of Federal funding for the

9 Nation’s launch ranges is inadequate to provide the

10 Nation’s projected demand for range capacity.

11 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

12 Section 70102 of title 49, United States Code, is

13 amended—

14 (1) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘, when those

15 activities take place at a launch site in the United

16 States’’; and

17 (2) in paragraph (4) by inserting ‘‘or improved

18 or unimproved real property or facilities used in,’’

19 after ‘‘or used in,’’.

20 SEC. 4. GENERAL AUTHORITY.

21 Section 70103(b)(1) of title 49, United States Code,

22 is amended by striking ‘‘encourage, facilitate, and pro23 mote’’ and inserting ‘‘encourage and facilitate’’.
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1 SEC. 5. LAUNCH SCHEDULES.

2 Section 70109 of title 49, United States Code, is

3 amended—

4 (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub5 section (d); and

6 (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol7 lowing new subsection:

8 ‘‘(c) SCHEDULING.—In the scheduling of launches at

9 a United States Government launch site, private sector

10 launches shall be provided the greatest possible access to

11 launch opportunities at the earliest dates possible at such

12 launch site.’’.

13 SEC. 6. ACQUIRING UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PROP14 ERTY AND SERVICES.

15 Section 70111 of title 49, United States Code, is

16 amended—

17 (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol18 lows:

19 ‘‘(a) ACQUISITION.—The Secretary of Transportation

20 shall facilitate and encourage the acquisition by the pri21 vate sector and State governments of Federal property

22 and services, including utilities, for the support of com23 mercial launch efforts.’’;

24 (2) in subsection (b)(1)(A) by striking ‘‘and’’;

25 (3) in subsection (b)(1)(B) by striking the pe26 riod and inserting ‘‘; or’’;
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1 (4) by adding at the end of subsection (b)(1)

2 the following new subparagraph:

3 ‘‘(C) the Government agency charges other

4 Government agencies.’’;

5 (5) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as

6 subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and

7 (6) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol8 lowing new subsection:

9 ‘‘(c) PUBLIC NOTICE.—At least 30 days before any

10 property is acquired pursuant to this section the head of

11 the agency from which the property is to be acquired shall

12 provide appropriate public notice of the proposed acquisi13 tion.’’.

14 SEC. 7. PAYING CLAIMS EXCEEDING LIABILITY INSURANCE.

15 Section 70113 of title 49, United States Code, is

16 amended—

17 (1) in subsection (a)(1) and subsection (d)(2)

18 by striking ‘‘launch or reentry’’ and inserting ‘‘li19 censed activity’’; and

20 (2) in subsection (f) by striking ‘‘1999’’ and in21 serting ‘‘2009’’.

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