Commercial Remote Sensing Act of 2015

To facilitate the continued development of the commercial remote sensing industry and protect national security. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Commercial Remote Sensing Act of 2015 2. Annual reporting (a) In general Subchapter III of chapter 601 60126. Annual reporting The Secretary shall provide a report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Commercial Remote Sensing Act of 2015 (1) the Secretary’s implementation of section 60121, including— (A) a list of all applications received in the previous calendar year; (B) a list of all applications approved; (C) a list of all applications denied; (D) a list of all applications that required additional information; and (E) a list of all applications whose disposition exceeded the 120 day deadline established in section 60121(c), the total days overdue for applications that exceeded such deadline, and an explanation for the delay; (2) all notifications and information provided to the Secretary pursuant to section 60122; and (3) all actions taken by the Secretary under the administrative authority granted by section 60123(a)(4), (5), and (6). . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 601 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 60125 the following new item: 60126. Annual reporting. . 3. Statutory update report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing, shall report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on statutory updates necessary to protect national security, protect privacy (which is not to be taken as altering any condition or standards for licensing), protect the United States industrial base, and reflect the current state of the art of remote sensing systems, instruments, or technologies. September 28, 2016 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Commercial Remote Sensing Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Commerce to report annually to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on: (1) the implementation of its authority to license private entities to operate private remote sensing space systems; (2) all notifications and information provided to Commerce by licensees; and (3) all administrative actions taken to adjust penalties for violations of licensing requirements, issue subpoenas, and seize by warrant material necessary to investigate violations of licensing requirements. (Sec. 3) Commerce must also report to such Committees on statutory updates necessary to protect national security, privacy (which is not to be taken as altering any condition or standards for licensing), and the U.S. industrial base, and to reflect the current state of the art of remote sensing systems, instruments, or technologies.