Secure Space Act of 2023

To amend the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from granting a license or United States market access for a non-geostationary orbit satellite system if the license or grant of market access would be held or controlled by an entity that produces or provides any covered communications equipment or service or an affiliate of such an entity, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Secure Space Act of 2023 2. Prohibition on grant of certain satellite licenses, United States market access, or earth station authorizations (a) In general The Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 ( 47 U.S.C. 1601 et seq. (1) by redesignating sections 10 and 11 as sections 11 and 12, respectively; and (2) by inserting after section 9 the following: 10. Prohibition on grant of certain satellite licenses, United States market access, or earth station authorizations (a) In general The Commission may not grant a license for, or a petition for a declaratory ruling to access the United States market using, a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system, or an authorization to use an individually licensed earth station or a blanket-licensed earth station, if such license, grant of market access, or authorization would be held or controlled by— (1) an entity that produces or provides any covered communications equipment or service; or (2) an affiliate (as defined in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 153 (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Blanket-licensed earth station The term blanket-licensed earth station (2) Gateway station The term gateway station (A) supports the routing and switching functions of a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system; (B) may also be used for telemetry, tracking, and command transmissions; (C) does not originate or terminate communication traffic; and (D) is not for the exclusive use of any customer. (3) Individually licensed earth station The term individually licensed earth station (A) an earth station (other than a blanket-licensed earth station) that sends a signal to, and receives a signal from, a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system; or (B) a gateway station. . (b) Applicability Section 10 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to the grant of a license, petition, or authorization on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Rules Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall issue rules to implement section 10 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, as added by subsection (a). Amend the title so as to read: A bill to amend the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from granting a license or United States market access for a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system, or an authorization to use an individually licensed earth station or a blanket-licensed earth station, if the license, grant of market access, or authorization would be held or controlled by an entity that produces or provides any covered communications equipment or service or an affiliate of such an entity, and for other purposes. April 25, 2023 Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Secure Space Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting licenses or access to U.S. markets for geostationary or non-geostationary orbit satellite systems or authorizations for related earth-based stations that communicate with those systems to certain producers or providers of communications equipment or services. Specifically, the FCC may not grant a license, market access, or authorization to an entity that produces or provides equipment or a service that the FCC determines poses an unacceptable risk to national security or the security and safety of U.S. persons (e.g., Huawei Technologies Company and China Mobile International USA Inc.). Geostationary satellite systems include satellites that stay in the same position relative to points on the Earth's surface. Non-geostationary satellite systems are comprised of satellites that do not maintain a stationary position but rather move in relation to the Earth's surface. Both types of systems may be used to provide broadband and other telecommunications services.