H. R. 2810—443 
Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, shall submit 
to the congressional defense committees, the Permanent Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives, and the 
Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate a report containing 
an assessment of the most cost-effective method to meet the assured 
access to space requirements pursuant to section 2273 of title 10, 
United States Code, with respect to each of the following periods: 
(1) The five-year period beginning on the date of the report. 
(2) The 10-year period beginning on the date of the report. 
(3) The period consisting of the full lifecycle of the evolved 
expendable launch vehicle program. 
(e) ROCKET PROPULSION SYSTEM DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘rocket propulsion system’’ means, with respect to the develop-
ment authorized by subsection (a)(1), a main booster, first-stage 
rocket engine (including such an engine using kerosene or methane- 
based or other propellant) or motor. The term does not include 
a launch vehicle, an upper stage, a strap-on motor, or related 
infrastructure. 
SEC. 1606. DEMONSTRATION OF BACKUP AND COMPLEMENTARY POSI-
TIONING, NAVIGATION, AND TIMING CAPABILITIES OF 
GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM. 
(a) PLAN.—During fiscal year 2018, the Secretary of Defense, 
the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland 
Security (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretaries’’) shall 
jointly develop a plan for carrying out a backup GPS capability 
demonstration. The plan shall— 
(1) be based on the results of the study conducted under 
section 1618 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 130 Stat. 2595); and 
(2) include the activities that the Secretaries determine 
necessary to carry out such demonstration. 
(b) BRIEFING.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall provide to the appro-
priate congressional committees a briefing on the plan developed 
under subsection (a). The briefing shall include— 
(1) identification of the sectors that would be expected 
to participate in the backup GPS capability demonstration 
described in the plan; 
(2) an estimate of the costs of implementing the demonstra-
tion in each sector identified in paragraph (1); and 
(3) an explanation of the extent to which the demonstration 
may be carried out with the funds appropriated for such pur-
pose. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of appropria-
tions and beginning not earlier than the day after the date 
on which the briefing is provided under subsection (b), the 
Secretaries shall jointly initiate the backup GPS capability 
demonstration to the extent described under subsection (b)(3). 
(2) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry out the backup 
GPS capability demonstration under paragraph (1) shall termi-
nate on the date that is 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
H. R. 2810—444 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees a report on the backup GPS capa-
bility demonstration carried out under subsection (c) that includes— 
(1) a description of the opportunities and challenges learned 
from such demonstration; and 
(2) a description of the next actions the Secretaries deter-
mine appropriate to backup and complement the positioning, 
navigation, and timing capabilities of the Global Positioning 
System for national security and critical infrastructure, 
including, at a minimum, the timeline and funding required 
to issue a request for proposals for such capabilities. 
(e) NSPD–39.— 
(1) JOINT FUNDING.—The costs to carry out this section 
shall be consistent with the responsibilities established in 
National Security Presidential Directive 39 titled ‘‘U.S. Space- 
Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Policy’’. 
(2) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section may be con-
strued to modify the roles or responsibilities established in 
such National Security Presidential Directive 39. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this section for fiscal year 2018 
not more than $10,000,000 for the Department of Defense, as speci-
fied in the funding tables in division D. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 
means— 
(A) the congressional defense committees; 
(B) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Rep-
resentatives; and 
(C) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. 
(2) The term ‘‘backup GPS capability demonstration’’ means 
a proof-of-concept demonstration of capabilities to backup and 
complement the positioning, navigation, and timing capabilities 
of the Global Positioning System for national security and 
critical infrastructure. 
SEC. 1607. ENHANCEMENT OF POSITIONING, NAVIGATION, AND TIMING 
CAPACITY. 
(a) PLAN.—The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Council 
on Oversight of the Department of Defense Positioning, Navigation, 
and Timing Enterprise established by section 2279b of title 10, 
United States Code, shall develop a plan to increase the positioning, 
navigation, and timing capacity of the Department of Defense to 
provide resilience to the positioning, navigation, and timing 
capabilities of the Department. Such plan shall— 
(1) ensure that military Global Positioning System user 
equipment terminals have the capability, including with appro-
priate mitigation efforts, to receive trusted signals from the 
Galileo satellites of the European Union and the QZSS satellites 
of Japan, beginning with increment 2 of the acquisition of 
such terminals;
H. R. 2810—445 
(2) evaluate the risks and benefits with respect to ensuring 
the capability described in paragraph (1); 
(3) include an assessment of the feasibility, benefits, and 
risks of military Global Positioning System user equipment 
terminals having the capability to receive non-allied positioning, 
navigation, and timing signals, beginning with increment 2 
of the acquisition of such terminals; 
(4) include an assessment of options to use hosted payloads 
to provide redundancy for the Global Positioning System signal; 
(5) ensure that the Secretary, with the concurrence of the 
Secretary of State, engages with relevant allies of the United 
States to— 
(A) enable military Global Positioning System user 
equipment terminals to receive the positioning, navigation, 
and timing signals of such allies; and 
(B) negotiate other potential agreements relating to 
the enhancement of positioning, navigation, and timing; 
(6) include any other options the Secretary of Defense 
determines appropriate and a determination by the Secretary 
regarding whether the plan should be implemented; and 
(7) include an evaluation by the Director of National Intel-
ligence of the benefits and risks of using non-allied positioning, 
navigation, and timing signals. 
(b) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 120 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— 
(1) submit to the congressional defense committees, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, 
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate the 
plan under subsection (a); and 
(2) submit to the Permanent Select Committee on Intel-
ligence of the House of Representatives and the Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence of the Senate the evaluation described 
in paragraph (6) of such subsection. 
SEC. 1608. COMMERCIAL SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS PATHFINDER 
PROGRAM. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than March 1, 2018, the Secretary of 
the Air Force shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report that 
includes the views and plans of the Secretary with respect to 
using the transaction authority provided by section 2371 of title 
10, United States Code, to acquire from commercial providers a 
portion of the satellite bandwidth, ground services, and advanced 
services for the pathfinder program. 
(b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘pathfinder program’’ 
means the commercial satellite communications programs of the 
Air Force designed to demonstrate the feasibility of new, alternative 
acquisition and procurement models for commercial satellite 
communications. 
SEC. 1609. LAUNCH SUPPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE MODERNIZA-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In support of the policy specified in section 
2273 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of Defense 
shall carry out a program to modernize infrastructure and improve 
support activities for the processing and launch of United States 
national security space vehicles launching from Federal ranges.
H. R. 2810—446 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The program under subsection (a) shall 
include— 
(1) investments in infrastructure to improve operations 
at the Eastern and Western Ranges that may benefit all users, 
to enhance the overall capabilities of ranges, to improve safety, 
and to reduce the long-term cost of operations and maintenance; 
(2) measures to normalize processes, systems, and products 
across the Eastern and Western ranges to minimize the burden 
on launch providers; and 
(3) improvements in transparency, flexibility, and, respon-
siveness for launch scheduling. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the program under sub-
section (a), the Secretary may consult with current and anticipated 
users of the Eastern and Western Ranges. 
(d) COOPERATION.—In carrying out the program under sub-
section (a), the Secretary may consider partnerships authorized 
under section 2276 of title 10, United States Code. 
(e) REPORT.— 
(1) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to the congressional defense committees a report on the plan 
for the implementation of the program under subsection (a). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report under paragraph (1) shall 
include— 
(A) a description of plans and the resources needed 
to improve launch support infrastructure, utilities, support 
equipment, and range operations; 
(B) a description of plans to streamline and normalize 
processes, systems, and products at the Eastern and 
Western ranges, to ensure consistency for range users; 
and 
(C) recommendations for improving transparency, flexi-
bility, and responsiveness in launch scheduling. 
SEC. 1610. LIMITATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING FOR JOINT 
SPACE OPERATIONS CENTER MISSION SYSTEM. 
(a) LIMITATION.—Of the funds authorized to be appropriated 
by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2018 for 
the Joint Space Operations Center mission system, not more than 
75 percent may be obligated or expended until the date on which 
the Secretary of the Air Force certifies to the congressional defense 
committees that the Secretary has developed the plan under sub-
section (b). 
(b) PLAN.—The Secretary shall develop and implement a plan 
to operationalize existing commercial space situational awareness 
capabilities to address warfighter requirements, consistent with 
the best-in-breed concept. Except as provided by subsection (c), 
the Secretary shall commence such implementation by not later 
than May 30, 2018. 
(c) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the implementation of 
the plan developed under subsection (b) if the Secretary determines 
that existing commercial capabilities will not address national secu-
rity requirements or existing space situational awareness capability 
gaps. The authority under this subsection may not be delegated 
below the Deputy Secretary of Defense.