I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6208 
To direct the President to develop a strategy to protect the space assets 
of the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2020 
Mr. KINZINGER (for himself, Ms. CHENEY, Mr. TURNER, Mr. ROGERS of Ala-
bama, Mr. CROW, and Mrs. BUSTOS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and 
in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the President to develop a strategy to protect 
the space assets of the United States, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting American 
Space Assets Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Space is essential to— 
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(A) the military and intelligence oper-
ations, strategic deterrence, threat detection, 
and communications of the United States; and 
(B) effectively facilitate communication be-
tween global economic markets. 
(2) The People’s Republic of China has under-
cut space manufacturing programs run by the 
United States, including satellite manufacturing and 
launch service programs, through noncompetitive 
price manipulation. 
(3) China and the Russia Federation have 
worked to develop counterspace weapons and elec-
tronic warfare capabilities (including electromag-
netic, antisatellite, and kinetic weapons) that have 
the ability to target space assets that belong to the 
United States. 
(4) China and Russia have and continue to en-
gage in cyber attacks against critical infrastructure 
of the United States and of allies of the United 
States. 
(5) Each year, actions taken by China have ex-
ponentially increased the risk of damage to space as-
sets that belong to the United States and allies of 
the United States by significantly increasing the 
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amount of major debris in the orbit paths of such 
assets. 
(6) China has demonstrated the intent to keep 
developing counterspace weapons that target space 
assets that belong to the United States and allies of 
the United States. 
(7) China views space as central to the security 
and economic industries of China in the future. 
(8) China is striving to dominate economic in-
dustries that deal with space through research and 
development aimed at increasing manufacturing, ex-
tracting resources, and increasing its leverage with 
respect to countries that strive to develop space 
technology. 
(9) China is expanding its foreign network and 
expanding its presence in space by developing 
ground station capabilities in foreign nations and 
promoting participation by such nations in the sat-
ellite navigation system administered by China. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the Government 
should support activities in space by— 
(1) modernizing the capabilities of the United 
States and allies of the United States with respect 
to space; 
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(2) providing protection for space assets, in-
cluding the supply chain related to such assets and 
manufacturing process of such assets; and 
(3) affirming the duties of the United States 
Space Force under section 9081 of title 10, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 4. SPACE STRATEGIES AND ASSESSMENT. 
(a) EXECUTIVE STRATEGY.— 
(1) STRATEGY REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 
270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the President, in consultation with the National 
Space Council, shall develop and maintain a strategy 
to ensure that the United States strengthens mili-
tary and commercial capabilities in space, increases 
protections for military and commercial operations 
with respect to space, and increases protections for 
space manufacturing programs and launch sites, in-
cluding military launch sites and launch sites oper-
ated by individuals or entities in the private sector. 
(2) INCLUSION
IN
THE
NATIONAL
DEFENSE 
STRATEGY.—The Secretary of Defense shall include 
the strategy most recently developed pursuant to 
paragraph (1) in the national defense strategy re-
quired under section 113(g) of title 10, United 
States Code. 
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(b) SPACE STRATEGY AND REPORT.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Commerce, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report setting forth a strategy to— 
(1) protect the space assets of the United 
States, including the supply chain related to such as-
sets and manufacturing process of such assets, from 
threats from the People’s Republic of China and the 
Russian Federation, which may include protection 
from intellectual property theft and threats with re-
spect to electronic warfare capabilities; and 
(2) strengthen relations with the allies of the 
United States with respect to space. 
(c) ASSESSMENT AND REPORT.— 
(1) 
ASSESSMENT
AND
REPORT
REQUIRE-
MENT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, 
in consultation with the Director of National Intel-
ligence, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report that includes— 
(A) an assessment of the capabilities of the 
Department of Defense to protect— 
(i) commercial communication and 
navigation systems in space; 
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(ii) military launch sites; and 
(iii) launch sites operated by individ-
uals or entities in the private sector; and 
(B) recommendations to improve the capa-
bilities assessed pursuant to subparagraph (A), 
including recommendations with respect to— 
(i) the electronic warfare capabilities 
of China and Russia; and 
(ii) the use of counterspace weapons 
and cyber attacks by China and Russia. 
(2) FORM.—The report under paragraph (1) 
may be submitted in classified form. If submitted in 
such form, the report shall include an unclassified 
summary. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services of 
the House of Representatives; 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives; 
(C) the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives; 
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(D) the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence of the House of Representatives; 
(E) the Committee on Armed Services of 
the Senate; 
(F) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate; 
(G) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate; and 
(H) the Select Committee on Intelligence 
of the Senate. 
(2) LAUNCH SITE.—The term ‘‘launch site’’ has 
the meaning given that term under section 50902 of 
title 51, United States Code. 
Æ 
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