H. R. 2262—16 
TITLE II—COMMERCIAL REMOTE 
SENSING 
SEC. 201. ANNUAL REPORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 601 is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 60126. Annual reports 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall submit a report to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House 
of Representatives not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
ment of the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, 
and annually thereafter, on— 
‘‘(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 that resulted in a license 
under section 60121; 
‘‘(C) a list of all applications denied and an explanation 
of why each application was denied, including any informa-
tion relevant to the interagency adjudication process of 
a licensing request; 
‘‘(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 each application that exceeded such 
deadline, and an explanation for the delay; 
‘‘(2) all notifications and information provided to the Sec-
retary under section 60122; and 
‘‘(3) a description of all actions taken by the Secretary 
under the administrative authority granted by paragraphs (4), 
(5), and (6) of section 60123(a). 
‘‘(b) CLASSIFIED ANNEXES.—Each report under subsection (a) 
may include classified annexes as necessary to protect the disclosure 
of sensitive or classified information. 
‘‘(c) SUNSET.—The reporting requirement under this section 
terminates effective September 30, 2020.’’. 
(b) TABLE
OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of chapter 
601 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
60125 the following: 
‘‘60126. Annual reports.’’. 
SEC. 202. STATUTORY UPDATE REPORT. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the heads 
of other appropriate Federal agencies and the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration’s Advisory Committee on Commer-
cial Remote Sensing, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
a report on statutory updates necessary to license private remote 
sensing space systems. In preparing the report, the Secretary shall
H. R. 2262—17 
take into account the need to protect national security while 
maintaining United States private sector leadership in the field, 
and reflect the current state of the art of remote sensing systems, 
instruments, or technologies. 
TITLE III—OFFICE OF SPACE 
COMMERCE 
SEC. 301. RENAMING OF OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION. 
(a) CHAPTER HEADING.— 
(1) AMENDMENT.—The heading for chapter 507 is amended 
by striking ‘‘COMMERCIALIZATION’’ and inserting ‘‘COM-
MERCE’’. 
(2) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—The item relating to 
chapter 507 in the table of chapters for title 51 is amended 
by striking ‘‘Commercialization’’ and inserting ‘‘Commerce’’. 
(b) DEFINITION
OF OFFICE.—Section 50701 is amended by 
striking ‘‘Commercialization’’ and inserting ‘‘Commerce’’. 
(c) RENAMING.—Section 50702(a) is amended by striking 
‘‘Commercialization’’ and inserting ‘‘Commerce’’. 
SEC. 302. FUNCTIONS OF THE OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCE. 
Section 50702(c) is amended by striking ‘‘Commerce.’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Commerce, including— 
‘‘(1) to foster the conditions for the economic growth and 
technological advancement of the United States space commerce 
industry; 
‘‘(2) to coordinate space commerce policy issues and actions 
within the Department of Commerce; 
‘‘(3) to represent the Department of Commerce in the 
development of United States policies and in negotiations with 
foreign countries to promote United States space commerce; 
‘‘(4) to promote the advancement of United States 
geospatial technologies related to space commerce, in coopera-
tion with relevant interagency working groups; and 
‘‘(5) to provide support to Federal Government organiza-
tions working on Space-Based Positioning Navigation, and 
Timing policy, including the National Coordination Office for 
Space-Based Position, Navigation, and Timing.’’. 
TITLE IV—SPACE RESOURCE 
EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION 
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Space Resource Exploration 
and Utilization Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 402. TITLE 51 AMENDMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle V is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
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‘‘CHAPTER 513—SPACE RESOURCE COMMERCIAL 
EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘51301. Definitions. 
‘‘51302. Commercial exploration and commercial recovery. 
‘‘51303. Asteroid resource and space resource rights. 
‘‘§ 51301. Definitions 
‘‘In this chapter: 
‘‘(1) ASTEROID
RESOURCE.—The term ‘asteroid resource’ 
means a space resource found on or within a single asteroid. 
‘‘(2) SPACE RESOURCE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘space resource’ means 
an abiotic resource in situ in outer space. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘space resource’ includes 
water and minerals. 
‘‘(3) UNITED STATES CITIZEN.—The term ‘United States cit-
izen’ has the meaning given the term ‘citizen of the United 
States’ in section 50902. 
‘‘§ 51302. Commercial exploration and commercial recovery 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through appropriate 
Federal agencies, shall— 
‘‘(1) facilitate commercial exploration for and commercial 
recovery of space resources by United States citizens; 
‘‘(2) discourage government barriers to the development 
in the United States of economically viable, safe, and stable 
industries for commercial exploration for and commercial 
recovery of space resources in manners consistent with the 
international obligations of the United States; and 
‘‘(3) promote the right of United States citizens to engage 
in commercial exploration for and commercial recovery of space 
resources free from harmful interference, in accordance with 
the international obligations of the United States and subject 
to authorization and continuing supervision by the Federal 
Government. 
‘‘(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
ment of this section, the President shall submit to Congress a 
report on commercial exploration for and commercial recovery of 
space resources by United States citizens that specifies— 
‘‘(1) the authorities necessary to meet the international 
obligations of the United States, including authorization and 
continuing supervision by the Federal Government; and 
‘‘(2) recommendations for the allocation of responsibilities 
among Federal agencies for the activities described in para-
graph (1). 
‘‘§ 51303. Asteroid resource and space resource rights 
‘‘A United States citizen engaged in commercial recovery of 
an asteroid resource or a space resource under this chapter shall 
be entitled to any asteroid resource or space resource obtained, 
including to possess, own, transport, use, and sell the asteroid 
resource or space resource obtained in accordance with applicable 
law, including the international obligations of the United States.’’.
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(b) TABLE OF CHAPTERS.—The table of chapters for title 51 
is amended by adding at the end of the items for subtitle V the 
following: 
‘‘513. Space resource commercial exploration and utilization ............................51301’’. 
SEC. 403. DISCLAIMER OF EXTRATERRITORIAL SOVEREIGNTY. 
It is the sense of Congress that by the enactment of this 
Act, the United States does not thereby assert sovereignty or sov-
ereign or exclusive rights or jurisdiction over, or the ownership 
of, any celestial body. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.