H. R. 1735—379 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113– 
291; 128 Stat. 3623; 10 U.S.C. 2208 note) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘may develop’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘funds by the Secretary’’ and inserting 
‘‘shall develop and carry out a pilot program’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) METHODS.—In carrying out the pilot program under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary may use a variety of methods 
authorized by law to effectively and efficiently acquire commer-
cial satellite communications services, including by carrying 
out multiple pathfinder activities under the pilot program.’’. 
(b) GOALS.—Subsection (b) of such section is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 
a semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) demonstrates the potential to achieve order-of-mag-
nitude improvements in satellite communications capability.’’. 
(c) REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS.—Subsection (d) of such section 
is amended— 
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘REPORTS.—’’ and inserting 
‘‘REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS.—’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
striking ‘‘90 days’’ and inserting ‘‘270 days’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and inserting 
‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) a description of the appropriate metrics estab-
lished by the Secretary to meet the goals of the pilot 
program.’’; 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new para-
graph (2): 
‘‘(2) BRIEFING.—At the same time as the President submits 
to Congress the budget pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, 
for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2020, the Secretary shall 
provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on 
the pilot program.’’; and 
(5) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) 
of this subsection)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘expanding the 
use of working capital funds to effectively and efficiently 
acquire’’ and inserting ‘‘the pilot program and whether 
the pilot program effectively and efficiently acquires’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ‘‘working capital 
funds as described in subparagraph (A)’’ and inserting ‘‘the 
pilot program’’. 
SEC. 1613. INTEGRATED POLICY TO DETER ADVERSARIES IN SPACE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall establish an interagency 
process to provide for the development of a policy to deter adver-
saries in space— 
(1) with the objectives of— 
(A) reducing risks to the United States and allies of 
the United States in space; and
H. R. 1735—380 
(B) protecting and preserving the rights, access, 
capabilities, use, and freedom of action of the United States 
in space and the right of the United States to respond 
to an attack in space and, if necessary, deny adversaries 
the use of space capabilities hostile to the national interests 
of the United States; and 
(2) that integrates the interests and responsibilities of the 
agencies participating in the process. 
(b) REPORT REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 
the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives a report setting forth the policy devel-
oped pursuant to subsection (a). 
(2) FUNDING RESTRICTION.—If the President has not sub-
mitted the policy developed under subsection (a) and the 
answers to Enclosure 1, regarding space control policy, of the 
classified annex to this Act, to the Committees on Armed Serv-
ices of the Senate and the House of Representatives by the 
date required by paragraph (1), an amount equal to $10,000,000 
of the amount authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made 
available to the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2016 
to provide support services to the Executive Office of the Presi-
dent shall be withheld from obligation or expenditure until 
the policy and such answers are submitted to such Committees. 
(3) FORM OF REPORT.—The report required by paragraph 
(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include 
a classified annex. 
SEC. 1614. PROHIBITION ON RELIANCE ON CHINA AND RUSSIA FOR 
SPACE-BASED WEATHER DATA. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that 
the Department of Defense does not rely on, or in the future 
plan to rely on, space-based weather data provided by the Govern-
ment of the People’s Republic of China, the Government of the 
Russian Federation, or an entity owned or controlled by either 
such government for national security purposes. 
(b) CERTIFICATION.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the congres-
sional defense committees a certification that the Secretary is in 
compliance with the prohibition under subsection (a). 
SEC. 1615. LIMITATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR WEATHER 
SATELLITE FOLLOW-ON SYSTEM. 
(a) LIMITATION.—Of the funds authorized to be appropriated 
by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2016 for 
research, development, test, and evaluation, Air Force, for the 
weather satellite follow-on system, not more than 50 percent may 
be obligated or expended until the date on which— 
(1) the Secretary of Defense provides to the congressional 
defense committees a briefing on the plan developed under 
subsection (b); and 
(2) the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certifies to 
the congressional defense committees that such plan will— 
(A) meet the requirements of the Department of 
Defense for cloud characterization and theater weather 
imagery; and
H. R. 1735—381 
(B) not negatively affect the commanders of the combat-
ant commands. 
(b) PLAN REQUIRED.—The Secretary shall develop a plan to 
address the requirements of the Department of Defense for cloud 
characterization and theater weather imagery. 
SEC. 1616. LIMITATIONS ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR THE 
DEFENSE METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE PROGRAM. 
(a) LIMITATION.— 
(1) FISCAL YEAR 2016 FUNDS.—None of the funds authorized 
to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available 
for fiscal year 2016 for the Defense Meteorological Satellite 
program or for the launch of Defense Meteorological Satellite 
program satellite #20 (in this section referred to as ‘‘DMSP20’’) 
may be obligated or expended until the date on which the 
Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs 
of Staff jointly submit to the congressional defense committees 
the certification described in subsection (b). 
(2) REMAINING
FISCAL
YEAR
2015
FUNDS.—Of the funds 
authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for 
fiscal year 2015 for the Defense Meteorological Satellite pro-
gram or the launch of DMSP20 that remain available for obliga-
tion as of the date of the enactment of this Act, not more 
than 50 percent may be obligated or expended until the date 
on which the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff jointly submit to the congressional defense 
committees the certification described in subsection (b). 
(b) CERTIFICATION.—The certification described in this sub-
section is a certification that— 
(1) the Joint Requirements Oversight Council has con-
ducted a recent review and certification of the space-based 
environmental monitoring requirements while taking into 
consideration the changes in international allied plans and 
the feedback of the military departments and Defense Agencies 
(as defined in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code); 
(2) relying on civil and international contributions to meet 
space-based environmental monitoring requirements is insuffi-
cient or is a risk to national security and launching DMSP20 
will meet those requirements; 
(3) launching DMSP20 is the most affordable solution to 
meeting requirements validated by the Joint Requirements 
Oversight Council; and 
(4) nonmaterial solutions within the Department of 
Defense, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are 
incapable of meeting the cloud characterization and theater 
weather requirements validated by the Joint Requirements 
Oversight Council. 
(c) COMPARATIVE COST AND CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT.—If the 
Secretary and the Chairman determine that a material solution 
is required to meet the cloud characterization and theater weather 
requirements validated by the Joint Requirements Oversight 
Council, the Secretary and the Chairman shall jointly submit to 
the congressional defense committees a cost and capability assess-
ment that compares the cost of meeting those requirements with 
DMSP20 and with an alternate material solution that includes
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electro-optical infrared weather imaging or other comparable solu-
tions. 
SEC. 1617. STREAMLINE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH ACTIVITIES. 
(a) SENSE
OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that 
eliminating duplicative requirements and approvals for commercial 
launch and reentry operations will promote and encourage the 
development of the commercial space sector. 
(b) REAFFIRMATION OF POLICY.—Congress reaffirms that the 
Secretary of Transportation, in overseeing and coordinating 
commercial launch and reentry operations, should— 
(1) promote commercial space launches and reentries by 
the private sector; 
(2) facilitate Government, State, and private sector involve-
ment in enhancing United States launch sites and facilities; 
(3) protect public health and safety, safety of property, 
national security interests, and foreign policy interests of the 
United States; and 
(4) consult with the head of another executive agency, 
including the Secretary of Defense or the Administrator of 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as nec-
essary to provide consistent application of licensing require-
ments under chapter 509 of title 51, United States Code. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation under 
section 50918 of title 51, United States Code, and subject to 
section 50905(b)(2)(C) of that title, shall consult with the Sec-
retary of Defense, the Administrator of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration, and the heads of other 
executive agencies, as appropriate— 
(A) to identify all requirements that are imposed to 
protect the public health and safety, safety of property, 
national security interests, and foreign policy interests of 
the United States relevant to any commercial launch of 
a launch vehicle or commercial reentry of a reentry vehicle; 
and 
(B) to evaluate the requirements identified in subpara-
graph (A) and, in coordination with the licensee or trans-
feree and the heads of the relevant executive agencies— 
(i) determine whether the satisfaction of a require-
ment of one agency could result in the satisfaction 
of a requirement of another agency; and 
(ii) resolve any inconsistencies and remove any 
outmoded or duplicative requirements or approvals of 
the Federal Government relevant to any commercial 
launch of a launch vehicle or commercial reentry of 
a reentry vehicle. 
(2) REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until the Sec-
retary of Transportation determines no outmoded or duplicative 
requirements or approvals of the Federal Government exist, 
the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Defense, the Administrator of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration, the commercial space sector, 
and the heads of other executive agencies, as appropriate, shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
that includes the following: