H.R. 2458 – Reading Mode

IIB

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2458

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 29, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

AN ACT

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.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Secure Space Act of 2025.

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.) is amended—

(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)) of an entity described in paragraph (1).

(b)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Blanket-licensed earth station

The term blanket-licensed earth station means an earth station that is licensed with a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system.

(2)

Gateway station

The term gateway station means an earth station or a group of earth stations that—

(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 means—

(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).

Passed the House of Representatives April 28, 2025.

Kevin F. McCumber,

Clerk.