H.R. 7021 · 116th Congress
LAUNCHES Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 116th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
SotoSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 R
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
Leveraging American Understanding of Next-generation Challenges Exploring Space Act or the LAUNCHES Act
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · May 26, 2020
Leveraging American Understanding of Next-generation Challenges Exploring Space Act or the LAUNCHES Act
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to facilitate access to specified broadband spectrum frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries.
Under current law, commercial missions launching from the United States to space must use government-owned spectrum to communicate with the rockets during launch, and private companies must apply to the FCC to receive special temporary authority to use such spectrum.
The bill requires the FCC to adopt service rules for access to specified frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries and to allocate such frequencies on a co-primary basis for such launches and reentries.
The FCC must also streamline the process for access authorizations, providing for (1) authorizations to access specified frequencies for multiple commercial space launches and reentries from one or more launch or reentry sites, (2) authorizations for multiple uses of such frequencies for a commercial space launch or reentry, (3) automation of the FCC's review process for access applications, and (4) improved coordination between the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to increase the speed of review for such applications.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: LAUNCHES Act
Also known as: Leveraging American Understanding of Next-generation Challenges Exploring Space Act
Latest action (May 26, 2020): Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications · Origin: House · Introduced: May 26, 2020
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.