[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1648 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.1648

                     One Hundred Eighteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
         the third day of January, two thousand and twenty four


                                 An Act


 
  To facilitate access to the electromagnetic spectrum for commercial 
 space launches and commercial space reentries, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Launch Communications Act''.
SEC. 2. ACCESS TO ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE 
LAUNCHES AND REENTRIES.
    (a) Service Rules; Allocation.--
        (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
    enactment of this Act, the Commission shall--
            (A) complete any proceeding in effect as of such date of 
        enactment related to the adoption of service rules for access 
        to the frequencies described in subsection (c) for commercial 
        space launches and commercial space reentries, including 
        technical specifications, eligibility requirements, and 
        coordination procedures to preserve the defense capabilities of 
        the United States; and
            (B) allocate on a secondary basis such frequencies for 
        commercial space launches and commercial space reentries.
        (2) Coordination with national telecommunications and 
    information administration.--The coordination procedures adopted 
    under paragraph (1)(A) shall include requirements for persons 
    conducting commercial space launches and commercial space reentries 
    to coordinate with the Assistant Secretary regarding access to the 
    frequencies described in subsection (c) for commercial space 
    launches and commercial space reentries.
        (3) Limitation.--Access to the frequencies described in 
    subsection (c) in accordance with the service rules adopted under 
    subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1), and the allocation of such 
    frequencies under subparagraph (B) of that paragraph, shall be 
    limited to the use of such frequencies for commercial space 
    launches and commercial space reentries.
    (b) Streamlining of Process for Granting Authorizations.--Not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Commission shall issue new regulations to streamline the process for 
granting authorizations for access to the frequencies described in 
subsection (c) for commercial space launches and commercial space 
reentries so as to provide for--
        (1) authorizations that include access to such frequencies for 
    multiple commercial space launches from 1 or more Federal space 
    launch sites and multiple commercial space reentries to 1 or more 
    Federal space reentry sites;
        (2) authorizations that include access to such frequencies for 
    multiple commercial space launches from 1 or more private space 
    launch sites and multiple commercial space reentries to 1 or more 
    private space reentry sites, upon successful coordination with any 
    Federal space launch site within a range for access to such 
    frequencies such that such a commercial space launch or commercial 
    space reentry would not cause harmful interference with Federal 
    systems;
        (3) authorizations that include access to multiple uses of such 
    frequencies for commercial space launch or commercial space 
    reentry;
        (4) electronic filing and processing of applications for 
    authorizations for access to such frequencies for commercial space 
    launches and commercial space reentries; and
        (5) improved coordination by the Commission with the Assistant 
    Secretary (who shall coordinate with the head of any other Federal 
    agency, as the Assistant Secretary considers appropriate) to 
    increase the speed of review of applications for authorizations for 
    access to such frequencies for commercial space launches and 
    commercial space reentries, including coordination to increase 
    automation similar to the automation described in the service rules 
    established by the Commission and the Assistant Secretary to 
    promote the development and use, by entities other than the Federal 
    Government, of spectrum in other bands, including bands with the 
    frequencies between 71 and 76 gigahertz, between 81 and 86 
    gigahertz, and between 92 and 95 gigahertz.
    (c) Frequencies Described.--The frequencies described in this 
subsection are the frequencies between 2025 and 2110 megahertz, between 
2200 and 2290 megahertz, and between 2360 and 2395 megahertz.
    (d) Rule of Construction.--Each range of frequencies described in 
this section shall be construed to be inclusive of the upper and lower 
frequencies in the range.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
        (1) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' 
    means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and 
    Information.
        (2) Commercial space launch.--The term ``commercial space 
    launch'' means a launch licensed under chapter 509 of title 51, 
    United States Code.
        (3) Commercial space reentry.--The term ``commercial space 
    reentry'' means a reentry licensed under chapter 509 of title 51, 
    United States Code.
        (4) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
    Communications Commission.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.