[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1526 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1526

   To promote the international competitiveness of the United States 
 commercial space industry, to ensure access to space for the Federal 
 Government and the private sector, and to minimize the opportunities 
 for the transfer to other nations of critical satellite technologies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 1999

   Mr. Weldon of Florida (for himself and Mrs. Capps) introduced the 
     following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To promote the international competitiveness of the United States 
 commercial space industry, to ensure access to space for the Federal 
 Government and the private sector, and to minimize the opportunities 
 for the transfer to other nations of critical satellite technologies.

    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 ``Commercial Space Competitiveness Act 
of 1999''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the commercial space industry is an essential part of 
        the United States economy and opportunities for United States 
        companies are growing as international markets expand;
            (2) the Federal Government should continue to encourage, 
        facilitate, and promote the use of the United States commercial 
        space industry in order to continue United States aerospace 
        preeminence;
            (3) the United States commercial space industry must be 
        competitive in the international marketplace;
            (4) Federal Government policies should recognize the 
        responsibility of the United States under international 
        treaties for activities conducted by United States citizens in 
        space;
            (5) the United States must limit the opportunities for the 
        transfer of critical satellite technologies by providing 
        efficient range infrastructure to ensure access to space for 
        both the Government and private sector;
            (6) the United States must maintain a competitive advantage 
        in international commercial space by providing the private 
        sector with equal access to launch opportunities, launch 
        property, and launch services at the Nation's ranges;
            (7) infrastructure at United States launch ranges is 
        outdated and inefficient and the rate at which launch 
        opportunities are lost due to range failures has tripled in the 
        past 2 years;
            (8) demand for range infrastructure at Federal Government 
        ranges will exceed supply beginning in the year 2002; and
            (9) the current level of Federal funding for the Nation's 
        launch ranges is inadequate to provide the Nation's projected 
        demand for range capacity.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 70102 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3) by striking ``, when those activities 
        take place at a launch site in the United States''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4) by inserting ``or improved or 
        unimproved real property or facilities used in,'' after ``or 
        used in,''.

SEC. 4. GENERAL AUTHORITY.

    Section 70103(b)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``encourage, facilitate, and promote'' and inserting 
``encourage and facilitate''.

SEC. 5. LAUNCH SCHEDULES.

    Section 70109 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(c) Scheduling.--In the scheduling of launches at a United States 
Government launch site, private sector launches shall be provided the 
greatest possible access to launch opportunities at the earliest dates 
possible at such launch site.''.

SEC. 6. ACQUIRING UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AND SERVICES.

    Section 70111 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
    ``(a) Acquisition.--The Secretary of Transportation shall 
facilitate and encourage the acquisition by the private sector and 
State governments of Federal property and services, including 
utilities, for the support of commercial launch efforts.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(1)(A) by striking ``and'';
            (3) in subsection (b)(1)(B) by striking the period and 
        inserting ``; or'';
            (4) by adding at the end of subsection (b)(1) the following 
        new subparagraph:
            ``(C) the Government agency charges other Government 
        agencies.'';
            (5) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 
        (d) and (e), respectively; and
            (6) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(c) Public Notice.--At least 30 days before any property is 
acquired pursuant to this section the head of the agency from which the 
property is to be acquired shall provide appropriate public notice of 
the proposed acquisition.''.

SEC. 7. PAYING CLAIMS EXCEEDING LIABILITY INSURANCE.

    Section 70113 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1) and subsection (d)(2) by striking 
        ``launch or reentry'' and inserting ``licensed activity''; and
            (2) in subsection (f) by striking ``1999'' and inserting 
        ``2009''.
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