Global positioning system modernization

(a)

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The Global Positioning System (in this section referred to as GPS) is a critical national asset that underpins military operations, civilian infrastructure, and economic activities. While newer satellites are part of the constellation, the GPS constellation still depends on many aging satellites, 15 of which are operating well beyond their design life with limited signal technologies in the older satellites. (2)Modernizing the GPS Enterprise is an essential national priority to ensure the continued reliability and security of the system in the face of growing threats and aging and delayed GPS infrastructure. (3)Adversaries are interfering with, jamming, or spoofing GPS signals, posing risks to national defense and public safety. Commercial satellite positioning, navigation, and timing systems can augment and complement GPS operations globally. Terrestrial systems can deliver reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services across service areas that are often extensive. (4)Rapidly transitioning to more resilient systems like GPS IIIF and declaring the L5 signal as healty can significantly reduce these vulnerabilities and enhance operational effectiveness. A transition plan accounting for both the satellites that transmit positioning, navigation, and timing signals and the ground control and monitoring systems that command and control the constellation and update timing and other data is necessary to avoid capability gaps and ensure continuity of essential services as legacy elements are phased out and new capabilities are fielded. (5)Federal agency execution of delays in updating GPS constellation and infrastructure allocation have slowed progress toward modernization, and successfully executing Space Policy Directive-7 is necessary to align efforts across the government and accelerate the deployment of next-generation GPS capabilities. (b)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that modernizing the GPS is a national priority to safeguard military readiness, protect critical infrastructure, and maintain economic competitiveness and the as-yet unimplemented system required by section 312 of title 49, United States Code, remains no less crucial to the protection of United States security and prosperity than when it was mandated in 2018. (c)

Modernized GPS enterprise

(1)

In General

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall accelerate the transition to a modernized GPS Enterprise to enhance the resilience and security of the GPS. (2)

Components

The acceleration required by paragraph (1) shall include— (A)a clear timeline for the development and deployment of a full constellation of 24 GPS IIIF satellites and associated ground control segment upgrades; (B)a clear timeline for the upgrade of the control segment to meet the needs of the modernized constellation and to mitigate threats, along with a plan to maintain service while the upgrades progress; (C)prioritization of the L5 signal for civilian and military applications to augment legacy frequencies and provide additional resilience; (D) coordination with the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Transportation, and other heads of relevant departments and agencies of the Federal Government to expedite system upgrades; (E)strategies developed in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation, to further incentivize critical infrastructure assets to mitigate risks associated with GPS signal interference, jamming, and spoofing, including considering the integration of terrestrial and commercial satellite positioning, navigation, and timing systems; and (F)strategies to accelerate the deployment of military GPS user equipment, Increments 1 and 2, and the integration of new receivers into weapons systems. (d)

Report

(1)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for a period not to exceed three years, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation for commercial uses and with respect to any system required under section 312 of title 49, United States Code, and the protection of critical infrastructure, shall submit to the congressional defense committees, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that includes— (A)a detailed assessment of progress made toward transitioning to the modernized GPS and positioning, navigation, and timing enterprise; (B)an evaluation of interagency coordination efforts, including challenges in implementing system upgrades necessary for such modernization, except spectrum referenced in section 312(d) of title 49, United States Code, associated with LORAN infrastructure necessary for use in any system required in such section 312; (C)a description of strategies to counter GPS military and civil signal interference, jamming, and spoofing, from state and non-state actors along with their effectiveness; (D)funding allocations, expenditures, and any additional resource needs for the Department of Defense and Department of Transportation to meet modernization objectives; and (E)recommendations for legislative or administrative actions to further encourage critical infrastructure upgrades, modern commercial satellite positioning, navigation, and timing systems, and other efforts to enhance GPS security, reliability, and resilience. (2)

Form

The report required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in an unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex. (e)

Applicability

Nothing in this section with respect to the coordination of spectrum allocation applies to any spectrum referenced in section 312(d) of title 49, United States Code, associated with LORAN infrastructure necessary for use in any system required in section 312. (f)

Congressional defense committees defined

In this section, the term congressional defense committees has the meaning given such term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code.