[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 7, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11692]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      COMMERCIAL SPACE ACT OF 1998

  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I would like to engage the Chairman in a 
colloquy regarding a provision of the Commercial Space Act of 1998. It 
is my understanding that Section 202(b)(6) of the Land Remote Sensing 
Policy Act of 1992, which requires any company receiving a license to 
operate a remote sensing system to ``notify the Secretary [of Commerce] 
of any agreement the licensee intends to enter with a foreign nation,'' 
is amended by the Commercial Space Act of 1998 by inserting the words 
``significant or substantial'' after ``Secretary of any.'' This is 
intended to limit the agreements which are reported to the Department 
of Commerce. As you know, the Congress has acted in the past to limit 
imagery of Israel. I would like to clarify that any agreement or 
contract permitting any imaging of Israel using commercially available, 
satellite-based remote sensing technology would fall under the 
definition of ``significant or substantial.'' Is this the Chairman's 
understanding?
  Mr. McCAIN. I thank the Senator. It is certainly my intention that 
any agreement permitting the imaging of Israel using commercially 
available, satellite-based remote sensing technology will continue to 
be reported to the United States government for review. The Congress 
has indicated that it viewed imaging of Israel to be a significant 
matter, and the intent of this legislation is to make sure that any 
agreement that could lead to imaging Israel will be reported.
  Mr. KYL. I thank the Senator.

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