[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 21, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6977-S6978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             AMENDING COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE ACT OF 1962

  Mr. DOMENICI. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of S. 1282 that was introduced earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1282) to amend the Communications Satellite Act 
     of 1962 to strike the privatization criteria for INTELSAT 
     separated entities, remove certain restrictions on separated 
     and successor entities to INTELSAT, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. DOMENICI. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third 
time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and 
any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1282) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1282

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINANCIAL INTERESTS OF OFFICERS, MANAGERS, OR 
                   DIRECTORS.

       Section 621(5)(D) of the Communications Satellite Act of 
     1962 (47 U.S.C. 763(5)(D)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``(I)'' in clause (ii);
       (2) by striking ``signatories, or (II)'' in clause (ii) and 
     all that follows through ``mechanism;'' and inserting 
     ``signatories; and'';
       (3) by striking ``organization; and'' in clause (iii) and 
     inserting ``organization.''; and
       (4) by striking clause (iv).

     SEC. 2. CRITERIA FOR INTELSAT SEPARATED ENTITIES.

       Subtitle B of title VI of the Communications Satellite Act 
     of 1962 (47 U.S.C. 763 et seq.) is amended by striking 
     section 623 (47 U.S.C. 763b).

     SEC. 3. PRESERVATION OF SPACE SEGMENT CAPACITY OF THE GMDSS.

       Section 624 of the Communications Satellite Act of 1962 (47 
     U.S.C. 763c) is amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 624. SPACE SEGMENT CAPACITY OF THE GMDSS.

       ``The United States shall preserve the space segment 
     capacity of the GMDSS. This section is not intended to alter 
     the status that the GMDSS would otherwise have under United 
     States laws and regulations of the International 
     Telecommunication Union with respect to spectrum, orbital 
     locations, or other operational parameters, or to be a 
     barrier to competition for the provision of GMDSS 
     services.''.

     SEC. 4. SATELLITE SERVICE REPORT.

       (a) Annual Report.--The Federal Communications Commission 
     shall review competitive market conditions with respect to 
     domestic and international satellite communications services 
     and shall include in an annual report an analysis of those 
     conditions. The Commission shall transmit a copy of the 
     report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on 
     Energy and Commerce.
       (b) Content.--The Commission shall include in the report--
       (1) an identification of the number and market share of 
     competitors in domestic and international satellite markets;
       (2) an analysis of whether there is effective competition 
     in the market for domestic and international satellite 
     services; and

[[Page S6978]]

       (3) a list of any foreign nations in which legal or 
     regulatory practices restrict access to the market for 
     satellite services in such nation in a manner that undermines 
     competition or favors a particular competitor or set of 
     competitors.

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