[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 26, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7089-H7090]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1430
            COMMERCIAL REMOTE SENSING AMENDMENT ACT OF 2022

  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6845) to provide for transparent licensing of commercial 
remote sensing systems, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6845

       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 Remote Sensing 
     Amendment Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORTS.

       (a) Deadlines.--
       (1) In general.--Section 60121(c) of title 51, United 
     States Code, is amended by striking ``120'' and inserting 
     ``60''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 60126(a)(1)(E) of title 
     51, United States Code, is amended by striking ``120'' and 
     inserting ``60''.
       (b) Notifications.--Section 60126(a)(2) of title 51, United 
     States Code, is amended by striking ``section 60122; and'' 
     and inserting ``paragraphs (5) and (6) of section 
     60122(b);''.
       (c) Conditions.--Section 60126(a) of title 51, United 
     States Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3) all terms, conditions, or restrictions placed on 
     licensees pursuant to section 60122; and''.
       (d) Tiers.--Section 60126(a)(1) of title 51, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``and'' at the end; 
     and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(F) a list of all applications submitted and licenses 
     granted in accordance therewith, listed by tier as defined in 
     regulation, as well as the rationale for each tier 
     categorization;''.
       (e) Sunset.--Section 60126 of title 51, United States Code, 
     is amended by striking ``September 30, 2020'' and inserting 
     ``September 30, 2030''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Beyer) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on H.R. 6845, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 6845, the Commercial 
Remote Sensing Amendment Act of 2022. I thank Science Committee Ranking 
Member Lucas for introducing this bipartisan bill, and Representative 
Ed Perlmutter, a member of our Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics 
that I chair, for being an original cosponsor.
  This bill will provide increased transparency in the licensing of 
commercial remote sensing systems by requiring the regulatory agency, 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to provide 
additional reporting on the licensing of commercial remote sensing 
systems.
  The bill also amends the statute to ensure that the time required for 
issuing commercial remote sensing licenses aligns with updated 
regulations.
  I am pleased that the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
strengthened the bill in its consideration of the legislation. An 
amendment we sponsored added further annual reporting requirements on 
the applications for licenses submitted and licenses issued.
  The amendment also sustained the sunset clause of annual reporting. 
The sunset date of 2030 will ensure that we go back, review the law, 
and stay responsive to changes in this rapidly growing commercial space 
sector.
  Commercial remote sensing is a highly competitive global industry, 
with $2.6 billion in revenue for 2020 alone, according to a report of 
the Satellite Industry Association.
  Commercial remote sensing data are used in energy, agriculture, 
disaster monitoring, mapping, national security applications, and much 
more. This bill provides Congress with transparency in information that 
will benefit our oversight of the licensing and regulation of this 
important and growing industry.
  I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 6845, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6845, the Commercial Remote 
Sensing Amendment Act. I introduced this bipartisan legislation along 
with my colleague, Representative Perlmutter, to update reporting 
requirements for NOAA's Office of Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory 
Affairs so that Congress can monitor how regulations are impacting the 
growth and improvement of the commercial remote sensing industry.
  Remote sensing uses data collected from satellites to produce images 
of the Earth. It has become a critical resource in fields like 
agriculture, finance, trade, and energy.
  For instance, imagery and data from commercial remote sensing allows 
us to improve crop production by helping farmers more efficiently apply 
water and fertilizer. It informs future commodity prices by actively 
monitoring weather and crop health.
  Commercial remote sensing also improves our ability to prepare for 
and to respond to natural disasters by informing flood plain mapping, 
tornado tracking, and drought monitoring, topics that are very 
important to the people of Oklahoma.
  It can also be helpful in humanitarian relief efforts and monitoring 
treaty compliance, among other applications.
  As you can see, commercial remote sensing provides us with critical 
information for many important applications. This technology is 
constantly evolving, and the industry is seeing tremendous growth.
  To effectively support and manage remote sensing activities, it is 
critical that Congress receives timely and comprehensive reports so we 
can evaluate the state of the industry and how regulations are 
affecting its growth.
  The Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 established a 
reporting requirement from the Department of Commerce on the status of 
commercial remote sensing licensing and regulation. That requirement 
expired in 2020.
  H.R. 6845 will reinstate the reporting requirement and keep Congress 
informed of agency actions, their impact on licensees, and the state of 
the commercial remote sensing industry. These reports to Congress will 
give us the information we need to ensure that the U.S. remains a 
global leader in this important field.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 6845 is a no-nonsense, bipartisan bill that will 
help ensure that the U.S. remains the global leader in the commercial 
remote sensing industry.
  I thank my friend, Representative Perlmutter, for working with me on 
this legislation. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time to 
speak at this time, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as may consume.
  As I said before, commercial remote sensing provides us with critical 
information to a number of fields like agriculture, finance, trade, 
energy, and more. This, in turn, allows us to be better stewards of our 
resources.
  H.R. 6845, the Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act, will help us

[[Page H7090]]

ensure that Congress receives the updates necessary to monitor industry 
regulations. By updating these reporting requirements, we can ensure 
that the U.S. remains the global leader in this important field.
  Again, I thank Representative Perlmutter for cosponsoring this bill 
with me, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6845, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6845, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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