Text of Senate Amendment 6678

On 2026-07-14, Senator John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6678" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6678

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3950-S3952] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6678. Mr. HICKENLOOPER (for himself and Ms. Lummis) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of division A, add the following: [[Page S3951]] TITLE XVII--ORBITAL SUSTAINABILITY ACT OF 2026 SEC. 1701. SHORT TITLE. This title may be cited as the ``Orbital Sustainability Act of 2026'' or the ``ORBITS Act of 2026''. SEC. 1702. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings: (1) The safety and sustainability of operations in low- Earth orbit and nearby orbits in outer space have become increasingly endangered by a growing amount of orbital debris. (2) Exploration and scientific research missions and commercial space services of critical importance to the United States rely on continued and secure access to outer space. (3) Efforts by nongovernmental space entities to apply lessons learned through standards and best practices will benefit from government support for implementation both domestically and internationally. (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that to preserve the sustainability of operations in space, the United States Government should-- (1) to the extent practicable, develop and carry out programs, establish or update regulations, and commence initiatives to minimize orbital debris, including initiatives to demonstrate active debris remediation of orbital debris generated by the United States Government or other entities under the jurisdiction of the United States; (2) lead international efforts to encourage other spacefaring countries to mitigate and remediate orbital debris under their jurisdiction and control; and (3) encourage space system operators to continue implementing best practices for space safety when deploying satellites and constellations of satellites, such as transparent data sharing and designing for system reliability, so as to limit the generation of future orbital debris. SEC. 1703. DEFINITIONS. In this title: (1) Active debris remediation.--The term ``active debris remediation''-- (A) means the deliberate process of facilitating the de- orbit, repurposing, or other disposal of orbital debris, which may include moving orbital debris to a safe position, using an object or technique that is external or internal to the orbital debris; and (B) does not include de-orbit, repurposing, or other disposal of orbital debris by passive means. (2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (3) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means-- (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives. (4) Demonstration project.--The term ``demonstration project'' means the active orbital debris remediation demonstration project carried out under section 1704(b). (5) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means-- (A) a United States-based-- (i) non-Federal, commercial entity; (ii) institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))); or (iii) nonprofit organization; (B) any other United States-based entity the Administrator considers appropriate; and (C) a partnership of entities described in subparagraphs (A) and (B). (6) Orbital debris.--The term ``orbital debris'' means any human-made space object orbiting Earth that-- (A) no longer serves an intended purpose; and (B)(i) has reached the end of its mission; or (ii) is incapable of safe maneuver or operation. (7) Project.--The term ``project'' means a specific investment with defined requirements, a life-cycle cost, a period of duration with a beginning and an end, and a management structure that may interface with other projects, agencies, and international partners to yield new or revised technologies addressing strategic goals. (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Commerce. (9) Space traffic coordination.--The term ``space traffic coordination'' means the planning, coordination, and on-orbit synchronization of activities to enhance the safety and sustainability of operations in the space environment. SEC. 1704. ACTIVE DEBRIS REMEDIATION. (a) Prioritization of Orbital Debris.-- (1) List.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the National Space Council, and representatives of the commercial space industry, academia, and nonprofit organizations, shall publish a list of select identified orbital debris that may be remediated to improve the safety and sustainability of orbiting satellites and on-orbit activities. (2) Contents.--The list required under paragraph (1)-- (A) shall be developed using appropriate sources of data and information derived from governmental and nongovernmental sources, including space situational awareness data obtained by the Office of Space Commerce, to the extent practicable; (B) shall include, to the extent practicable-- (i) a description of the approximate age, location in orbit, size, mass, tumbling state, post-mission passivation actions taken, and national jurisdiction of each orbital debris identified; and (ii) data required to inform decisions regarding potential risk and feasibility of safe remediation; (C) may include orbital debris that poses a significant risk to terrestrial people and assets, including risk resulting from potential environmental impacts from the uncontrolled reentry of the orbital debris identified; and (D) may include collections of small debris that, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, are untracked. (3) Public availability; periodic updates.-- (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the list required under paragraph (1) shall be published in unclassified form on a publicly accessible internet website of the Department of Commerce. (B) Exclusion.--The Secretary may not include on the list published under subparagraph (A) data acquired from nonpublic sources. (C) Periodic updates.--Such list shall be updated periodically. (4) Acquisition, access, use, and handling of data or information.--In carrying out the activities under this subsection, the Secretary-- (A) shall acquire, access, use, and handle data or information in a manner consistent with applicable provisions of law and policy, including laws and policies providing for the protection of privacy and civil liberties, and subject to any restrictions required by the source of the information; (B) shall have access, upon written request, to all information, data, or reports of any executive agency that the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the activities under this subsection, provided that such access is-- (i) conducted in a manner consistent with applicable provisions of law and policy of the originating agency, including laws and policies providing for the protection of privacy and civil liberties; and (ii) consistent with due regard for the protection from unauthorized disclosure of classified information relating to sensitive intelligence sources and methods or other exceptionally sensitive matters; and (C) may obtain commercially available information that may not be publicly available. (b) Active Orbital Debris Remediation Demonstration Project.-- (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator, in consultation with the head of each relevant Federal department or agency, shall establish a demonstration project to make competitive awards for the research, development, and demonstration of technologies leading to the remediation of selected orbital debris identified under subsection (a)(1). (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the demonstration project shall be to enable eligible entities to pursue the phased development and demonstration of technologies and processes required for active debris remediation. (3) Procedures and criteria.--In establishing the demonstration project, the Administrator shall-- (A) establish-- (i) eligibility criteria for participation; (ii) a process for soliciting proposals from eligible entities; (iii) criteria for the contents of such proposals; (iv) project compliance and evaluation metrics; and (v) project phases and milestones; (B) identify government-furnished data or equipment; (C) develop a plan for National Aeronautics and Space Administration participation, as appropriate, in technology development and intellectual property rights that-- (i) leverages National Aeronautics and Space Administration Centers that have demonstrated expertise and historical knowledge in measuring, modeling, characterizing, and describing the current and future orbital debris environment; and (ii) develops the technical consensus for adopting mitigation measures for such participation; and (D)(i) assign a project manager to oversee the demonstration project and carry out project activities under this subsection; and (ii) in assigning such project manager, leverage N