COMMERCIAL REMOTE SENSING AMENDMENT ACT OF 2025

On 2025-03-24, Representative Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11) delivered a floor speech titled "COMMERCIAL REMOTE SENSING AMENDMENT ACT OF 2025" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, China. It referenced legislation: HR1325.

COMMERCIAL REMOTE SENSING AMENDMENT ACT OF 2025

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1202-H1204] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] COMMERCIAL REMOTE SENSING AMENDMENT ACT OF 2025 Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1325) to provide for transparent licensing of commercial remote sensing systems, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1325 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 2025''. 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 new paragraph: ``(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-- [[Page H1203]] (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 new subparagraph: ``(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 Texas (Mr. Babin) and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas. General Leave Mr. BABIN. Mr. 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. 1325, the bill now under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas? There was no objection. Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1325, the Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act of 2025. This bill updates reporting requirements for NOAA's Office of Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs, giving Congress the ability to monitor how regulations are affecting the expansion and development of the commercial and remote sensing industry. Remote sensing uses data collected from satellites to produce images of Earth and has become a crucial tool in fields like agriculture, finance, trade, energy, and national security. Commercial remote sensing also provides us with vital information for many important applications. The technology behind it is constantly evolving, and the industry is seeing tremendous growth. To effectively support and manage remote sensing activities, it is imperative that Congress receives timely and comprehensive reports in order to evaluate the state of the industry and how regulations are affecting this growth. The Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 established a reporting requirement for the Department of Commerce on the status of commercial remote sensing licensing and regulation. That requirement expired in 2020. H.R. 1325 will reinstate this reporting requirement and keep Congress informed of agency actions, their impact on licensees, and the state of the commercial remote sensing industry. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1325 is a no-nonsense, bipartisan bill that will ensure the U.S. remains at the helm of this important field. I thank the former chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Mr. Lucas, for introducing this bill and his leadership on this important topic. This bill passed the House by a voice vote in the last two Congresses, and I look forward to working with the Senate to see it finally cross the finish line. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague and chair, Mr. Babin, and rise in support of the Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act of 2025, H.R. 1325. We are very pleased to see this legislation being reintroduced this Congress, and certainly it is coming from the leadership of our former chair of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Mr. Frank Lucas, and our ranking member, Ms. Zoe Lofgren. It is another bipartisan bill. Commercial remote sensing is a vibrant and growing industry. Data and imagery from commercial remote sensing satellites are used widely in energy, agriculture, disaster monitoring, mapping, and national security applications such as maritime surveillance. Commercial space-based images provide vital scientific information on the health of our Great Lakes informing policy in my beloved home State of Michigan and across the basin. These images also provide visibility and insight into life-threatening events, such as the before and after observations of the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires in southern California. In 1992, Congress, led by the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, authorized the Secretary of Commerce to license and regulate private-sector parties to operate commercial remote sensing space systems. Since that time, the commercial remote sensing industry has changed quite dramatically. Today, companies from across the world are launching commercial remote sensing systems and selling the data. We must ensure that the United States remains at the forefront of this industry, especially as the Chinese Communist Party is advancing in the remote sensing sector. As a 2024 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies plainly put it: ``Should any one country dominate the commercial remote sensing market, not only could it gain economic advantages, but it would also control the information narrative about the entire planet, from the environment to natural resources to human conflict.'' So this bill provides Congress the transparency and insight we need to oversee the licensing and regulation of private remote sensing systems. It modifies the timeline for completing licenses to conform with updated regulations. It also requires information to provide Congress with details on licensing related to regulatory changes. Further, it extends the requirement for an annual report on commercial remote sensing licenses through 2030. I am very enthusiastic about this important bipartisan commercial space legislation. It is always a good day in the Chamber when Chair Babin is talking about commercial space legislation, and it is always a good day when we are doing bipartisan things on behalf of American competitiveness. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1325, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), who is our former chairman. {time} 1500 Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I have to acknowledge this: I can't think of a better set of hands to have the chairmanship of this critically important committee of Science, Space, and Technology in than Chairman Babin and Ranking Member Lofgren and my good friend, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens) over there. The committee that the chairman presides over represents the future of this great country. I always tell people that the Science, Space, and Technology Committee is not just about yesterday or tomorrow, but it is 5 years, it is 50 years, it is 250 years into the future, and that is just an amazing thing. Today, I rise in support of H.R. 1325, the Commercial Remote Sensing Act. I have introduced this bipartisan legislation in the past two Congresses, and on both occasions, the measures passed the House by voice vote. I reintroduced the bill this Congress along with my colleague and friend, the ranking member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Ms. Lofgren. It updates the 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. Congress first authorized the licensing and regulation of commercial remote sensing space systems in 1992. Since then, the industry has become a crucial resource in a number of industries including agriculture, finance, trade, and energy. Remote sensing uses data collected from satellites to produce images of Earth. This imagery and data has a number of important applications. It can allow farmers to improve crop production by more efficiently applying water and fertilizer. It can inform the future commodity prices by actively monitoring weather and crop health. It can also improve our ability to prepare for and respond to natural disasters by instructing flood plain mapping, tornado tracking, and drought monitoring, topics that are all front-of-mind for all Americans, but especially those in my home State of Oklahoma. [[Page H1204]] Commercial remote sensing can also be helpful in humanitarian relief efforts and monitoring treaty compliance, among other national security and foreign affairs applications. This technology provides us with critic

Referenced legislation: HR1325, HR1325