Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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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--

(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''.

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Mr. BABIN. 1325, the bill now under consideration.

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.

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Mr. BABIN.

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Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I am prepared to close.

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Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, commercial remote sensing provides us with critical information related to a number of fields important to U.S. competitiveness.

H.R. 1325 will ensure that Congress receives the updates necessary to monitor industry regulations. Updating these reporting requirements will ensure the U.S. remains the global leader in this crucial sector.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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