Secure Space Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2458) to amend the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from granting a license or United States market access for a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system, or an authorization to use an individually licensed earth station or a blanket-licensed earth station, if the license, grant of market access, or authorization would be held or controlled by an entity that produces or provides any covered communications equipment or service or an affiliate of such an entity, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 2458

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 ``Secure Space Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON GRANT OF CERTAIN SATELLITE LICENSES, UNITED STATES MARKET ACCESS, OR EARTH STATION AUTHORIZATIONS.

(a) In General.--The Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is amended--

(1) by redesignating sections 10 and 11 as sections 11 and 12, respectively; and

(2) by inserting after section 9 the following: ``SEC. 10. PROHIBITION ON GRANT OF CERTAIN SATELLITE LICENSES, UNITED STATES MARKET ACCESS, OR EARTH STATION AUTHORIZATIONS.

``(a) In General.--The Commission may not grant a license for, or a petition for a declaratory ruling to access the United States market using, a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system, or an authorization to use an individually licensed earth station or a blanket-licensed earth station, if such license, grant of market access, or authorization would be held or controlled by--

``(1) an entity that produces or provides any covered communications equipment or service; or

``(2) an affiliate (as defined in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153)) of an entity described in paragraph (1).

``(b) Definitions.--In this section:

``(1) Blanket-licensed earth station.--The term `blanket- licensed earth station' means an earth station that is licensed with a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system.

``(2) Gateway station.--The term `gateway station' means an earth station or a group of earth stations that--

``(A) supports the routing and switching functions of a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system;

``(B) may also be used for telemetry, tracking, and command transmissions;

``(C) does not originate or terminate communication traffic; and

``(D) is not for the exclusive use of any customer.

``(3) Individually licensed earth station.--The term `individually licensed earth station' means--

``(A) an earth station (other than a blanket-licensed earth station) that sends a signal to, and receives a signal from, a geostationary orbit satellite system or a nongeostationary orbit satellite system; or

``(B) a gateway station.''.

(b) Applicability.--Section 10 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to the grant of a license, petition, or authorization on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) Rules.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall issue rules to implement section 10 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, as added by subsection (a).

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Mr. BILIRAKIS.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2458, the Secure Space Act.

Advancements in satellite technology have enabled broadband internet to be deployed at commercial scale. We must protect these systems from foreign adversaries. The Secure Space Act would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from granting a license for geostationary orbit and nongeostationary orbit satellite systems if they are owned or controlled by an entity that provides communications equipment that pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. That is common sense.

I thank Chairman Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone for their leadership on this particular bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this particular bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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