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Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act of 2025
3/28/2025, 11:23 AM
Summary of Bill HR 1325
The bill seeks to update and modernize the current licensing framework for commercial remote sensing systems, which are used for a variety of purposes such as monitoring weather patterns, tracking natural disasters, and conducting environmental research.
Under the proposed legislation, the Secretary of Commerce would be responsible for overseeing the licensing process and ensuring that it is conducted in a transparent and timely manner. The bill also includes provisions to streamline the application process, reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, and promote innovation in the commercial remote sensing industry. Additionally, the bill includes measures to protect national security interests and ensure that sensitive information collected by commercial remote sensing systems is properly safeguarded. Overall, Bill 119 HR 1325 aims to promote the growth and development of the commercial remote sensing industry in the United States while also ensuring that national security concerns are addressed.
Congressional Summary of HR 1325
Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act of 2025
This bill makes certain changes related to the licensing of private remote sensing space systems. (Under current regulations, remote sensing refers to the collection of data by instruments in Earth's orbit, such as satellites, that can be processed into imagery of Earth's surface; private remote sensing space systems refer to remote sensing instruments not owned by the U.S. government.)
The bill decreases from 120 to 60 days the amount of time in which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration must review and act on an application for a license to operate a private remote sensing space system.
Further, the bill expands annual reporting on the licensing of private remote sensing space systems to include a list of all applications, organized by tier, as well as the rationale for each tier categorization. (Currently, each license is categorized into one of three tiers based on whether the system produces or is capable of producing data that is already available from other entities). Additionally, the report must include all terms, conditions, or restrictions placed on licensees.
The bill also reinstates this annual reporting requirement, which expired on September 30, 2020, through September 30, 2030.
