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H.R. 2458 · House bill · 119th Congress
This bill prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting satellite licenses or earth station authorizations, including U.S. market access for foreign-licensed satellites, to specified foreign entities of concern and their affiliates. (Earth stations, also commonly known as ground stations, are earth-based radio stations that communicate with satellites. A grant of U.S. market access permits one or more foreign-licensed satellites to communicate with one or more U.S.-licensed earth stations.)
Specifically, the FCC may not grant a satellite license, an earth station authorization, or market access to any entity, or an affiliate thereof, that produces or provides communications equipment or services deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States. (The FCC maintains a list of such equipment and services, known as the Covered List. Providers of such equipment and services include, for example, Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation.)
This Act may be cited as the “Secure Space Act of 2025”.
(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:
“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).