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S. 1962 · Senate 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 2026”.
(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) Definitions.— In this section:
(1) Affiliate.—
(A) In general.— The term affiliate means an entity that (directly or indirectly) owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership or control with, another entity.
(B) Own.— For purposes of this paragraph, the term own means to have, possess, or otherwise control an equity interest (or the equivalent thereof) of not less than 10 percent.
(2) 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.
(3) 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.
(4) 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) Prohibition.— 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 the license, grant of market access, or authorization would be held or controlled by—
(1) an entity identified on the list published by the Commission under section 2(a); or
(2) an affiliate of an entity described in paragraph (1).
(c) Further consideration for secured networks.—
(1) In general.— The Commission may issue a report assessing supply chain security risks associated with any earth station licensee, geostationary orbit satellite system licensee, nongeostationary orbit satellite system licensee, or entity granted a declaratory ruling to access the United States market using a geostationary orbit satellite system or nongeostationary orbit satellite system, or an affiliate of such a licensee or entity, that provides communications equipment designed, developed, manufactured, or assembled by an entity identified on the list published by the Commission under section 2(a).
(2) Rule of construction.— Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to expand or contract the authority of the Commission.”.
(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 enactment of this Act.
(c) Rules.— Not later than 1 year after the date of 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).