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Launch Communications Act

Public Law 118-85 · S. 1648 · 118th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Sep 26, 2024 · Science, Technology, Communications

Sponsor: Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. John Hickenlooper

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This act requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to facilitate access to specified broadband spectrum frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries.

Under current law, commercial missions launching from the United States to space must use government-owned spectrum to communicate with the rockets during launch, and private companies must apply to the FCC to receive special temporary authority to use such spectrum. On June 28, 2021, the FCC issued a final rule adopting a nonfederal secondary allocation of the 2200-2290 megahertz frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum for use during commercial space launches and reentries.

The act requires the FCC to (1) adopt service rules for access to additional frequencies for commercial space launches and reentries and complete associated rulemaking activities (e.g., those that set technical specifications and eligibility requirements), and (2) allocate the frequencies.

The FCC must also streamline the process for access authorizations, including by providing for (1) authorizations to access specified frequencies for multiple commercial space launches and reentries from one or more federal or private launch or reentry sites, (2) authorizations for multiple uses of such frequencies for a commercial space launch or reentry, (3) electronic filing and processing of access applications, and (4) improved coordination between the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to increase the speed of the review of such applications.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 682Related bill

    Launch Communications Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.

  1. Sep 26, 2024Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-85.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 24, 2024FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 17, 2024FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1648.
  7. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  8. FloorFloor · Mrs. Rodgers (WA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  9. Nov 6, 2023FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  10. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  11. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  12. Oct 31, 2023FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  13. Sep 18, 2023CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 209.
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell with amendments. Without written report.
  15. Jul 27, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
  16. May 17, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  17. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.