U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) on Jan. 11 sponsored a bipartisan bill that would provide for the transparent licensing of commercial remote sensing systems, which use data collected from satellites to produce images of Earth.
“Remote sensing has become a crucial tool for agricultural production, weather forecasting, and emergency response efforts, and many other fields that directly benefit Oklahomans and Americans across the country,” Rep. Lucas said on Jan. 13. “We want to keep encouraging growth in this industry so remote sensing technology can continue to evolve and expand.”
Rep. Lucas introduced the Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act of 2023, H.R. 290, with original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) to support commercial remote sensing activities in the United States.
If enacted, H.R. 290 would renew an expired requirement for the U.S. Department of Commerce to send an annual report to Congress on the status of commercial remote sensing applications, regulations, and adjudications, according to a bill summary released by the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Lucas and ranking member Lofgren.
“In today’s world, innovative companies have many options for where to locate,” said Rep. Lucas. “This bill helps us evaluate our regulatory system so we can stay competitive and keep companies in the U.S. rather than going overseas.”
Specifically, H.R. 290 would reinstate an annual reporting requirement from the Commerce Department’s Office of Commercial Remote Sensing and Regulatory Affairs on the status of commercial remote sensing licensing and regulation. The requirement, which expired in September 2020, would keep Congress informed of agency actions, their impact on licensees, and the state of the commercial remote sensing industry once reinstated, according to the lawmakers.
“This is a good-government bill that will require additional reporting on the licensing of commercial remote sensing systems and update statutory timelines for commercial remote sensing licensing to conform with revised regulations,” added Rep. Lofgren. “I look forward to working with Chairman Lucas to move this bill forward.”
“I appreciate Ranking Member Lofgren for cosponsoring this bipartisan bill, and I’m looking forward to working together to get it signed into law,” Rep. Lucas said.