H.R. 682 would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue final rules within 90 days of enactment related to an ongoing rulemaking that would permit businesses to use certain radio frequencies during commercial space launches and reentries. In addition, the bill would require the FCC to issue rules to streamline the application process for businesses to use such frequencies. Those rules would modify the process for authorizing commercial space launches from public and private sites, improve coordination between the FCC and the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) to increase the speed of the application review process, and automate this process for commercial space launches and reentries.
Costs for the Federal Communications Commission
Using information from the FCC, CBO estimates that it would cost $9 million over the 2023-2028 period to complete both rulemakings and build and maintain the automated application system required by the bill. However, because the FCC is authorized to collect fees each year sufficient to offset the appropriated costs of its regulatory activities, CBO estimates that the net cost to the FCC would be negligible, assuming appropriation actions consistent with that authority.
