SAFE Orbit Act
Latest action · Dec 24, 2024 Held at the desk.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 25, 2024
- Passed SenateDec 21, 2024
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Situational Awareness of Flying Elements in Orbit Act or the SAFE Orbit Act
This bill provides statutory authority for the Traffic Coordination System for Space, which is being developed by the Office of Space Commerce to provide space situational awareness data and services to space operators. (Space situational awareness means an understanding of the space operational environment and the identification, tracking, and prediction of the behavior of space objects and debris.)
As an initial matter, the bill provides for the elevation of the Office of Space Commerce to a standalone bureau within the Department of Commerce. (The office currently sits within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.)
The bill authorizes the bureau to acquire location tracking data, positional and orbit determination information, conjunction data messages, and other data, analytics, information, and services deemed necessary to avoid collisions in space. The bureau must disseminate this information at no charge (1) through a public database of space situational awareness information and services, including space traffic coordination; and (2) through the provision of basic situational awareness services to satellite operators. The bill also sets forth certain requirements for the collection and dissemination of such information, including that, to the extent practicable, the provision of service to satellite operators may not compete with private situational awareness products.
Finally, the bill provides immunity for the United States government from any suit for a cause of action arising from the provision or receipt of space situational awareness services or information.
Cosponsors 6
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jan 25, 2024.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-MO | Eric Schmitt | Original | Jan 25, 2024 |
| D-MI | Gary C. Peters | Original | Jan 25, 2024 |
| I-AZ | Kyrsten Sinema | Original | Jan 25, 2024 |
| D-AZ | Mark Kelly | Original | Jan 25, 2024 |
| R-TN | Marsha Blackburn | Original | Jan 25, 2024 |
| R-MS | Roger F. Wicker | Original | Jan 25, 2024 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Referred Jan 25, 2024Discharged Dec 21, 2024 |
Actions 8
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 24, 2024Received in the House.
- Dec 24, 2024Held at the desk.
- Dec 23, 2024Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 21, 2024Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 21, 2024Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S7314-7315)
- Dec 21, 2024Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S7314-7315)
- Jan 25, 2024Introduced in Senate
- Jan 25, 2024Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S7314Text printed S7314Amendments S7346 | Charles E. Schumer D-NY, John Cornyn R-TX (amendment) | Dec 20, 2024 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47636 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Organization Overview and Issues for Congress | Report | Mar 4, 2025 |
Amendments 1
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 3362 | In the nature of a substitute. | John Cornyn R-TXfor Charles E. Schumer | Amendment SA 3362 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 428 | SAFE Orbit Act | Cross-Congress related bill | Sep 29, 2025 |
| HR 6385 | SAFE Orbit Act of 2023 | Related bill | Nov 13, 2023 |
Titles 5
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to promote space situational awareness and space traffic coordination and to modify the functions and leadership of the Office of Space Commerce, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- SAFE Orbit Act
- Situational Awareness of Flying Elements in Orbit Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- SAFE Orbit Act
- Situational Awareness of Flying Elements in Orbit Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 21, 2024Engrossed in Senate
- Jan 25, 2024Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
