51 U.S.C. § 50918: Consultation

The Secretary of Transportation shall consult with the Secretary of Defense on a matter under this chapter affecting national security. The Secretary of Defense shall identify and notify the Secretary of Transportation of a national security interest relevant to an activity under this chapter. The Secretary of Transportation shall consult with the Secretary of State on a matter under this chapter affecting foreign policy. The Secretary of State shall identify and notify the Secretary of Transportation of a foreign policy interest or obligation relevant to an activity under this chapter. to provide consistent application of licensing requirements under this chapter; to ensure fair treatment for all license applicants; and when appropriate. It is the sense of Congress that eliminating duplicative requirements and approvals for commercial launch and reentry operations will promote and encourage the development of the commercial space sector. promote commercial space launches and reentries by the private sector; facilitate Government, State, and private sector involvement in enhancing United States launch sites and facilities; protect public health and safety, safety of property, national security interests, and foreign policy interests of the United States; and consult with the head of another executive agency, including the Secretary of Defense or the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as necessary to provide consistent application of licensing requirements under chapter 509 of title 51, United States Code. to identify all requirements that are imposed to protect the public health and safety, safety of property, national security interests, and foreign policy interests of the United States relevant to any commercial launch of a launch vehicle or commercial reentry of a reentry vehicle; and determine whether the satisfaction of a requirement of one agency could result in the satisfaction of a requirement of another agency; and resolve any inconsistencies and remove any outmoded or duplicative requirements or approvals of the Federal Government relevant to any commercial launch of a launch vehicle or commercial reentry of a reentry vehicle. With respect to any licensed activity under chapter 509 of title 51, United States Code, the Secretary of Defense may not impose any requirement on a licensee or transferee that is duplicative of, or overlaps in intent with, any requirement imposed by the Secretary of Transportation under that chapter. the Secretary determines that imposing a requirement described in that subparagraph is necessary to avoid negative consequences for the national security space program; and the Secretary notifies the Secretary of Transportation of such determination before making such waiver. any unique requirements for operating on a United States Government launch site, reentry site, or launch property; and any inconsistent, outmoded, or duplicative requirements or approvals. A description of current efforts, if any, to coordinate and work across executive agencies to define interagency processes and procedures for sharing information, avoiding duplication of effort, and resolving common agency requirements. streamline requirements in order to improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary costs, resolve inconsistencies, remove duplication, and minimize unwarranted constraints; and consolidate or modify requirements across affected agencies into a single application set that satisfies the requirements identified in paragraph (1)(A). any applicable definitions set forth in section 50902 of title 51 , United States Code, shall apply; the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives]; the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives; and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; the terms ‘launch’, ‘reenter’, and ‘reentry’ include landing of a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle; and the terms ‘United States Government launch site’ and ‘United States Government reentry site’ include any necessary facility, at that location, that is commercially operated on United States Government property. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the ability of the Secretary of Defense to consult with the Secretary of Transportation with respect to requirements and approvals under chapter 509 of title 51, United States Code.”