Bill Overview
Title: Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act of 2022
Description: This bill modifies provisions relating to the licensing of commercial remote sensing systems. The bill decreases from 120 to 60 days the amount of time in which the Department of Commerce shall review and make a determination on the application for a license by a private sector party to operate a private remote sensing space system. The annual report concerning the licensing of private remote sensing systems must include (1) a list of all applications submitted and licenses granted, listed by tier, as well as the rationale for each tier categorization; and (2) all terms, conditions, or restrictions placed on licensees.
Sponsors: Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3]
Target Audience
Population: people involved in the commercial remote sensing industry
Estimated Size: 15000
- The bill targets private sector parties who are involved in the operation of remote sensing space systems.
- The impact of the bill is focused on entities that apply for licenses to operate commercial remote sensing systems, which would be companies in the space and satellite industry.
- Companies benefitting from this bill could be located worldwide, leading to a global market reach for the remote sensing data industry.
- The number of individuals employed in the commercial remote sensing industry will also be indirectly impacted as changes in licensing speed and transparency could affect business operations.
Reasoning
- The policy mainly targets private companies interested in remote sensing technologies, primarily impacting the companies that apply for these licenses.
- Wellbeing impacts will center around stakeholders in these companies, including executives, engineers, policy specialists, and some indirect effects on employees in support roles.
- Those with high exposure to the licensing process, such as executives and policy specialists, will feel a more immediate impact because their work efficiency could significantly improve.
- Consideration also needs to be given to the effects on companies who face increased competition due to more licenses being granted.
- The American aerospace sector is large; however, the direct number of stakeholders in commercial remote sensing is small, leading to low overall commonness of affected individuals in the general population.
Simulated Interviews
Satellite Systems Engineer (Denver, CO)
Age: 48 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems promising as it could speed up new project timelines.
- Improved licensing processes mean we can innovate quicker and meet deadlines more efficiently.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Policy Analyst (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I welcome the transparency this policy brings to the licensing process.
- Reduced wait times for licenses could lead to faster economic growth in this sector.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Company Executive (Houston, TX)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Faster licensing could help us enter new markets more quickly.
- This policy could also raise competition, so we must stay ahead in technology.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Business Development Manager (New York, NY)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy allows us to be more agile in developing business partnerships.
- The faster licensing process is a significant advantage in negotiations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Software Developer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I do not see direct impacts in my role but enhancing industry growth is generally positive.
- Increased data inputs could challenge our systems, but that's motivating for innovation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Government Advisor (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 37 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see this as a good move for efficiency in government processes.
- Improvement in licensing timeliness will reflect positively on our international standings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Environmental Scientist (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While not directly impacting my work, more licenses might improve data availability.
- Varied data sources could better inform environmental management approaches.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Investor (Boston, MA)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Streamlining licenses could herald new investment opportunities.
- It could be risky if it leads to oversaturation without adequate demand.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Space Policy Lecturer (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill provides a landscape for academic exploration into policy impacts.
- I appreciate that it includes transparency measures for societal knowledge.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Research Assistant (Miami, FL)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Indirectly, this could mean more comprehensive datasets for my research.
- Licenses obtained more quickly could mean better-equipped studies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 2: $20500000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25500000)
Year 3: $21000000 (Low: $15500000, High: $26000000)
Year 5: $22000000 (Low: $16000000, High: $27500000)
Year 10: $25000000 (Low: $18000000, High: $31000000)
Year 100: $30000000 (Low: $21000000, High: $37500000)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring adequate staffing and resources to process licenses in reduced time frames.
- Implementing systems that efficiently categorize applications by tier while maintaining transparency.
- Potential need for additional training or systems development to support the new report requirements.