GPS Resiliency Report Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2277
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-15: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2025-07-31T22:33:29Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The GPS Resiliency Report Act (S. 2277) aims to enhance national security by requiring the Secretary of Defense to assess and report on vulnerabilities in the Global Positioning System (GPS) and related positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services. These services help determine location, guide movement, and synchronize time, which are critical for military, civilian, and allied operations.
Key Provisions
- Report Submission: The Secretary of Defense must deliver a report to specified congressional committees within one year of the bill's enactment.
- Report Contents:
- Description of risks if GPS/PNT access is lost during a U.S.-involved conflict or an attack on a U.S. ally.
- Description of risks to U.S. allies from disruptions in U.S.-provided GPS/PNT services.
- Assessment of:
- Abilities of competitor nations (China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea) to interfere with or block U.S. GPS/PNT access in conflicts or attacks on allies.
- Current Department of Defense (DoD) initiatives to create backup GPS/PNT systems, including space-based, ground-based (terrestrial), and advanced technologies like quantum sensing (which uses quantum physics for precise measurements).
- Progress of the Resilient Global Positioning System (R-GPS) program by the U.S. Space Force to fully protect existing U.S. satellites within 10 years.
- A plan for building a complete ground-based GPS backup system operational within 15 years.
- Format: The report will be unclassified but may include a separate classified (restricted-access) section for sensitive details.
- Definitions:
- "Appropriate committees of Congress" include key Senate and House panels on armed services, intelligence, and homeland security.
- "U.S. ally" covers NATO members, major non-NATO allies (as defined in U.S. foreign aid law), and Taiwan.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a new reporting requirement under U.S. defense policy, mandating a comprehensive risk assessment of GPS/PNT systems. It does not amend prior laws but builds on existing DoD responsibilities for satellite and navigation technologies by requiring specific evaluations of threats and redundancies.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The DoD and Space Force will need to allocate resources for research, analysis, and report preparation, potentially accelerating investments in backup technologies like R-GPS and terrestrial systems.
- Citizens: Indirect benefits through improved national security, as GPS underpins everyday uses like smartphones, aviation, and emergency services; disruptions could affect public safety and economy.
- International Relations: Strengthens U.S. commitments to allies by evaluating shared GPS risks; highlights concerns about adversarial nations, which could influence diplomatic or military strategies without direct changes to alliances.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- U.S. Government: DoD (leads report), Space Force (R-GPS program), and congressional committees (oversight role).
- U.S. Allies: NATO countries, major non-NATO partners (e.g., Australia, Japan), and Taiwan, who rely on U.S. GPS/PNT and face assessed risks.
- Adversarial Nations: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, whose capabilities are scrutinized, potentially affecting U.S. deterrence policies.
- Private Sector and Public: Industries and individuals dependent on GPS for transportation, finance, and communications, though impacts are mostly through enhanced resilience efforts.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces congressional oversight of defense spending and technology under Article I of the U.S. Constitution (Congress's power to declare war and fund military), without raising privacy or civil liberty concerns.
- Constitutional: Aligns with the executive branch's role in national defense while ensuring legislative accountability through required reporting.
- Political: Signals bipartisan concern (introduced by Senators Hassan and Lankford) over GPS vulnerabilities amid geopolitical tensions, potentially spurring future funding for redundancies; focuses on specific adversaries, which could shape foreign policy debates without partisan bias in the bill text.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-15: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- 2025-07-15: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- GPS Resiliency Report Act — issued 2025-07-15 — PDF (4 pages)