Official U.S. Government information about theCongressional Reporting Requirements
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Congress sometimes directs the Executive Branch to prepare and submit reports on GPS-related topics. The direction can come either within a law or within the report language that accompanies a law.
This page summarizes various congressional reporting requirements and provides links to the original language that created them. The links lead to the website of the Government Printing Office. Some links on this page lead to content in the Portable Document Format (PDF) and may require you to install PDF software. Get software...
Reports prepared in response to congressional direction are available on the Reports to Congress page. Go there...
Federal Radionavigation Plan; Biennial GPS Report
Title 10 of the U.S. Code, Section 2281, directs the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Transportation to jointly prepare the Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP) on a biennial basis. View FRP...
10 U.S.C. § 2281 previously directed the co-chairs of the National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing to submit a biennial report to Congress on GPS. However, this reporting requirement was repealed in 2013 (Learn more...). View biennial reports...
Return to top of pageReport on Military Readiness for Denied Environments
Section 342 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013 directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress on the readiness of the joint force to operate in environments where there is no access to GPS and other Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems.
Report on Lower-Cost Solutions After GPS III
The House report to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013 directs the Commander of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center to submit a report to Congress on "lower-cost solutions for providing GPS capability following the procurement of the GPS III satellites." It also directs the U.S. Comptroller General to review the Air Force's report.
Review of Interference to Military GPS
Section 911(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2012 directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a review every 90 days during 2012-2013 on the ability of military GPS devices to operate without widespread harmful interference, particularly from commercial communications services. The law requires congressional notification if such interference occurs. Learn more...
Study on the Need for a GPS Backup System
Section 219 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to conclude a study of whether a single, domestic system is needed as a backup navigation system to GPS. DHS submitted the report to Congress in October 2011.
WAAS Status Report; NDGPS Recapitalization Plan; Galileo Market Access Report
The joint committee print to accompany the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, calls for a letter report on the status of precision approach capability, including updates on WAAS satellite integration, WAAS equipage, and WAAS-enabled airports. FAA submitted the report to Congress on March 15, 2009. View WAAS report...
The joint committee print also directs the Department of Transportation to submit a recapitalization plan for the Nationwide Differential GPS (NDGPS). DOT submitted the plan to Congress in June 2010. View NDGPS plan...
The joint committee print directs the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to prepare a report on U.S. industry access to Galileo markets, to assess compliance with the 2004 GPS-Galileo Agreement. USTR submitted the report to Congress on July 15, 2009. View Galileo report...
Analysis of Alternatives for Next Generation GPS
Section 215 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 requires an analysis of alternatives for the satellite and ground architectures, satellite technologies, and tactics, techniques, and procedures for the next generation GPS.
Spectrum Harmonization Study
The conference report to accompany the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2000, directs the Department of Defense to initiate a GPS spectrum harmonization study to be conducted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
National GPS Spectrum Strategy
Section 8137 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1999, requires the Secretary of Defense to prepare a national strategy for the protection, allocation, and use of GPS spectrum.
Development Plan for Enhanced GPS
Section 218(d) of the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a plan by April 15, 1999, for the development of an enhanced Global Positioning System (i.e., GPS modernization). DoD submitted to plan to Congress in July 1999. View plan...
