Second Regular Session
Seventy-third General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. R22-0832.01 Katelyn Guderian x3205
HJR22-1012
House Committees Senate Committees
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 22-1012
C
ONCERNING REAFFIRMING COLORADO TO BE THE PERMANENT101
LOCATION FOR THE UNITED STATES SPACE COMMAND, AND, IN102
CONNECTION THEREWITH , URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF103
D
EFENSE TO KEEP THE UNITED STATES SPACE COMMAND IN104
C
OLORADO.105
WHEREAS, Our nation and the world have significantly1
benefitted from technological and scientific advances resulting from2
space exploration and aerospace activities, and Colorado is paving the3
way for new discoveries in the frontiers of space by having a rich history4
in aerospace development and being at the forefront of space travel,5
exploration, and aerospace research; and6
WHEREAS, Colorado is the acting provisional Space Command7
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Snyder and Lynch,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Garcia and Hisey,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute. Base and it will remain the provisional base until 2023. Colorado is also1
the center for United States military space operations and strategy.2
According to the Colorado Space Coalition (CSC), the state's military3
commands are the primary customers for space-based research,4
development, acquisitions, and operations, representing nearly 90 percent5
of space-related expenditure by the military. Moving the United States6
Space Command (USSPACECOM) to Huntsville, Alabama, will be7
incredibly disruptive to the National Defense Strategy. In addition, it will8
cause a major upheaval in existing infrastructure and jobs in the state,9
which will result in higher costs and less efficient outcomes for the10
United States military; and11
WHEREAS, Colorado is strategically located at the center of our12
national and space defense. We are the home to five key strategic military13
commands: North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD),14
United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), United States15
Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space16
(JFCC Space) Missile Warning Center, the United States Air Force Space17
Command, and the United States Army Space and Missile Defense18
Command/Army Forces Strategic Command; and five military19
installations, including United States Air Force bases Buckley, Cheyenne20
Mountain, Peterson, and Schriever, as well as Fort Carson Army Base;21
and22
WHEREAS, The 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base23
provides operational command and control of three constellations to24
space-based infrared missile warning systems, has been defending25
America continuously since 1970, and is a critical part of global defense26
and national security; and27
WHEREAS, Colorado leads the charge in bringing current and28
future global positioning system (GPS) assets to life, a service provided29
free to the world by Air Force Space Command in Colorado Springs.30
From the operation of GPS satellites by Schriever Air Force Base to GPS31
III, the most powerful GPS satellite to date - being designed and built by32
Lockheed Martin and launched by United Launch Alliance with Raytheon33
developing the command and control capabilities, and with companies34
such as Boeing, Harris Corporation, Braxton Technologies, and Infinity35
Systems Engineering also supporting GPS development and operations36
from locations in Colorado, GPS technologies enable an integral part of37
our global economy to have an incalculable impact that has improved the38
everyday lives of billions of people around the world; and39
HJR22-1012
-2- WHEREAS, Colorado's aerospace industry is home to a broad1
range of companies that create products and systems for commercial,2
military, and civil space applications, such as spacecraft, launch vehicles,3
satellites, command and control software, sensors, and navigation4
operations. These companies include Ball Aerospace, Boeing,5
DigitalGlobe, Harris Corporation, Lockheed Martin Space Systems,6
Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Teledyne7
Brown Engineering, and United Launch Alliance, which make up a large8
portion of the aerospace sector; and9
WHEREAS, Colorado has an existing educated workforce, ranked10
second in the nation with residents with a bachelor's degree or higher, and11
a pipeline of higher education institutions to sustain future growth. We12
are home to the United States Air Force Academy and many colleges and13
universities, including the University of Colorado Boulder and the14
University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado School of Mines,15
Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver,16
University of Denver, Colorado Mesa University, and Fort Lewis17
College. Altogether, they provide access to world-class aerospace-related18
degrees and offer aerospace companies one of the country's most19
educated workforces; and20
WHEREAS, Colorado is home to some amazing research21
institutions. These institutions include the prestigious Laboratory for22
Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado23
Boulder. It began in 1948, a decade before NASA, and is the world's only24
research institute to have sent instruments to all eight planets and to Pluto,25
combining all aspects of space exploration through science, engineering,26
mission operations, and scientific data analysis; and27
WHEREAS, Colorado is also home to the National Oceanic and28
Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center,29
a world-leading center of predictions for the solar and near-Earth space30
environment and the nation's official source of watches, warnings, and31
alerts of incoming solar storms, using satellite observations to protect and32
save lives and property; and33
WHEREAS, Various organizations are key to Colorado's34
prominence in aerospace, such as the Colorado Space Coalition, a group35
of industry stakeholders working to make Colorado a center of excellence36
for aerospace; the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, working to bring37
together aerospace stakeholders from the industry, government, and38
HJR22-1012
-3- academia for roundtable discussions and business development and to1
encourage grassroots citizen participation in aerospace issues; the2
Colorado chapter of Citizens for Space Exploration, whose mission is to3
promote better understanding of aerospace and its importance in our4
economy and daily lives, as well as to promote the importance of human5
space exploration; Manufacturer's Edge, a statewide manufacturing6
assistance center that encourages the strength and competitiveness of7
Colorado manufacturers by providing on-site technical assistance through8
coaching, training, and consulting, by providing collaboration-focused9
industry programs, and by leveraging government, university, and10
economic development partnerships; and the Space Foundation, founded11
in 1983, with its world headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado,12
which holds an annual Space Symposium, bringing together civil,13
commercial, and national security space leaders from around the world to14
discuss, address, and plan for the future of space; and15
WHEREAS, For the aforementioned reasons, it is in the best16
interests of the American taxpayer to keep USSPACECOM in the state17
because Colorado is already fulfilling the mission of the USSPACECOM;18
because Colorado Springs has in place the community infrastructure19
capacity and community support to champion an expanding mission;20
because the move will cost the United States billions of dollars to relocate21
the facility; and because the move would severely disrupt the Colorado22
aerospace industry, which has grown to support the mission; now,23
therefore,24
Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-third25
General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:26
That we, the members of the General Assembly:27
(1) Recognizing Colorado's unique blend of military installations28
and major commands, private aerospace companies, academic and29
research institutions, and government entities, and the valuable synergies30
this ecosystem produces, strongly urge the Department of Defense and the31
Biden-Harris administration to reevaluate the merits of this irresponsible32
decision and should rightly conclude that it is the correct decision to keep33
the existing United States Space Command in Colorado;34
(2) Furthermore, strongly urge the Department of Defense and the35
presidential administration to permanently base USSPACECOM in36
Colorado, recognizing that Colorado provides the existing command37
HJR22-1012
-4- structure, base infrastructure, and communications platforms necessary1
to successfully host additional national security initiatives and ensure2
coordination of efforts without committing additional funds;3
(3) Proudly express that Colorado has deep ties with the4
Department of Defense and immense patriotic commitment to providing5
for the nation's security and bolstering our defense;6
(4) Express our most sincere and deepest appreciation to our7
service members and civilian employees working in and supporting8
military and civilian aerospace companies, military installations, and civil9
organizations in Colorado; and10
(5) Hereby declare Colorado to be the prime location for the11
permanent headquarters for USSPACECOM.12
Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this House Joint Resolution13
be sent to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.; Vice President Kamala Harris;14
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi; Congressman Kevin McCarthy; Senator15
Chuck Schumer; Senator Mitch McConnell; Senator Michael Bennet;16
Senator John Hickenlooper; Congresswoman Diana DeGette;17
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert; Congressman Jason Crow;18
Congressman Joe Neguse; Congressman Ken Buck; Congressman Doug19
Lamborn; Congressman Ed Perlmutter; Bill Nelson, NASA20
Administrator; Pam Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator; Steve21
Dickson, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator; Governor Jared22
Polis; Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera; Brig. Gen. Laura Clellan,23
The Adjutant General, Colorado National Guard; Wayne R. Monteith,24
Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the25
Federal Aviation Administration; General John W. "Jay" Raymond, Air26
Force Space Commander; Colonel Jacob Middleton, USAF, Commander27
Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado; Dr. Christopher Scolese, Director,28
National Reconnaissance Office; Ross Garelick Bell, Executive Director,29
Aerospace States Association; Thomas E. Zelibor, Chief Executive30
Officer, Space Foundation; Dr. Ronald Sega, Co-chair, Colorado Space31
Coalition; Michael Gass, Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition; and Bob32
Cone, Chair, Colorado Citizens For Space Exploration.33
HJR22-1012
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