Space Exploration, Development, and Settlement Act of 2016

Summary: Space Exploration, Development, and Settlement Act of 2016 This bill requires the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to encourage and support the development of permanent space settlements. Expanding permanent human presence beyond low-Earth orbit in a way that enables human settlement and a thriving space economy shall be an objective of U.S. aeronautical and space activities.  NASA shall obtain, produce, and provide information related to all issues important for the development of a thriving space economy and the establishment of human space settlements. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Space Exploration, Development, and 
Settlement Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) America's activities in space have challenged mankind 
        to travel beyond planet Earth and have provided us the 
        opportunity to expand human knowledge, to extend the limits of 
        human consciousness, and to improve the human condition;
            (2) Section 217(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1989 states, 
        ``The Congress declares that the extension of human life beyond 
        Earth's atmosphere, leading ultimately to the establishment of 
        space settlements, will fulfill the purposes of advancing 
        science, exploration, and development and will enhance the 
        general welfare.'';
            (3) numerous independent commissions, chartered by Congress 
        or established by the President, have declared space 
        settlements as a long-range objective of the American space 
        program;
            (4) exploring, developing, and settling new physical areas 
        are parts of our heritage and will most assuredly be parts of 
        our future;
            (5) United States space policy requires long-range goals 
        and strategic direction in order to provide context for near-
        term space projects and programs;
            (6) increasing awareness of planetary-scale existential 
        risks to human civilization and the survival of the species 
        make it prudent to develop a means to diversify the human 
        population beyond Earth;
            (7) the development of space will create new jobs, catalyze 
        new industries, accelerate innovation and new technologies, and 
        enable America to tap vast new resources that will generate new 
        wealth, enhance national security, and provide Americans with 
        new and limitless opportunities;
            (8) the establishment of space settlements will inspire 
        generations of future Americans;
            (9) the human settlement of space is fully consistent with 
        the policies and objectives articulated in the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958; and
            (10) the adoption of a ``pioneering'' orientation by the 
        National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an essential 
        step toward enabling the establishment of space settlements.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ACT.

    (a) Declaration of Policy and Purpose.--Section 20102 of title 51, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (h) as 
        subsections (e) through (i), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(d) Exploration, Development, and Settlement of Space.--The 
Congress declares that expanding permanent human presence beyond low-
Earth orbit in a way that enables human settlement and a thriving space 
economy will enhance the general welfare of the United States and 
requires the Administration to encourage and support the development of 
permanent space settlements.'';
            (3) in subsection (e), as so redesignated by paragraph (1) 
        of this subsection, by inserting after paragraph (9) the 
        following new paragraph:
            ``(10) The expansion of permanent human presence beyond 
        low-Earth orbit in a way that enables human settlement and a 
        thriving space economy.''; and
            (4) in subsection (i), as so redesignated by paragraph (1) 
        of this subsection, by striking ``to (g)'' and inserting in 
        lieu thereof ``to (h)''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 20103 of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting, in paragraph (1)(D), ``and development'' 
        after ``exploration''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Space settlement.--The term `space settlement' means 
        any community of humans living beyond Earth's atmosphere that 
        is able to economically sustain its population through a 
        neutral or positive balance of trade of goods and services, and 
        is able to expand its habitable real estate as need and desire 
        of the community may warrant and international law permits.''.

SEC. 4. SPACE SETTLEMENT ACTIVITIES.

    (a) Space Development and Settlement Information.--Consistent with 
the national security interests of the United States, the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration shall, in close cooperation with 
other appropriate agencies, the private sector, academia, and the 
international community, obtain, produce, and provide information 
relating to all issues important for the development of a thriving 
space economy and the development and establishment of human space 
settlements.
    (b) Report.--Once every two years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall submit a report to the President, the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate which describes the progress made toward 
expanding permanent human presence beyond low-Earth orbit in a way that 
enables human settlement and a thriving space economy.
    (c) Metrics.--The National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
shall, as part of its first report as required by subsection (b), 
include one or more metrics by which to determine progress made toward 
space settlement against which all subsequent reports as required by 
subsection (b) shall be compared. The metrics may be revised as 
appropriate over time to reflect emerging technological, economic, and 
other trends.

SEC. 5. REVIEW OF NATIONAL SPACE POLICY AS IT MAY RELATE TO SPACE 
              SETTLEMENT AND A THRIVING SPACE ECONOMY.

    It is the sense of Congress that the President should conduct a 
review of national space policy to incorporate as a long-term goal of 
the human spaceflight and exploration program to expand human presence 
beyond low-Earth orbit in a way that will enable human settlement and a 
thriving space economy.