Space Leadership Preservation Act of 2015

Summary: Space Leadership Preservation Act of 2015  Establishes a 10-year term of office for the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  Establishes a NASA Board of Directors together with appointment criteria. Requires the President to appoint the Administrator from among a list of nominees provided by the Board, and a Deputy Administrator from among a separate list of Board nominees.  Authorizes the Board to establish special commissions as it deems necessary. Requires the Board to provide: (1) NASA's proposed annual budget; (2) annual reports on spaceflight infrastructure, unique space capabilities, and the availability of qualified U.S. workers necessary to maintain such infrastructure and capabilities; (3) reports on specific policy matters; and (4) once every four years a review of current space programs and a vision for future space exploration.  Authorizes NASA to enter into contracts for rocket propulsion systems and manned and unmanned space transportation vehicles and payloads. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Space Leadership Preservation Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. ADMINISTRATOR AND DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR.

    Section 20111 of title 51, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``Administrator.--There is 
                established'' and inserting ``Administrator.--
            ``(1) In general.--There is established'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1), as so designated by 
                subparagraph (A) of this paragraph--
                            (i) by inserting ``, pursuant to paragraph 
                        (2),'' after ``who shall be appointed''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``The Administrator shall 
                        serve for a term of 10 years.'' after ``and 
                        activities thereof.''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(2) Board of directors nominations.--The President shall 
        appoint the Administrator under paragraph (1) from among the 
        list of nominees provided by the Board of Directors pursuant to 
        section 20118(l)(2)(A). The President shall appoint a new 
        Administrator not later than 3 months after the first set of 
        nominees is so provided by the Board of Directors. The sitting 
        Administrator may serve in the position until a new 
        Administrator appointed pursuant to this paragraph is confirmed 
        by the Senate.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking ``Administrator.--There shall be'' 
                and inserting ``Administrator.--
            ``(1) In general.--There shall be'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1), as so designated by 
                subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, by inserting ``, 
                pursuant to paragraph (2),'' after ``who shall be 
                appointed''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(2) Board of directors nominations.--The President shall 
        appoint the Deputy Administrator under paragraph (1) from among 
        the list of nominees provided by the Board of Directors 
        pursuant to section 20118(l)(2)(B).''.

SEC. 3. BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

    (a) Establishment.--Subchapter II of chapter 201 of title 51, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:
``Sec. 20118. Board of Directors
    ``(a) Establishment.--There shall be established a Board of 
Directors for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 
accordance with this section, not later than 9 months after the date of 
the enactment of the Space Leadership Preservation Act of 2015.
    ``(b) Membership and Appointment.--The Board shall consist of 11 
members to be appointed as follows:
            ``(1) Three members shall be appointed by the President.
            ``(2) Three members shall be appointed by the President pro 
        tempore of the Senate.
            ``(3) One member shall be appointed by the minority leader 
        of the Senate.
            ``(4) Three members shall be appointed by the Speaker of 
        the House of Representatives.
            ``(5) One member shall be appointed by the minority leader 
        of the House of Representatives.
In addition to the members appointed under paragraphs (1) through (5), 
the Administrator shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the 
Board.
    ``(c) Qualifications.--The individuals appointed as members of the 
Board shall be--
            ``(1) former astronauts or scientists or engineers eminent 
        in the fields of human spaceflight, planetary science, space 
        science, Earth science, and aeronautics, or other scientific, 
        engineering, business, and social science disciplines related 
        to space and aeronautics;
            ``(2) selected on the basis of established records of 
        distinguished service; and
            ``(3) so selected as to provide representation of the views 
        of engineering, science, and aerospace leaders in all areas of 
        the Nation.
    ``(d) Limitation on Members.--An individual employed by or 
representing an organization with which the Administration has a 
contract is not eligible to serve on the Board, except for scientists 
employed by or representing not-for-profit colleges and universities 
and other not-for-profit organizations. A former Board member may not 
take employment with or represent an organization with which the 
Administration has a contract, or which is seeking such a contract, for 
a period of 2 years following completion of service on the Board.
    ``(e) Terms.--The term of office of each member of the Board shall 
be 3 years, except that any member appointed to fill a vacancy 
occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor 
was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. Any 
person who has been a member of the Board for 12 consecutive years 
shall thereafter be ineligible for appointment during the 2-year period 
following the expiration of such 12th year.
    ``(f) Travel Expenses.--Each member of the Board shall receive 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code.
    ``(g) Meetings.--The Board shall meet quarterly and at such other 
times as the Chairman may determine, but the Chairman shall also call a 
meeting whenever one-third of the members so request in writing. The 
Board shall adopt procedures governing the conduct of its meetings, 
including delivery of notice and a definition of a quorum, which in no 
case shall be less than one-half plus one of the members of the Board.
    ``(h) Chairman and Vice Chairman.--The election of the Chairman and 
Vice Chairman of the Board shall take place at each first quarter 
meeting occurring in an even-numbered year. The Vice Chairman shall 
perform the duties of the Chairman in his absence. In case a vacancy 
occurs in the chairmanship or vice chairmanship, the Board shall elect 
a member to fill such vacancy.
    ``(i) Staff.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Chairman may, with the concurrence 
        of a majority of Board members, appoint professional staff, 
        technical and professional personnel on leave of absence from 
        academic, industrial, or research institutions for a limited 
        term, and operations and support staff. The duties of such 
        staff shall be assigned at the direction of the Board as 
        necessary to assist the Board in exercising its powers and 
        functions under this section.
            ``(2) Competitive service; compensation.--Professional 
        staff and limited-term technical and professional personnel may 
        be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, 
        United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
        service, and the provisions of chapter 51 of such title 
        relating to classification, and shall be compensated at a rate 
        not exceeding the maximum rate payable under section 5376 of 
        such title.
    ``(j) Special Commissions.--The Board is authorized to establish 
such special commissions as it may from time to time deem necessary for 
the purposes of this section.
    ``(k) Committees.--The Board is authorized to appoint from among 
its members such committees as it deems necessary, and to assign to 
committees so appointed such survey and advisory functions as the Board 
deems appropriate to assist it in exercising its powers and functions 
under this section.
    ``(l) Functions.--
            ``(1) Budget proposal.--Not later than November 15 of each 
        year, the Board shall provide to the President, the Committee 
        on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, the 
        Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
        Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, 
        and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
        the Senate, a proposed budget for the National Aeronautics and 
        Space Administration for the next fiscal year. Such budget 
        shall--
                    ``(A) carry out the purpose described in section 
                20102(h);
                    ``(B) be based on--
                            ``(i) the best professional judgment of the 
                        Board;
                            ``(ii) recommendations from the scientific, 
                        engineering, and other technical experts 
                        communities; and
                            ``(iii) the recommendations of the most 
                        recent National Research Council decadal 
                        surveys; and
                    ``(C) follow such decadal survey's recommended 
                decision rules regarding program implementation, 
                including a strict adherence to the recommendation that 
                the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
                include in a balanced program a flagship class mission, 
                which may be executed in cooperation with one or more 
                international partners.
            ``(2) Nominees for administrator, deputy administrator, and 
        chief financial officer.--The Board shall provide to the 
        President--
                    ``(A) a list of 3 nominees from which the President 
                shall appoint an Administrator pursuant to section 
                20111(a);
                    ``(B) a list of 3 nominees from which the President 
                shall appoint a Deputy Administrator pursuant to 
                section 20111(b); and
                    ``(C) a list of 3 nominees from which the President 
                shall appoint a Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 
                section 205(a) of the Chief Financial Officers Act (31 
                U.S.C. 901(a)).
        The Board shall provide the first set of nominees under this 
        paragraph not later than 15 months after the date of the 
        enactment of the Space Leadership Preservation Act of 2015.
            ``(3) Reports.--
                    ``(A) Annual infrastructure, capabilities, and 
                workforce assessment.--The Board shall provide to the 
                President and the Congress annually a report assessing 
                the status of United States spaceflight infrastructure, 
                unique space capabilities, and the availability of 
                qualified United States workers necessary to maintain 
                such infrastructure and capabilities. The assessment 
                shall also identify areas of concern, gaps in 
                capability compared to foreign spaceflight 
                capabilities, and recommendations on how to strengthen 
                or improve United States capabilities and workforce.
                    ``(B) Specific policy matter reports.--The Board 
                shall provide to the President and the Congress reports 
                on specific, individual policy matters within the 
                authority of the Administration (or otherwise as 
                requested by the Congress or the President) related to 
                human spaceflight, planetary science, Earth science, 
                aeronautics, and science, technology, engineering, and 
                mathematics education, as the Board, the President, or 
                the Congress determines the need for such reports.
            ``(4) Review.--The Board shall provide to the President and 
        the Congress, not later than the later of 180 days after the 
        establishment of the Board or the third quarterly meeting of 
        the Board, and once every 4 years thereafter, a review of 
        current space programs and a vision for future space 
        exploration.
            ``(5) Removal of administrator for cause.--The Board may 
        provide to the President and the Congress a report recommending 
        the removal of the Administrator for cause. Any such report 
        shall include the reasons for such recommendation.
    ``(m) Budget Meetings.--Portions of Board meetings in which the 
Board considers the budget proposal required under subsection (l)(1) 
for a particular fiscal year may be closed to the public until the 
Board submits the proposal to the President and the Congress.
    ``(n) Financial Disclosure.--Members of the Board shall be required 
to file a financial disclosure report under title I of the Ethics in 
Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 92 Stat. 1836), except that such 
reports shall be held confidential and exempt from any law otherwise 
requiring their public disclosure.''.
    (b) Table of Sections.--The table of sections for chapter 201 of 
title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end of the 
items for subchapter II the following new item:

``20118. Board of Directors.''.

SEC. 4. BUDGET PROPOSAL.

    Section 30103 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Board of Directors Proposal.--
            ``(1) Inclusion in president's proposed budget.--The 
        proposed budget for the Administration submitted to the 
        Congress by the President for each fiscal year shall include a 
        description of, and a detailed justification for, any 
        differences between the President's proposed budget and the 
        budget provided by the Board of Directors under section 
        20118(l)(1).
            ``(2) Elements of budget proposal.--Subsections (a) through 
        (d) of this section shall apply to the proposed budget provided 
        by the Board of Directors under section 20118(l)(1).''.

SEC. 5. LONG-TERM CONTRACTING.

    (a) Amendments.--Section 20142 of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``Contracts 
        regarding expendable launch vehicles'' and inserting ``Long-
        term contracting'';
            (2) in subsection (a), by--
                    (A) striking ``expendable launch vehicle services'' 
                and inserting ``rocket propulsion systems and manned 
                and unmanned space transportation vehicles and 
                payloads, including expendable launch vehicles, and any 
                other infrastructure intended for placement or 
                operation in space or on celestial bodies, and services 
                related thereto,''; and
                    (B) striking ``related to launch'' and inserting 
                ``related to''; and
            (3) in subsection (b), by striking ``launch services'' and 
        inserting ``the goods and services to have been provided under 
        the contract''.
    (b) Table of Sections Amendment.--The item relating to section 
20142 in the table of sections for chapter 201 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows:

``20142. Long-term contracting.''.