Commercial Space Transportation Competitiveness Act of 2000

Summary: Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 through 2003 for activities of the Office of Space Commercialization. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to report to Congress on such Office.
Extends, through December 31, 2004, the Act's commercial space launch industry damage indemnification provisions.
Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the liability risk-sharing regime in the United States for commercial space transportation.
Authorizes the use of interagency funding and other forms of support for the functions and activities of the Interagency Global Positioning System Executive Board, including an Executive Secretariat to be housed at the Department of Commerce.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Commercial Space Transportation 
Competitiveness Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
        (1) a robust United States space transportation industry is 
    vital to the Nation's economic well-being and national security;
        (2) enactment of a 5-year extension of the excess third party 
    claims payment provision of chapter 701 of title 49, United States 
    Code (Commercial Space Launch Activities), will have a beneficial 
    impact on the international competitiveness of the United States 
    space transportation industry;
        (3) space transportation may evolve into airplane-style 
    operations;
        (4) during the next 3 years the Federal Government and the 
    private sector should analyze the liability risk-sharing regime to 
    determine its appropriateness and effectiveness, and, if needed, 
    develop and propose a new regime to Congress at least 2 years prior 
    to the expiration of the extension contained in this Act;
        (5) the areas of responsibility of the Office of the Associate 
    Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation have 
    significantly increased as a result of--
            (A) the rapidly expanding commercial space transportation 
        industry and associated government licensing requirements;
            (B) regulatory activity as a result of the emerging 
        commercial reusable launch vehicle industry; and
            (C) the increased regulatory activity associated with 
        commercial operation of launch and reentry sites; and
        (6) the Office of the Associate Administrator for Commercial 
    Space Transportation should continue to limit its promotional 
    activities to those which support its regulatory mission.

SEC. 3. OFFICE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION.

    (a) Amendment.--Section 70119 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:

``Sec. 70119. Office of Commercial Space Transportation

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Transportation for the activities of the Office of the Associate 
Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation--
        ``(1) $12,607,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
        ``(2) $16,478,000 for fiscal year 2002.''.
    (b) Table of Sections Amendment.--The item relating to section 
70119 in the table of sections of chapter 701 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows:

``70119. Office of Commercial Space Transportation.''.

SEC. 4. OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce for the activities of the 
Office of Space Commercialization--
        (1) $590,000 for fiscal year 2001;
        (2) $608,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
        (3) $626,000 for fiscal year 2003.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall transmit to 
the Congress a report on the Office of Space Commercialization 
detailing the activities of the Office, the materials produced by the 
Office, the extent to which the Office has fulfilled the functions 
established for it by the Congress, and the extent to which the Office 
has participated in interagency efforts.

SEC. 5. COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION INDEMNIFICATION EXTENSION.

    (a) In General.--If, on the date of the enactment of this Act, 
section 70113(f) of title 49, United States Code, has not been amended 
by the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban 
Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, then 
that section is amended by striking ``December 31, 2000'' and inserting 
``December 31, 2004''.
    (b) Amendment of Modified Section.--If, on the date of the 
enactment of this Act, section 70113(f) of title 49, United States 
Code, has been amended by the Departments of Veterans Affairs and 
Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations 
Act, 2001, then that section is amended by striking ``December 31, 
2001'' and inserting ``December 31, 2004''.

SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT TO SECTION 70113 OF TITLE 49.

    (a) Section 70113 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``------, 19----.','' in subsection (e)(1)(A) and inserting 
``------, 20----.',''.
    (b) The amendment made by subsection (a) takes effect on January 1, 
2000.

SEC. 7. LIABILITY REGIME FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION.

    (a) Report Requirement.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
transmit to the Congress a report on the liability risk-sharing regime 
in the United States for commercial space transportation.
    (b) Contents.--The report required by this section shall--
        (1) analyze the adequacy, propriety, and effectiveness of, and 
    the need for, the current liability risk-sharing regime in the 
    United States for commercial space transportation;
        (2) examine the current liability and liability risk-sharing 
    regimes in other countries with space transportation capabilities;
        (3) examine the appropriateness of deeming all space 
    transportation activities to be ``ultrahazardous activities'' for 
    which a strict liability standard may be applied and which 
    liability regime should attach to space transportation activities, 
    whether ultrahazardous activities or not;
        (4) examine the effect of relevant international treaties on 
    the Federal Government's liability for commercial space launches 
    and how the current domestic liability risk-sharing regime meets or 
    exceeds the requirements of those treaties;
        (5) examine the appropriateness, as commercial reusable launch 
    vehicles enter service and demonstrate improved safety and 
    reliability, of evolving the commercial space transportation 
    liability regime towards the approach of the airline liability 
    regime;
        (6) examine the need for changes to the Federal Government's 
    indemnification policy to accommodate the risks associated with 
    commercial spaceport operations; and
        (7) recommend appropriate modifications to the commercial space 
    transportation liability regime and the actions required to 
    accomplish those modifications.
    (c) Sections.--The report required by this section shall contain 
sections expressing the views and recommendations of--
        (1) interested Federal agencies, including--
            (A) the Office of the Associate Administrator for 
        Commercial Space Transportation;
            (B) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
            (C) the Department of Defense; and
            (D) the Office of Space Commercialization; and
        (2) the public, received as a result of notice in Commerce 
    Business Daily, the Federal Register, and appropriate Federal 
    agency Internet websites.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF INTERAGENCY SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL POSITIONING 
              SYSTEM.

    The use of interagency funding and other forms of support is hereby 
authorized by Congress for the functions and activities of the 
Interagency Global Positioning System Executive Board, including an 
Executive Secretariat to be housed at the Department of Commerce.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.