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[House Report 114-127]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

114th Congress   }                                       {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session     }                                       {      114-127

======================================================================

 
  PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (H.R. 2262) TO FACILITATE A 
PRO-GROWTH ENVIRONMENT FOR THE DEVELOPING COMMERCIAL SPACE INDUSTRY BY 
  ENCOURAGING PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT AND CREATING MORE STABLE AND 
 PREDICTABLE REGULATORY CONDITIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES; PROVIDING 
FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (H.R. 880) TO AMEND THE INTERNAL REVENUE 
   CODE OF 1986 TO SIMPLIFY AND MAKE PERMANENT THE RESEARCH CREDIT; 
   PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES; AND 
PROVIDING FOR PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PERIOD FROM MAY 22, 2015, THROUGH 
                              MAY 29, 2015

                                _______
                                

    May 19, 2015.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

               Mr. Stivers, from the Committee on Rules, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                       [To accompany H. Res. 273]

    The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration 
House Resolution 273, by a nonrecord vote, report the same to 
the House with the recommendation that the resolution be 
adopted.

                SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS OF THE RESOLUTION

    The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2262, the 
SPACE Act of 2015, under a structured rule. The resolution 
provides one hour of general debate equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology or their respective 
designees. The resolution waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The resolution makes in order as 
original text for purpose of amendment an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules 
Committee Print 114-17 and provides that it shall be considered 
as read. The resolution waives all points of order against that 
amendment in the nature of a substitute. The resolution makes 
in order only those further amendments printed in part A of 
this report. Each such amendment may be offered only in the 
order printed in this report, may be offered only by a Member 
designated in this report, shall be considered as read, shall 
be debatable for the time specified in this report equally 
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall 
not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a 
demand for division of the question in the House or in the 
Committee of the Whole. The resolution waives all points of 
order against the amendments printed in part A of this report. 
The resolution provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions.
    Section 2 of the resolution provides for consideration of 
H.R. 880, the American Research and Competitiveness Act of 
2015, under a closed rule. The resolution provides one hour of 
debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The 
resolution waives all points of order against consideration of 
the bill. The resolution provides that the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Ways and 
Means now printed in the bill, modified by the amendment 
printed in part B of this report, shall be considered as 
adopted and the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. 
The resolution waives all points of order against provisions in 
the bill, as amended. The resolution provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions.
    Section 3 of the resolution provides that it shall be in 
order at any time on the legislative day of May 21, 2015, for 
the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the 
rules, as though under clause 1 of rule XV and that the Speaker 
or his designee shall consult with the Minority Leader or her 
designee on the designation of any matter for consideration 
pursuant to this section.
    Section 4 of the resolution provides that the Committee on 
Appropriations may, at any time before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 
27, 2015, file privileged reports to accompany measures making 
appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016.
    Section 5 of the resolution provides that on any 
legislative day during the period from May 22, 2015, through 
May 29, 2015: the Journal of the proceedings of the previous 
day shall be considered as approved; and the Chair may at any 
time declare the House adjourned to meet at a date and time, 
within the limits of clause 4, section 5, article I of the 
Constitution, to be announced by the Chair in declaring the 
adjournment.
    Section 6 of the resolution provides that the Speaker may 
appoint Members to perform the duties of the Chair for the 
duration of the period addressed by section 5 as though under 
clause 8(a) of rule I.

                         EXPLANATION OF WAIVERS

    The waiver of all points of order against consideration of 
H.R. 2262 includes a waiver of clause 3(e)(1) of rule XIII 
(``Ramseyer''), requiring a committee report accompanying a 
bill amending or repealing statutes to show, by typographical 
device, parts of statute affected. The waiver is provided 
because the submission provided by the committee was 
insufficient to meet the standards established by the rule in 
its current form. The Committee on Rules continues to work with 
the House Office of Legislative Counsel and committees to 
determine the steps necessary to comply with the updated rule.
    Although the resolution waives all points of order against 
the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 2262 made 
in order as original text, the Committee is not aware of any 
points of order. The waiver is prophylactic in nature.
    Although the resolution waives all points of order against 
the amendments to H.R. 2262 printed in part A of this report, 
the Committee is not aware of any points of order. The waiver 
is prophylactic in nature.
    The waiver of all points of order against consideration of 
H.R. 880 includes a waiver of the following:
           Section 306 of the Congressional Budget Act, 
        which prohibits consideration of legislation within the 
        jurisdiction of the Committee on the Budget unless 
        referred to or reported by the Budget Committee; and
           Section 311 of the Congressional Budget Act, 
        which prohibits consideration of legislation that would 
        cause revenues to be less than the level of total 
        revenues for the first fiscal year or for the total of 
        that first fiscal year and the ensuing fiscal years for 
        which allocations are provided.
    Although the resolution waives all points of order against 
provisions in the bill, as amended, the Committee is not aware 
of any points of order. The waiver is prophylactic in nature.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    The results of each record vote on an amendment or motion 
to report, together with the names of those voting for and 
against, are printed below:

Rules Committee record vote No. 52

    Motion by Mr. McGovern to strike the provision of the rule 
that self-executes the amendment offered by Rep. Ryan (WI). 
Defeated: 3-8

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Majority Members                      Vote               Minority Members               Vote
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. Foxx........................................          Nay   Ms. Slaughter.....................          Yea
Mr. Cole........................................          Nay   Mr. McGovern......................          Yea
Mr. Woodall.....................................          Nay   Mr. Hastings of Florida...........          Yea
Mr. Burgess.....................................          Nay   Mr. Polis.........................  ............
Mr. Stivers.....................................          Nay
Mr. Collins.....................................          Nay
Mr. Byrne.......................................          Nay
Mr. Newhouse....................................          Nay
Mr. Sessions, Chairman..........................  ............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rules Committee record vote No. 53

    Motion by Mr. Hastings to report open rules for H.R. 2262 
and H.R. 880. Defeated: 3-8

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Majority Members                      Vote               Minority Members               Vote
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. Foxx........................................          Nay   Ms. Slaughter.....................          Yea
Mr. Cole........................................          Nay   Mr. McGovern......................          Yea
Mr. Woodall.....................................          Nay   Mr. Hastings of Florida...........          Yea
Mr. Burgess.....................................          Nay   Mr. Polis.........................  ............
Mr. Stivers.....................................          Nay
Mr. Collins.....................................          Nay
Mr. Byrne.......................................          Nay
Mr. Newhouse....................................          Nay
Mr. Sessions, Chairman..........................  ............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     SUMMARY OF THE AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 2262 IN PART A MADE IN ORDER

    1. Smith, Lamar (TX): MANAGER'S Makes technical corrections 
and requires a GAO report on state and municipal spaceports in 
the existing indemnification regime. (10 minutes)
    2. Grijalva (AZ): Broadens the coverage of experimental 
permits to include suborbital launch vehicles to allow for non-
revenue testing. (10 minutes)
    3. Rohrabacher (CA): Creates an independent study regarding 
indemnification for spaceflight participants including options, 
unintended consequences, and potential costs. (10 minutes)
    4. Castro (TX): Ensures the Orbital Traffic Management 
study includes input from nonprofit organizations that conduct 
research in space traffic and orbital activities. (10 minutes)
    5. Jackson Lee (TX): Facilitates outreach to minority- and 
women-owned businesses on business opportunities in the 
commercial space industry. (10 minutes)
    6. Jackson Lee (TX): Facilitates the participation of HBCU, 
Hispanic Serving Institutions; National Indian institutions, in 
fellowships, work-study and employment opportunities in the 
emerging commercial space industry. (10 minutes)
    7. Edwards (MD): SUBSTITUTE Substitutes the text of S. 
1297, a bipartisan Senate companion of this legislation. (20 
minutes)

  SUMMARY OF THE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 880 IN PART B CONSIDERED AS ADOPTED

    1. Ryan, Paul (WI): Excludes the budgetary effects of the 
bill from being entered onto the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go 
Scorecard.

         PART A--TEXT OF AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 2262 MADE IN ORDER

 1. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Smith of Texas or His 
                   Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

  Page 5, line 18, strike ``(4)'' and insert ``(3)''.
  Page 14, lines 18 and 19, strike ``and shall be decided under 
Federal law''.
  Page 15, line 18, insert ``, in consultation with the Federal 
Aviation Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the 
Department of Defense,'' after ``National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration''.
  Page 17, line 18, insert ``(a) Sense of Congress.--'' before 
``It is the Sense''.
  Page 18, after line 8, insert the following:
  (b) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report on the potential 
inclusion of all government property, including State and 
municipal property, in the existing indemnification regime 
established under section 50914 of title 51, United States 
Code.
  Page 23, line 19, insert ``in the table of chapters'' after 
``chapter 701''.
  Page 31, line 22, amend subparagraph (C) to read as follows:
                  ``(C) a list of all applications denied and 
                an explanation of why each application was 
                denied, including any information relevant to 
                the interagency adjudication process of a 
                licensing request;
  Page 32, line 10, after paragraph (3), insert the following:
Such report may include classified annexes as necessary to 
protect the disclosure of sensitive or classified information.
  Page 32, after line 10, insert the following:
  (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
beginning of chapter 601 of such title is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 60125 the following new 
item:
``60126. Annual reporting.''.
                    ____________________________________________________

2. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Grijalva of Arizona or 
                 His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

  Page 9, lines 18 through 20, amend paragraph (1) to read as 
follows:
          (1) in subsection (d), by striking ``that will be 
        launched or reentered'' and inserting ``or reusable 
        launch vehicles that will be launched into a suborbital 
        trajectory or reentered under that permit'';
  Page 10, lines 1 and 2, amend paragraph (3) to read as 
follows:
          (3) in subsection (d)(3)--
                  (A) by striking ``prior to obtaining a 
                license''; and
                  (B) by inserting ``or vehicle'' after 
                ``design of the rocket'';
  Page 10, line 5, insert ``, or for a particular reusable 
launch vehicle or reusable launch vehicle design,'' after 
``rocket design''.
  Page 10, line 5, strike ``and''.
  Page 10, line 6, redesignate paragraph (5) as paragraph (6).
  Page 10, after line 5, insert the following new paragraph:
          (5) in subsection (e)(2), by inserting ``or launch 
        vehicle'' after ``the suborbital rocket'';
  Page 10, line 11, strike the period at the end and insert ``; 
and''.
  Page 10, after line 11, insert the following new paragraph:
          (7) in subsection (h), by inserting ``or reusable 
        launch vehicle'' after ``suborbital rocket''.
                              ----------                              

    3. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Rohrabacher of 
          California or His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

  Page 14, after line 12, insert the following new section:

SEC. 106. INDEPENDENT STUDY OF INDEMNIFICATION FOR SPACE FLIGHT 
                    PARTICIPANTS.

  Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General shall provide to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate a report detailing the results of a study of the 
issues associated with space flight participants and potential 
third party claims that could arise from a potential accident 
of a commercial licensed launch vehicle or reentry vehicle that 
is carrying space flight participants. The study shall--
          (1) identify the issues associated with space flight 
        participants and third party liability;
          (2) identify options for addressing the issues;
          (3) identify any potential unintended consequences 
        and issues associated with each of the options; and
          (4) identify any potential costs to the Federal 
        Government for each of the options.
                              ----------                              

4. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Castro of Texas or His 
                   Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

  Page 15, line 19, insert ``nonprofit,'' after 
``independent,''.
                              ----------                              

5. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Jackson Lee of Texas or 
                 Her Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

  Page 22, line 19, strike ``and''.
  Page 22, line 23, strike the period and insert ``; and''.
  Page 22, after line 23, insert the following:
                          (iii) facilitate outreach to 
                        minority- and women-owned businesses on 
                        business opportunities in the 
                        commercial space industry.
                              ----------                              

6. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Jackson Lee of Texas or 
                 Her Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

  Page 22, line 19, strike ``and''.
  Page 22, line 23, strike the period and insert ``; and''.
  Page 22, after line 23, insert the following:
                          (iii) facilitate the participation of 
                        the Emerging Researchers National 
                        Conference in STEM, American 
                        Association for the Advancement of 
                        Science, Louis Stokes Alliances for 
                        Minority Participation Program (LAMP), 
                        Historically Black Colleges and 
                        Universities Undergraduate Program 
                        (HBCU-UP) of the National Science 
                        Foundation, Emerging Researchers 
                        National Conference in Science, 
                        Technology, Engineering and 
                        Mathematics, the University of 
                        Florida's Institute for African-
                        American Mentoring in Computing 
                        Sciences, the Hispanic Association of 
                        Colleges and Universities, the National 
                        Indian Education Association, and other 
                        institutions, organizations, or 
                        associations as the Secretary of 
                        Transportation determines to be useful 
                        in investigating the feasibility of 
                        developing programs for fellowships, 
                        work-study, and employment 
                        opportunities for undergraduate and 
                        graduate students.
                              ----------                              

7. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Edwards of Maryland or 
                 Her Designee, Debatable for 20 Minutes

  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``U.S. Commercial Space Launch 
Competitiveness Act''.

SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO TITLE 51, UNITED STATES CODE.

  Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this Act 
an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment 
to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference 
shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision 
of title 51, United States Code.

SEC. 3. LIABILITY INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.

  (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that it 
is in the public interest to update the methodology used to 
calculate the maximum probable loss from claims under section 
50914 of title 51, United States Code, with a validated risk 
profile approach in order to consistently compute valid and 
reasonable maximum probable loss values.
  (b) Implementation.--Not later than September 30, 2015, the 
Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the 
commercial space sector and insurance providers, shall--
          (1) evaluate and, if necessary, develop a plan to 
        update the methodology used to calculate the maximum 
        probable loss from claims under section 50914 of title 
        51, United States Code;
          (2) in evaluating or developing a plan under 
        paragraph (1)--
                  (A) ensure that the Federal Government is not 
                exposed to greater costs than intended and that 
                launch companies are not required to purchase 
                more insurance coverage than necessary; and
                  (B) consider the impact of the cost to both 
                the industry and the Government of implementing 
                an updated methodology; and
          (3) submit the evaluation, and any plan, to the 
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
        the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and 
        Technology of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 4. LAUNCH LIABILITY EXTENSION.

  Section 50915(f) is amended by striking ``December 31, 2016'' 
and inserting ``December 31, 2020''.

SEC. 5. COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH LICENSING AND EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS.

  Section 50906 is amended--
          (1) in subsection (d), by striking ``launched or 
        reentered'' and inserting ``launched or reentered under 
        that permit'';
          (2) by amending subsection (d)(1) to read as follows:
          ``(1) research and development to test design 
        concepts, equipment, or operating techniques;'';
          (3) in subsection (d)(3) by striking ``prior to 
        obtaining a license'';
          (4) in subsection (e)(1) by striking ``suborbital 
        rocket design'' and inserting ``suborbital rocket or 
        suborbital rocket design''; and
          (5) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
  ``(g) The Secretary may issue a permit under this section 
notwithstanding any license issued under this chapter. The 
issuance of a license under this chapter may not invalidate a 
permit issued under this section.''.

SEC. 6. LICENSING REPORT.

  Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives a report on approaches for 
streamlining the licensing and permitting process of launch 
vehicles, reentry vehicles, or components of launch or reentry 
vehicles, to enable non-launch flight operations related to 
space transportation. The report shall include approaches to 
improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary costs, resolve 
inconsistencies, remove duplication, and minimize unwarranted 
constraints.

SEC. 7. SPACE AUTHORITY.

  (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, the Secretary of Transportation, the Administrator of 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the heads of 
other relevant Federal agencies, and the commercial space 
sector, shall--
          (1) assess current, and proposed near-term, 
        commercial non-governmental activities conducted in 
        space;
          (2) identify appropriate oversight authorities for 
        the activities described in paragraph (1);
          (3) recommend an oversight approach that would 
        prioritize safety, utilize existing authorities, 
        minimize burdens, promote the U.S. commercial space 
        sector, and meet the United States' obligations under 
        international treaties; and
          (4) submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the assessment and 
        recommended approaches.
  (b) Exception.--Nothing in this section shall apply to the 
activities of the ISS national laboratory as described in 
section 504 of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18354), 
including any research or development projects utilizing the 
ISS national laboratory.

SEC. 8. SPACE SURVEILLANCE AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS DATA.

  Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Transportation in concurrence with the 
Secretary of Defense shall--
          (1) in consultation with the heads of other relevant 
        Federal agencies, study the feasibility of processing 
        and releasing safety-related space situational 
        awareness data and information to any entity consistent 
        with national security interests and public safety 
        obligations of the United States; and
          (2) submit a report on the feasibility study to the 
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
        the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and 
        Technology of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 9. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN SAFETY REGULATION REQUIREMENTS.

  (a) Extension of Certain Safety Regulation Requirements.--
Section 50905(c)(3) is amended by striking ``Beginning on 
October 1, 2015'' and inserting ``Beginning on October 1, 
2020''.
  (b) Construction.--Section 50905(c) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
          ``(5) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed 
        to limit the authority of the Secretary to discuss 
        potential regulatory approaches with the commercial 
        space sector, including observations, findings, and 
        recommendations from the Commercial Space 
        Transportation Advisory Committee, prior to the 
        issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking.''.
  (c) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, in 
consultation with the commercial space sector, including the 
Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee, shall 
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representative a report 
specifying key industry metrics that might indicate readiness 
of the commercial space sector and the Department of 
Transportation to transition to a regulatory approach under 
section 50905(c)(3) of title 51, United States Code, that 
considers space flight participant, government astronaut, and 
crew safety.
  (d) Biennial Report.--Beginning on December 31, 2016, and 
biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation, in 
consultation and coordination with the commercial space sector, 
including the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory 
Committee, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report 
that identifies the activities, described in subsections (c) 
and (d) of section 50905 of title 51, United States Code, most 
appropriate for regulatory action, if any, and a proposed 
transition plan for such regulations.

SEC. 10. INDUSTRY VOLUNTARY CONSENSUS STANDARDS.

  (a) Industry Voluntary Consensus Standards.--Section 
50905(c), as amended in section 9 of this Act, is further 
amended by adding at the end the following:
          ``(6) The Secretary shall continue to work with the 
        commercial space sector, including the Commercial Space 
        Transportation Advisory Committee, to facilitate the 
        development of voluntary consensus standards based on 
        recommended best practices to improve the safety of 
        crew, government astronauts, and space flight 
        participants as the commercial space sector continues 
        to mature.''.
  (b) Biennial Report.--Beginning on December 31, 2016, and 
biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation, in 
consultation and coordination with the commercial space sector, 
including the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory 
Committee, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report 
detailing progress on the development of industry voluntary 
consensus standards under section 50905(c)(6) of title 51, 
United States Code.

SEC. 11. GOVERNMENT ASTRONAUTS.

  (a) Findings and Purpose.--Section 50901(15) is amended by 
inserting ``, government astronauts,'' after ``crew'' each 
place it appears.
  (b) Definition of Government Astronaut.--Section 50902 is 
amended--
          (1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (22) as 
        paragraphs (7) through (25), respectively; and
          (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
          ``(4) `government astronaut' means an individual 
        who--
                  ``(A) is either--
                          ``(i) an employee of the United 
                        States Government, including the 
                        uniformed services, engaged in the 
                        performance of a Federal function under 
                        authority of law or an Executive act; 
                        or
                          ``(ii) an international partner 
                        astronaut;
                  ``(B) is identified by the Administrator of 
                the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration;
                  ``(C) is carried within a launch vehicle or 
                reentry vehicle; and
                  ``(D) may perform or may not perform 
                activities directly relating to the launch, 
                reentry, or other operation of the launch 
                vehicle or reentry vehicle.
          ``(5) `international partner astronaut' means an 
        individual designated under Article 11 of the 
        International Space Station Intergovernmental 
        Agreement, by a partner to that agreement other than 
        the United States, as qualified to serve as an 
        International Space Station crew member.
          ``(6) `International Space Station Intergovernmental 
        Agreement' means the Agreement Concerning Cooperation 
        on the International Space Station, signed at 
        Washington January 29, 1998 (TIAS 12927).''.
  (c) Definition of Launch.--Paragraph (7) of section 50902, as 
redesignated, is amended by striking ``and any payload, crew, 
or space flight participant'' and inserting ``and any payload 
or human being''.
  (d) Definition of Launch Services.--Paragraph (9) of section 
50902, as redesignated, is amended by striking ``payload, crew 
(including crew training), or space flight participant'' and 
inserting ``payload, crew (including crew training), government 
astronaut, or space flight participant''.
  (e) Definition of Reenter and Reentry.--Paragraph (16) of 
section 50902, as redesignated, is amended by striking ``and 
its payload, crew, or space flight participants, if any,'' and 
inserting ``and its payload or human beings, if any,''.
  (f) Definition of Reentry Services.--Paragraph (17) of 
section 50902, as redesignated, is amended by striking 
``payload, crew (including crew training), or space flight 
participant, if any,'' and inserting ``payload, crew (including 
crew training), government astronaut, or space flight 
participant, if any,''.
  (g) Definition of Space Flight Participant.--Paragraph (20) 
of section 50902, as redesignated, is amended to read as 
follows:
          ``(20) `space flight participant' means an 
        individual, who is not crew or a government astronaut, 
        carried within a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle.''.
  (h) Definition of Third Party.--Paragraph (24)(E) of section 
50902, as redesignated, is amended by inserting ``, government 
astronauts,'' after ``crew''.
  (i) Restrictions on Launches, Operations, and Reentries; 
Single License or Permit.--Section 50904(d) is amended by 
striking ``activities involving crew or space flight 
participants'' and inserting ``activities involving crew, 
government astronauts, or space flight participants''.
  (j) License Applications and Requirements; Applications.--
Section 50905 is amended--
          (1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ``crews and 
        space flight participants'' and inserting ``crew, 
        government astronauts, and space flight participants'';
          (2) in subsection (b)(2)(D), by striking ``crew or 
        space flight participants'' and inserting ``crew, 
        government astronauts, or space flight participants''; 
        and
          (3) in subsection (c)--
                  (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``crew and 
                space flight participants'' and inserting 
                ``crew, government astronauts, and space flight 
                participants''; and
                  (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``to crew 
                or space flight participants'' each place it 
                appears and inserting ``to crew, government 
                astronauts, or space flight participants''.
  (k) Monitoring Activities.--Section 50907(a) is amended by 
striking ``crew or space flight participant training'' and 
inserting ``crew, government astronaut, or space flight 
participant training''.
  (l) Additional Suspensions.--Section 50908(d)(1) is amended 
by striking ``to crew or space flight participants'' each place 
it appears and inserting ``to any human being''.
  (m) Enforcement and Penalty.--Section 50917(b)(1)(D)(i) is 
amended by striking ``crew or space flight participant training 
site,'' and inserting ``crew, government astronaut, or space 
flight participant training site,''.
  (n) Relationship to Other Executive Agencies, Laws, and 
International Obligations; Nonapplication.--Section 50919(g) is 
amended to read as follows:
  ``(g) Nonapplication.--
          ``(1) In general.--This chapter does not apply to--
                  ``(A) a launch, reentry, operation of a 
                launch vehicle or reentry vehicle, operation of 
                a launch site or reentry site, or other space 
                activity the Government carries out for the 
                Government; or
                  ``(B) planning or policies related to the 
                launch, reentry, operation, or activity under 
                subparagraph (A).
          ``(2) Rule of construction.--The following activities 
        are not space activities the Government carries out for 
        the Government under paragraph (1):
                  ``(A) A government astronaut being carried 
                within a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle 
                under this chapter.
                  ``(B) A government astronaut performing 
                activities directly relating to the launch, 
                reentry, or other operation of the launch 
                vehicle or reentry vehicle under this 
                chapter.''.
  (o) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act, or the 
amendments made by this Act, may be construed to modify or 
affect any law relating to astronauts.

SEC. 12. STREAMLINE COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH ACTIVITIES.

  (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
eliminating duplicative requirements and approvals for 
commercial launch and reentry operations will promote and 
encourage the development of the commercial space sector.
  (b) Reaffirmation of Policy.--Congress reaffirms that the 
Secretary of Transportation, in overseeing and coordinating 
commercial launch and reentry operations, should--
          (1) promote commercial space launches and reentries 
        by the private sector;
          (2) facilitate Government, State, and private sector 
        involvement in enhancing U.S. launch sites and 
        facilities;
          (3) protect public health and safety, safety of 
        property, national security interests, and foreign 
        policy interests of the United States; and
          (4) consult with the head of another executive 
        agency, including the Secretary of Defense or the 
        Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration, as necessary to provide consistent 
        application of licensing requirements under chapter 509 
        of title 51, United States Code.
  (c) Requirements.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary of Transportation 
        under section 50918 of title 51, United States Code, 
        and subject to section 50905(b)(2)(C) of that title, 
        shall consult with the Secretary of Defense, the 
        Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration, and the heads of other executive 
        agencies, as appropriate--
                  (A) to identify all requirements that are 
                imposed to protect the public health and 
                safety, safety of property, national security 
                interests, and foreign policy interests of the 
                United States relevant to any commercial launch 
                of a launch vehicle or commercial reentry of a 
                reentry vehicle; and
                  (B) to evaluate the requirements identified 
                in subparagraph (A) and, in coordination with 
                the licensee or transferee and the heads of the 
                relevant executive agencies--
                          (i) determine whether the 
                        satisfaction of a requirement of one 
                        agency could result in the satisfaction 
                        of a requirement of another agency; and
                          (ii) resolve any inconsistencies and 
                        remove any outmoded or duplicative 
                        requirements or approvals of the 
                        Federal Government relevant to any 
                        commercial launch of a launch vehicle 
                        or commercial reentry of a reentry 
                        vehicle.
          (2) Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until 
        the Secretary of Transportation determines no outmoded 
        or duplicative requirements or approvals of the Federal 
        Government exist, the Secretary of Transportation, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the 
        Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration, the commercial space sector, and the 
        heads of other executive agencies, as appropriate, 
        shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, 
        Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, 
        and the congressional defense committees a report that 
        includes the following:
                  (A) A description of the process for the 
                application for and approval of a permit or 
                license under chapter 509 of title 51, United 
                States Code, for the commercial launch of a 
                launch vehicle or commercial reentry of a 
                reentry vehicle, including the identification 
                of--
                          (i) any unique requirements for 
                        operating on a United States Government 
                        launch site, reentry site, or launch 
                        property; and
                          (ii) any inconsistent, outmoded, or 
                        duplicative requirements or approvals.
                  (B) A description of current efforts, if any, 
                to coordinate and work across executive 
                agencies to define interagency processes and 
                procedures for sharing information, avoiding 
                duplication of effort, and resolving common 
                agency requirements.
                  (C) Recommendations for legislation that may 
                further--
                          (i) streamline requirements in order 
                        to improve efficiency, reduce 
                        unnecessary costs, resolve 
                        inconsistencies, remove duplication, 
                        and minimize unwarranted constraints; 
                        and
                          (ii) consolidate or modify 
                        requirements across affected agencies 
                        into a single application set that 
                        satisfies the requirements identified 
                        in paragraph (1)(A).
          (3) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection--
                  (A) any applicable definitions set forth in 
                section 50902 of title 51, United States Code, 
                shall apply;
                  (B) the terms ``launch'', ``reenter'', and 
                ``reentry'' include landing of a launch vehicle 
                or reentry vehicle; and
                  (C) the terms ``United States Government 
                launch site'' and ``United States Government 
                reentry site'' include any necessary facility, 
                at that location, that is commercially operated 
                on United States Government property.

SEC. 13. OPERATION AND UTILIZATION OF THE ISS.

  (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
          (1) maximum utilization of partnerships, scientific 
        research, commercial applications, and exploration test 
        bed capabilities of the ISS is essential to ensuring 
        the greatest return on investments made by the United 
        States and its international partners in the 
        development, assembly, and operations of that unique 
        facility; and
          (2) every effort should be made to ensure that 
        decisions regarding the service life of the ISS are 
        based on the station's projected capability to continue 
        providing effective and productive research and 
        exploration test bed capabilities.
  (b) Continuation of the International Space Station.--
          (1) Maintaining use through at least 2024.--Section 
        70907 is amended to read as follows:

``Sec. 70907. Maintaining use through at least 2024

  ``(a) Policy.--The Administrator shall take all necessary 
steps to ensure that the International Space Station remains a 
viable and productive facility capable of potential United 
States utilization through at least September 30, 2024.
  ``(b) NASA Actions.--In furtherance of the policy under 
subsection (a), the Administrator shall ensure, to the extent 
practicable, that the International Space Station, as a 
designated national laboratory--
          ``(1) remains viable as an element of overall 
        exploration and partnership strategies and approaches;
          ``(2) is considered for use by all NASA mission 
        directorates, as appropriate, for technically 
        appropriate scientific data gathering or technology 
        risk reduction demonstrations; and
          ``(3) remains an effective, functional vehicle 
        providing research and test bed capabilities for the 
        United States through at least September 30, 2024.''.
          (2) Technical and conforming amendment.--The table of 
        contents for chapter 709 is amended by amending the 
        item relating to section 70907 to read as follows:

``70907. Maintaining use through at least 2024.''.

        PART B--TEXT OF AMENDMENT TO H.R. 880 CONSIDERED AS ADOPTED

  At the end, add the following:

SEC. 3. BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

  The budgetary effects of this Act shall not be entered on 
either PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to section 4(d) of 
the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.

                                  [all]
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