I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4621

To establish a National Academy of Space, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 21, 1994

Mr. TRAFICANT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

A BILL

To establish a National Academy of Space, and for other

purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPACE.

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF ACADEMY.—The Adminis5 trator shall establish a National Academy of Space for the

6 instruction and preparation of selected individuals for

7 service in a space-related capacity in the employ of the

8 United States or a United States corporation. The Acad9 emy shall consist of a program of instruction leading to

10 baccalaureate degrees in science, mathematics, and engi11 neering at not less than 6 nor more than 10 universities
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1 selected under subsection (b)(3), with uniform curriculum

2 criteria established by the Board, in conjunction with the

3 Director. The Academy shall establish a permanent head4 quarters within 85 miles of an existing National Aero5 nautics and Space Administration facility for its adminis6 trative staff and for use by the Board.

7 (b) BOARD.—

8 (1) MEMBERSHIP.—The Administrator shall

9 appoint a Board of the National Academy of Space

10 (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Board’’) consist11 ing of a broadly representative group of scientists,

12 engineers, educators, and businessmen representing

13 space-related industries, along with the president of

14 each university selected under paragraph (3).

15 (2) FUNCTIONS.—The Board shall—

16 (A) develop an exam for secondary stu17 dents testing knowledge in science, mathe18 matics, and engineering, or select an exam from

19 among existing national exams, and annually

20 administer such exam;

21 (B) establish uniform curriculum criteria

22 for Member Institutes;

23 (C) provide for the placement at one of the

24 Member Institutes of students awarded scholar25 ships under this section at the Academy;
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1 (D) administer the awarding of such schol2 arships; and

3 (E) establish a placement program to as4 sist recipients of awards under this section in

5 obtaining positions described in subsection

6 (k)(1)(A).

7 (3) SELECTION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR ACAD8 EMY.—The Board shall select not less than 6 nor

9 more than 10 State universities that are regional in

10 scope and that have outstanding degree programs in

11 science, mathematics, and engineering to be des12 ignated as Member Institutes of the Academy. The

13 selections shall come from universities that have ap14 plied to the Board and that have demonstrated the

15 willingness and capability to provide room, in a sep16 arate dormitory or portion of a dormitory, and board

17 to scholarship winners and to offer the Academy’s

18 uniform curriculum.

19 (c) RESULTS OF EXAM.—The Board shall annually

20 certify the top 10 scorers in each congressional district

21 on the exam developed or selected under subsection

22 (b)(2)(A), and award to the top 2 scorers in each State,

23 and to the top scorer in each district who is not one of

24 the top 2 scorers in the State, a scholarship under this

25 section.
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1 (d) SCHOLARSHIPS AUTHORIZED.—(1) The Board

2 shall establish a scholarship program for students to at3 tend the Academy who are willing to commit themselves

4 to service described in subsection (k).

5 (2) A student who satisfies the requirements of sub6 section (f)(1) may receive a scholarship for a period of

7 1 academic year of undergraduate study at the Academy.

8 (3) A student who satisfies the requirements of sub9 section (f)(2) may receive additional scholarships, each

10 awarded for a period of 1 academic year, in order to com11 plete his or her undergraduate course of study to a maxi12 mum of 3 such additional awards.

13 (4) The individuals awarded scholarships under this

14 section shall be referred to as the ‘‘Space Corps’’.

15 (e) DISBURSAL OF SCHOLARSHIP PROCEEDS.—

16 Scholarship proceeds shall be disbursed on behalf of stu17 dents who receive scholarships under this section to the

18 institutions of higher education at which the students are

19 enrolled. No scholarship proceeds shall be disbursed on be20 half of a student unless the student is enrolled at an insti21 tution of higher education.

22 (f) ELIGIBILITY.—

23 (1) INITIAL ELIGIBILITY.—Only individuals who

24 are—
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1 (A) citizens or nationals of the United

2 States, or aliens lawfully admitted to the

3 United States for permanent residence;

4 (B) majoring in the physical, life, or com5 puter sciences, mathematics, or engineering;

6 and

7 (C) enrolled in an institution of higher

8 education as a full-time undergraduate student

9 (as determined by the institution of higher edu10 cation),

11 shall be eligible for awards under this section.

12 (2) REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTINUATION

13 AWARDS.—A student who has received a scholarship

14 under this section may receive a continuation award

15 under subsection (d)(3) for a subsequent academic

16 year of undergraduate education if the student—

17 (A) maintains a high level of academic

18 achievement, as determined in accordance with

19 the regulations of the Administrator;

20 (B) continues to major in one of the phys21 ical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, or

22 engineering; and

23 (C) continues to be enrolled at an institu24 tion of higher education as a full-time under-
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1 graduate student (as determined by the institu2 tion).

3 (g) WAIVER OF FULL-TIME ATTENDANCE REQUIRE4 MENT.—The Administrator may waive the full-time at5 tendance requirements in this section in unusual cir6 cumstances.

7 (h) FAILURE TO MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIRE8 MENTS.—In the event that the student fails to meet the

9 requirements of this section, the student’s eligibility to re10 ceive further scholarships (or scholarship proceeds) under

11 this section shall be suspended in accordance with the reg12 ulations of the Administrator.

13 (i) REINSTATEMENT OR ELIGIBILITY.—The Adminis14 trator shall determine circumstances under which eligi15 bility of a scholarship recipient under this section may be

16 reinstated if the recipient seeks to reenter school after an

17 interruption of schooling for personal reasons, including,

18 but not limited to, pregnancy, child-rearing, and other

19 family responsibilities.

20 (j) SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT.—

21 (1) AMOUNT OF AWARD.—Except as provided

22 in paragraph (2), the amount of a scholarship

23 awarded under this section shall cover the full tui24 tion and fees of the student at the Academy.
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1 (2) ADJUSTMENTS FOR INSUFFICIENT APPRO2 PRIATIONS.—In the event that funds available in a

3 fiscal year are insufficient to fully fund all awards

4 under this section, the amount paid to each student

5 shall be reduced proportionately.

6 (k) SERVICE REQUIREMENT.—

7 (1) SPACE SCHOLARSHIPS.—Each recipient of

8 an award under this section shall, as a condition of

9 the receipt of such award, agree to complete 4 years

10 of—

11 (A) service in a space-related capacity in

12 the employ of the United States or any corpora13 tion or other entity, organized under the laws of

14 the United States or of a State of the United

15 States, at least 50 percent of which is owned by

16 United States nationals, and which is engaged

17 in space-related research or endeavor;

18 (B) postgraduate education in physical,

19 life, or computer science, mathematics, or engi20 neering at an institution of higher education; or

21 (C) a combination of service and education

22 described under subparagraphs (A) and (B).

23 (2) REPAYMENT OBLIGATION.—As part of the

24 agreement required under paragraph (1), each recip25 ient shall agree, in the event of failure to complete
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1 the service obligation described in paragraph (1), to

2 repay an amount equal to—

3 (A) the total amount of awards received by

4 such individual under this section; plus

5 (B) the interest on such amounts which

6 would be payable if at the time the amounts

7 were received the amounts were loans bearing

8 interest at the maximum legal prevailing rate,

9 as determined by the Treasurer of the United

10 States.

11 Such repayment shall be made within 1 year after

12 the recipient has ceased to perform the service obli13 gation described in paragraph (1).

14 (3) EXCEPTIONS.—The Administrator may pro15 vide for the partial or total waiver or suspension of

16 any service obligation or payment by an individual

17 under this section in the same manner as is per18 mitted under section 558 of the Higher Education

19 Act of 1965 with respect to scholarships under sub20 part 1 of part D of title V of the Higher Education

21 Act of 1965, except that pregnancy, child-rearing, or

22 comparable family responsibilities shall also be

23 grounds for deferral.
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1 (l) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

2 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this sec3 tion—

4 (1) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 1996, of which

5 $5,000,000 shall be for the establishment of a per6 manent headquarters for the Academy pursuant to

7 section 1(a);

8 (2) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1997;

9 (3) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1998;

10 (4) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 1999; and

11 (5) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2000.

12 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

13 For purposes of this Act—

14 (1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad15 ministrator of the National Aeronautics and Space

16 Administration;

17 (2) the term ‘‘institution of higher education’’

18 has the meaning given such term in section 1201(a)

19 of the Higher Education Act of 1965; and

20 (3) the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the 50

21 States and any other Commonwealth, territory, or

22 possession of the United States represented in the

23 Congress by a Member or Delegate.

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