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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3936 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3936

  To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
   Administration and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to seek to engage the authorities of Taiwan 
with respect to expanding cooperation on civilian space activities, and 
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 14, 2024

 Mr. Schmitt (for himself and Ms. Duckworth) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
   Administration and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to seek to engage the authorities of Taiwan 
with respect to expanding cooperation on civilian space activities, and 
                          for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Taiwan and American Space Assistance 
Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. SPACE COOPERATION WITH TAIWAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of 
Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, and the Secretary of State, may seek to 
engage the authorities of Taiwan with respect to expanding cooperation 
between the United States and such authorities on civilian space 
activities.
    (b) Cooperation Efforts.--
            (1) In general.--In seeking to expand cooperation under 
        subsection (a), the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 
        and Space Administration and the Administrator of the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may carry out efforts to 
        identify and pursue space exploration, space applications, and 
        science initiatives in areas of mutual benefit to the United 
        States and the authorities of Taiwan, consistent with the 
        Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) and applicable 
        export regulations, including by--
                    (A) cooperating on satellite programs, space 
                exploration programs, and atmospheric and weather 
                programs; and
                    (B) conducting--
                            (i) personnel exchanges of employees of the 
                        National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
                        and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                        Administration with employees of the Taiwan 
                        Space Agency; and
                            (ii) activities of mutual benefit relating 
                        to commercial space and atmospheric and weather 
                        technology and services.
            (2) Protection of sensitive and proprietary information and 
        economic interests of the united states.--In carrying out 
        efforts and activities under paragraph (1), the Administrator 
        of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the 
        Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration shall take all appropriate measures to protect 
        sensitive information, intellectual property, trade secrets, 
        and the economic interests of the United States.
    (c) Report.--
            (1) Requirement.--Not later than 270 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for five 
        years, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration, and the Secretary of State shall 
        jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a 
        report on the implementation of this section.
            (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A description of the cooperation efforts and 
                activities carried out under subsection (b)(1).
                    (B) An identification of any challenge or resource 
                gap that needs to be addressed to expand cooperation 
                between the United States and the authorities of Taiwan 
                on civilian space activities.
                    (C) Any other matter the Administrator of the 
                National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
                Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration, and the Secretary of State consider 
                relevant.
    (d) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
        and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the 
        Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
                                 <all>
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