II 

Calendar No. 159 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1297 

[Report No. 114–88] 

To update the Commercial Space Launch Act by amending title 51, United 

States Code, to promote competitiveness of the U.S. commercial space 

sector, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 12, 2015 

Mr. CRUZ (for himself, Mr. NELSON, Mr. PETERS, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. GARDNER, 

and Mr. UDALL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

JULY 22, 2015 

Reported by Mr. THUNE, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To update the Commercial Space Launch Act by amending 

title 51, United States Code, to promote competitiveness 

of the U.S. commercial space sector, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S. Commercial 

3 Space Launch Competitiveness Act’’. 

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

5 Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in 

6 this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 

7 of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi8 sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a 

9 section or other provision of title 51, United States Code. 

10 SEC. 3. LIABILITY INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL RESPONSI11 BILITY REQUIREMENTS. 

12 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con13 gress that it is in the public interest to update the method14 ology used to calculate the maximum probable loss from 

15 claims under section 50914 of title 51, United States 

16 Code, with a validated risk profile approach in order to 

17 consistently compute valid and reasonable maximum prob18 able loss values. 

19 (b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than September 

20 30, 2015, the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation 

21 with the commercial space sector and insurance providers, 

22 shall— 

23 (1) evaluate and, if necessary, develop a plan to 

24 update the methodology used to calculate the max25 imum probable loss from claims under section 50914 

26 of title 51, United States Code; 


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1 (2) in evaluating or developing a plan under 

2 paragraph (1)— 

3 (A) ensure that the Federal Government is 

4 not exposed to greater costs than intended and 

5 that launch companies are not required to pur6 chase more insurance coverage than necessary; 

7 and 

8 (B) consider the impact of the cost to both 

9 the industry and the Government of imple10 menting an updated methodology; and 

11 (3) submit the evaluation, and any plan, to the 

12 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor13 tation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 

14 Space, and Technology of the House of Representa15 tives. 

16 SEC. 4. LAUNCH LIABILITY EXTENSION. 

17 Section 50915(f) is amended by striking ‘‘December 

18 31, 2016’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2020’’. 

19 SEC. 5. COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH LICENSING AND EX20 PERIMENTAL PERMITS. 

21 Section 50906 is amended— 

22 (1) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘launched or 

23 reentered’’ and inserting ‘‘launched or reentered 

24 under that permit’’; 


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1 (2) by amending subsection (d)(1) to read as 

2 follows: 

3 ‘‘(1) research and development to test design 

4 concepts, equipment, or operating techniques;’’; 

5 (3) in subsection (d)(3) by striking ‘‘prior to 

6 obtaining a license’’; 

7 (4) in subsection (e)(1) by striking ‘‘suborbital 

8 rocket design’’ and inserting ‘‘suborbital rocket or 

9 suborbital rocket design’’; and 

10 (5) by amending subsection (g) to read as fol11 lows: 

12 ‘‘(g) The Secretary may issue a permit under this sec13 tion notwithstanding any license issued under this chapter. 

14 The issuance of a license under this chapter may not inval15 idate a permit issued under this section.’’. 

16 SEC. 6. LICENSING REPORT. 

17 Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment 

18 of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit 

19 to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor20 tation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, 

21 and Technology of the House of Representatives a report 

22 on approaches for streamlining the licensing and permit23 ting process of launch vehicles, reentry vehicles, or compo24 nents of launch or reentry vehicles, to enable non-launch 

25 flight operations related to space transportation. The reVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Jul 23, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S1297.RS S1297

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1 port shall include approaches to improve efficiency, reduce 

2 unnecessary costs, resolve inconsistencies, remove duplica3 tion, and minimize unwarranted constraints. 

4 SEC. 7. SPACE AUTHORITY. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

6 date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office 

7 of Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with the 

8 Secretary of State, the Secretary of Transportation, the 

9 Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad10 ministration, the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, 

11 and the commercial space sector, shall— 

12 (1) assess current, and proposed near-term, 

13 commercial non-governmental activities conducted in 

14 space; 

15 (2) identify appropriate oversight authorities 

16 for the activities described in paragraph (1); 

17 (3) recommend an oversight approach that 

18 would prioritize safety, utilize existing authorities, 

19 minimize burdens, promote the U.S. commercial 

20 space sector, and meet the United States obligations 

21 under international treaties; and 

22 (4) submit to the Committee on Commerce, 

23 Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 

24 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 


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1 House of Representatives a report on the assessment 

2 and recommended approaches. 

3 (b) EXCEPTION.—Nothing in this section shall apply 

4 to the activities of the ISS national laboratory as described 

5 in section 504 of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad6 ministration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 

7 18354), including any research or development projects 

8 utilizing the ISS national laboratory. 

9 SEC. 8. SPACE SURVEILLANCE AND SITUATIONAL AWARE10 NESS DATA. 

11 Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment 

12 of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation in concur13 rence with the Secretary of Defense shall— 

14 (1) in consultation with the heads of other rel15 evant Federal agencies, study the feasibility of proc16 essing and releasing safety-related space situational 

17 awareness data and information to any entity con18 sistent with national security interests and public 

19 safety obligations of the United States; and 

20 (2) submit a report on the feasibility study to 

21 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans22 portation of the Senate and the Committee on 

23 Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 

24 Representatives. 


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1 SEC. 9. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN SAFETY REGULATION RE2 QUIREMENTS. 

3 (a) EXTENSION OF CERTAIN SAFETY REGULATION

4 REQUIREMENTS.—Section 50905(c)(3) is amended by 

5 striking ‘‘Beginning on October 1, 2015’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘Beginning on October 1, 2020’’. 

7 (b) CONSTRUCTION.—Section 50905(c) is amended 

8 by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(5) Nothing in this subsection shall be con10 strued to limit the authority of the Secretary to dis11 cuss potential regulatory approaches with the com12 mercial space sector, including observations, find13 ings, and recommendations from the Commercial 

14 Space Transportation Advisory Committee, prior to 

15 the issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking.’’. 

16 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 

17 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, 

18 in consultation with the commercial space sector, including 

19 the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Com20 mittee, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 

21 Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Com22 mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House 

23 of Representatives a report specifying key industry metrics 

24 that might indicate readiness of the commercial space sec25 tor and the Department of Transportation to transition 

26 to a regulatory approach under section 50905(c)(3) of title 


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1 51, United States Code, that considers space flight partici2 pant, government astronaut, and crew safety. 

3 (d) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Beginning on December 31, 

4 2016, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Trans5 portation, in consultation and coordination with the com6 mercial space sector, including the Commercial Space 

7 Transportation Advisory Committee, shall submit to the 

8 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 

9 the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and 

10 Technology of the House of Representatives a report that 

11 identifies the activities, described in subsections (c) and 

12 (d) of section 50905 of title 51, United States Code, most 

13 appropriate for regulatory action, if any, and a proposed 

14 transition plan for such regulations. 

15 SEC. 10. INDUSTRY VOLUNTARY CONSENSUS STANDARDS. 

16 (a) INDUSTRY VOLUNTARY CONSENSUS STAND17 ARDS.—Section 50905(c), as amended in section 9 of this 

18 Act, is further amended by adding at the end the fol19 lowing: 

20 ‘‘(6) The Secretary shall continue to work with 

21 the commercial space sector, including the Commer22 cial Space Transportation Advisory Committee, to 

23 facilitate the development of voluntary consensus 

24 standards based on recommended best practices to 

25 improve the safety of crew, government astronauts, 


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1 and space flight participants as the commercial 

2 space sector continues to mature.’’. 

3 (b) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Beginning on December 31, 

4 2016, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Trans5 portation, in consultation and coordination with the com6 mercial space sector, including the Commercial Space 

7 Transportation Advisory Committee, shall submit to the 

8 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 

9 the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and 

10 Technology of the House of Representatives a report de11 tailing progress on the development of industry voluntary 

12 consensus standards under section 50905(c)(6) of title 51, 

13 United States Code. 

14 SEC. 11. GOVERNMENT ASTRONAUTS. 

15 (a) FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.—Section 50901(15) is 

16 amended by inserting ‘‘, government astronauts,’’ after 

17 ‘‘crew’’ each place it appears. 

18 (b) DEFINITION OF GOVERNMENT ASTRONAUT.— 

19 Section 50902 is amended— 

20 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through 

21 (22) as paragraphs (7) through (25), respectively; 

22 and 

23 (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol24 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘(4) ‘government astronaut’ means an indi2 vidual who— 

3 ‘‘(A) is either— 

4 ‘‘(i) an employee of the United States 

5 Government, including the uniformed serv6 ices, engaged in the performance of a Fed7 eral function under authority of law or an 

8 Executive act; or 

9 ‘‘(ii) an international partner astro10 naut; 

11 ‘‘(B) is identified by the Administrator of 

12 the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis13 tration; 

14 ‘‘(C) is carried within a launch vehicle or 

15 reentry vehicle; and 

16 ‘‘(D) may perform or may not perform ac17 tivities directly relating to the launch, reentry, 

18 or other operation of the launch vehicle or re19 entry vehicle. 

20 ‘‘(5) ‘international partner astronaut’ means an 

21 individual designated under Article 11 of the Inter22 national Space Station Intergovernmental Agree23 ment, by a partner to that agreement other than the 

24 United States, as qualified to serve as an Inter25 national Space Station crew member. 


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1 ‘‘(6) ‘International Space Station Intergovern2 mental Agreement’ means the Agreement Con3 cerning Cooperation on the International Space Sta4 tion, signed at Washington January 29, 1998 (TIAS 

5 12927).’’. 

6 (c) DEFINITION OF LAUNCH.—Paragraph (7) of sec7 tion 50902, as redesignated, is amended by striking ‘‘and 

8 any payload, crew, or space flight participant’’ and insert9 ing ‘‘and any payload or human being’’. 

10 (d) DEFINITION OF LAUNCH SERVICES.—Paragraph 

11 (9) of section 50902, as redesignated, is amended by strik12 ing ‘‘payload, crew (including crew training), or space 

13 flight participant’’ and inserting ‘‘payload, crew (including 

14 crew training), government astronaut, or space flight par15 ticipant’’. 

16 (e) DEFINITION OF REENTER AND REENTRY.—Para17 graph (16) of section 50902, as redesignated, is amended 

18 by striking ‘‘and its payload, crew, or space flight partici19 pants, if any,’’ and inserting ‘‘and its payload or human 

20 beings, if any,’’. 

21 (f) DEFINITION OF REENTRY SERVICES.—Paragraph 

22 (17) of section 50902, as redesignated, is amended by 

23 striking ‘‘payload, crew (including crew training), or space 

24 flight participant, if any,’’ and inserting ‘‘payload, crew 


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1 (including crew training), government astronaut, or space 

2 flight participant, if any,’’. 

3 (g) DEFINITION OF SPACE FLIGHT PARTICIPANT.— 

4 Paragraph (20) of section 50902, as redesignated, is 

5 amended to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘(20) ‘space flight participant’ means an indi7 vidual, who is not crew or a government astronaut, 

8 carried within a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle.’’. 

9 (h) DEFINITION OF THIRD PARTY.—Paragraph 

10 (24)(E) of section 50902, as redesignated, is amended by 

11 inserting ‘‘, government astronauts,’’ after ‘‘crew’’. 

12 (i) RESTRICTIONS ON LAUNCHES, OPERATIONS, AND

13 REENTRIES; SINGLE LICENSE OR PERMIT.—Section 

14 50904(d) is amended by striking ‘‘activities involving crew 

15 or space flight participants’’ and inserting ‘‘activities in16 volving crew, government astronauts, or space flight par17 ticipants’’. 

18 (j) LICENSE APPLICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS; 

19 APPLICATIONS.—Section 50905 is amended— 

20 (1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘‘crews and 

21 space flight participants’’ and inserting ‘‘crew, gov22 ernment astronauts, and space flight participants’’; 

23 (2) in subsection (b)(2)(D), by striking ‘‘crew 

24 or space flight participants’’ and inserting ‘‘crew, 


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1 government astronauts, or space flight participants’’; 

2 and 

3 (3) in subsection (c)— 

4 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘crew 

5 and space flight participants’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘crew, government astronauts, and space flight 

7 participants’’; and 

8 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘to crew 

9 or space flight participants’’ each place it ap10 pears and inserting ‘‘to crew, government astro11 nauts, or space flight participants’’. 

12 (k) MONITORING ACTIVITIES.—Section 50907(a) is 

13 amended by striking ‘‘crew or space flight participant 

14 training’’ and inserting ‘‘crew, government astronaut, or 

15 space flight participant training’’. 

16 (l) ADDITIONAL SUSPENSIONS.—Section 

17 50908(d)(1) is amended by striking ‘‘to crew or space 

18 flight participants’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘to 

19 any human being’’. 

20 (m) ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTY.—Section 

21 50917(b)(1)(D)(i) is amended by striking ‘‘crew or space 

22 flight participant training site,’’ and inserting ‘‘crew, gov23 ernment astronaut, or space flight participant training 

24 site,’’. 


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1 (n) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER EXECUTIVE AGEN2 CIES, LAWS, AND INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS; NON3 APPLICATION.—Section 50919(g) is amended to read as 

4 follows: 

5 ‘‘(g) NONAPPLICATION.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—This chapter does not 

7 apply to— 

8 ‘‘(A) a launch, reentry, operation of a 

9 launch vehicle or reentry vehicle, operation of a 

10 launch site or reentry site, or other space activ11 ity the Government carries out for the Govern12 ment; or 

13 ‘‘(B) planning or policies related to the 

14 launch, reentry, operation, or activity under 

15 subparagraph (A). 

16 ‘‘(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The following 

17 activities are not space activities the Government 

18 carries out for the Government under paragraph (1): 

19 ‘‘(A) A government astronaut being carried 

20 within a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle under 

21 this chapter. 

22 ‘‘(B) A government astronaut performing 

23 activities directly relating to the launch, re24 entry, or other operation of the launch vehicle 

25 or reentry vehicle under this chapter.’’. 


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1 (o) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act, 

2 or the amendments made by this Act, may be construed 

3 to modify or affect any law relating to astronauts. 

4 SEC. 12. STREAMLINE COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH AC5 TIVITIES. 

6 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con7 gress that eliminating duplicative requirements and ap8 provals for commercial launch and reentry operations will 

9 promote and encourage the development of the commercial 

10 space sector. 

11 (b) REAFFIRMATION OF POLICY.—Congress reaf12 firms that the Secretary of Transportation, in overseeing 

13 and coordinating commercial launch and reentry oper14 ations, should— 

15 (1) promote commercial space launches and re16 entries by the private sector; 

17 (2) facilitate Government, State, and private 

18 sector involvement in enhancing U.S. launch sites 

19 and facilities; 

20 (3) protect public health and safety, safety of 

21 property, national security interests, and foreign pol22 icy interests of the United States; and 

23 (4) consult with the head of another executive 

24 agency, including the Secretary of Defense or the 

25 Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 


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1 Space Administration, as necessary to provide con2 sistent application of licensing requirements under 

3 chapter 509 of title 51, United States Code. 

4 (c) REQUIREMENTS.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transpor6 tation under section 50918 of title 51, United States 

7 Code, and subject to section 50905(b)(2)(C) of that 

8 title, shall consult with the Secretary of Defense, the 

9 Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 

10 Space Administration, and the heads of other execu11 tive agencies, as appropriate— 

12 (A) to identify all requirements that are 

13 imposed to protect the public health and safety, 

14 safety of property, national security interests, 

15 and foreign policy interests of the United States 

16 relevant to any commercial launch of a launch 

17 vehicle or commercial reentry of a reentry vehi18 cle; and 

19 (B) to evaluate the requirements identified 

20 in subparagraph (A) and, in coordination with 

21 the licensee or transferee and the heads of the 

22 relevant executive agencies— 

23 (i) determine whether the satisfaction 

24 of a requirement of one agency could result 


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1 in the satisfaction of a requirement of an2 other agency; and 

3 (ii) resolve any inconsistencies and re4 move any outmoded or duplicative require5 ments or approvals of the Federal Govern6 ment relevant to any commercial launch of 

7 a launch vehicle or commercial reentry of 

8 a reentry vehicle. 

9 (2) REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days after 

10 the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 

11 thereafter until the Secretary of Transportation de12 termines no outmoded or duplicative requirements or 

13 approvals of the Federal Government exist, the Sec14 retary of Transportation, in consultation with the 

15 Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of the Na16 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 

17 commercial space sector, and the heads of other ex18 ecutive agencies, as appropriate, shall submit to the 

19 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor20 tation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, 

21 Space, and Technology of the House of Representa22 tives, and the congressional defense committees a re23 port that includes the following: 

24 (A) A description of the process for the ap25 plication for and approval of a permit or license 


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1 under chapter 509 of title 51, United States 

2 Code, for the commercial launch of a launch ve3 hicle or commercial reentry of a reentry vehicle, 

4 including the identification of— 

5 (i) any unique requirements for oper6 ating on a United States Government 

7 launch site, reentry site, or launch prop8 erty; and 

9 (ii) any inconsistent, outmoded, or du10 plicative requirements or approvals. 

11 (B) A description of current efforts, if any, 

12 to coordinate and work across executive agen13 cies to define interagency processes and proce14 dures for sharing information, avoiding duplica15 tion of effort, and resolving common agency re16 quirements. 

17 (C) Recommendations for legislation that 

18 may further— 

19 (i) streamline requirements in order 

20 to improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary 

21 costs, resolve inconsistencies, remove dupli22 cation, and minimize unwarranted con23 straints; and 

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1 gle application set that satisfies the re2 quirements identified in paragraph (1)(A). 

3 (3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub4 section— 

5 (A) any applicable definitions set forth in 

6 section 50902 of title 51, United States Code, 

7 shall apply; 

8 (B) the terms ‘‘launch’’, ‘‘reenter’’, and 

9 ‘‘reentry’’ include landing of a launch vehicle or 

10 reentry vehicle; and 

11 (C) the terms ‘‘United States Government 

12 launch site’’ and ‘‘United States Government 

13 reentry site’’ include any necessary facility, at 

14 that location, that is commercially operated on 

15 United States Government property. 

16 SEC. 13. OPERATION AND UTILIZATION OF THE ISS. 

17 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con18 gress that— 

19 (1) maximum utilization of partnerships, sci20 entific research, commercial applications, and explo21 ration test bed capabilities of the ISS is essential to 

22 ensuring the greatest return on investments made by 

23 the United States and its international partners in 

24 the development, assembly, and operations of that 

25 unique facility; and 


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1 (2) every effort should be made to ensure that 

2 decisions regarding the service life of the ISS are 

3 based on the station’s projected capability to con4 tinue providing effective and productive research and 

5 exploration test bed capabilities. 

6 (b) CONTINUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE

7 STATION.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 501 of the National 

9 Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization 

10 Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18351) is amended— 

11 (A) in the heading, by striking 

12 ‘‘THROUGH 2020’’; and 

13 (B) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘through 

14 at least 2020’’ and inserting ‘‘through at least 

15 2024’’. 

16 (2) MAINTENANCE OF THE UNITED STATES

17 SEGMENT AND ASSURANCE OF CONTINUED OPER18 ATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.— 

19 Section 503 of the National Aeronautics and Space 

20 Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 

21 U.S.C. 18353) is amended— 

22 (A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘through 

23 at least September 30, 2020’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘through at least September 30, 2024’’; and 


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1 (B) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘In 

2 carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator’’ 

3 and inserting ‘‘The Administrator’’. 

4 (3) RESEARCH CAPACITY ALLOCATION AND IN5 TEGRATION OF RESEARCH PAYLOADS.—Section 

6 504(d) of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad7 ministration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 

8 18354(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 

9 2020’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘at least 

10 September 30, 2024’’. 

11 (4) MAINTAINING USE THROUGH AT LEAST

12 2024.—Section 70907 is amended to read as follows: 

13 ‘‘§ 70907. Maintaining use through at least 2024 

14 ‘‘(a) POLICY.—The Administrator shall take all nec15 essary steps to ensure that the International Space Sta16 tion remains a viable and productive facility capable of po17 tential United States utilization through at least Sep18 tember 30, 2024. 

19 ‘‘(b) NASA ACTIONS.—In furtherance of the policy 

20 under subsection (a), the Administrator shall ensure, to 

21 the extent practicable, that the International Space Sta22 tion, as a designated national laboratory— 

23 ‘‘(1) remains viable as an element of overall ex24 ploration and partnership strategies and approaches; 


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1 ‘‘(2) is considered for use by all NASA mission 

2 directorates, as appropriate, for technically appro3 priate scientific data gathering or technology risk re4 duction demonstrations; and 

5 ‘‘(3) remains an effective, functional vehicle 

6 providing research and test bed capabilities for the 

7 United States through at least September 30, 

8 2024.’’. 

9 (5) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMEND10 MENTS.— 

11 (A) TABLE OF CONTENTS OF 2010 ACT.— 

12 The item relating to section 501 in the table of 

13 contents in section 1(b) of the National Aero14 nautics and Space Administration Authorization 

15 Act of 2010 (124 Stat. 2806) is amended by 

16 striking ‘‘through 2020’’. 

17 (B) TABLE OF CONTENTS OF CHAPTER

18 709.—The table of contents for chapter 709 is 

19 amended by amending the item relating to sec20 tion 70907 to read as follows: 

‘‘70907. Maintaining use through at least 2024.’’. 

21 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

22 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S. Commercial Space 

23 Launch Competitiveness Act’’. 


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

2 Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in 

3 this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of 

4 an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, 

5 the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 

6 other provision of title 51, United States Code. 

7 SEC. 3. LIABILITY INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL RESPONSI8 BILITY REQUIREMENTS. 

9 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 

10 that it is in the public interest to update the methodology 

11 used to calculate the maximum probable loss from claims 

12 under section 50914 of title 51, United States Code, with 

13 a validated risk profile approach in order to consistently 

14 compute valid and reasonable maximum probable loss val15 ues. 

16 (b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than September 30, 

17 2015, the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with 

18 the commercial space sector and insurance providers, 

19 shall— 

20 (1) evaluate and, if necessary, develop a plan to 

21 update the methodology used to calculate the max22 imum probable loss from claims under section 50914 

23 of title 51, United States Code; 

24 (2) in evaluating or developing a plan under 

25 paragraph (1)— 


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1 (A) ensure that the Federal Government is 

2 not exposed to greater costs than intended and 

3 that launch companies are not required to pur4 chase more insurance coverage than necessary; 

5 and 

6 (B) consider the impact of the cost to both 

7 the industry and the Government of imple8 menting an updated methodology; and 

9 (3) submit the evaluation, and any plan, to the 

10 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor11 tation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 

12 Space, and Technology of the House of Representa13 tives. 

14 SEC. 4. LAUNCH LIABILITY EXTENSION. 

15 Section 50915(f) is amended by striking ‘‘December 31, 

16 2016’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2020’’. 

17 SEC. 5. COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH LICENSING AND EX18 PERIMENTAL PERMITS. 

19 Section 50906 is amended— 

20 (1) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘launched or 

21 reentered’’ and inserting ‘‘launched or reentered under 

22 that permit’’; 

23 (2) by amending subsection (d)(1) to read as fol24 lows: 


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1 ‘‘(1) research and development to test design con2 cepts, equipment, or operating techniques;’’; 

3 (3) in subsection (d)(3) by striking ‘‘prior to ob4 taining a license’’; 

5 (4) in subsection (e)(1) by striking ‘‘suborbital 

6 rocket design’’ and inserting ‘‘suborbital rocket or 

7 suborbital rocket design’’; and 

8 (5) by amending subsection (g) to read as fol9 lows: 

10 ‘‘(g) The Secretary may issue a permit under this sec11 tion notwithstanding any license issued under this chapter. 

12 The issuance of a license under this chapter may not invali13 date a permit issued under this section.’’. 

14 SEC. 6. LICENSING REPORT. 

15 Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment 

16 of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit 

17 to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor18 tation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, 

19 and Technology of the House of Representatives a report 

20 on approaches for streamlining the licensing and permit21 ting process of launch vehicles, reentry vehicles, or compo22 nents of launch or reentry vehicles, to enable non-launch 

23 flight operations related to space transportation. The report 

24 shall include approaches to improve efficiency, reduce un25 necessary costs, resolve inconsistencies, remove duplication, 


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1 and minimize unwarranted constraints. The report shall 

2 also include an assessment of existing private and govern3 ment infrastructure, as appropriate, in future licensing ac4 tivities. 

5 SEC. 7. SPACE AUTHORITY. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

7 date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of 

8 Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with the 

9 Secretary of State, the Secretary of Transportation, the Ad10 ministrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Admin11 istration, the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, and 

12 the commercial space sector, shall— 

13 (1) assess current, and proposed near-term, com14 mercial non-governmental activities conducted in 

15 space; 

16 (2) identify appropriate oversight authorities for 

17 the activities described in paragraph (1); 

18 (3) recommend an oversight approach that would 

19 prioritize safety, utilize existing authorities, minimize 

20 burdens, promote the U.S. commercial space sector, 

21 and meet the United States obligations under inter22 national treaties; and 

23 (4) submit to the Committee on Commerce, 

24 Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 

25 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 


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1 House of Representatives a report on the assessment 

2 and recommended approaches. 

3 (b) EXCEPTION.—Nothing in this section shall apply 

4 to the activities of the ISS national laboratory as described 

5 in section 504 of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad6 ministration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18354), 

7 including any research or development projects utilizing the 

8 ISS national laboratory. 

9 SEC. 8. SPACE SURVEILLANCE AND SITUATIONAL AWARE10 NESS DATA. 

11 Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment 

12 of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation in concurrence 

13 with the Secretary of Defense shall— 

14 (1) in consultation with the heads of other rel15 evant Federal agencies, study the feasibility of proc16 essing and releasing safety-related space situational 

17 awareness data and information to any entity con18 sistent with national security interests and public 

19 safety obligations of the United States; and 

20 (2) submit a report on the feasibility study to 

21 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor22 tation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 

23 Space, and Technology of the House of Representa24 tives. 


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1 SEC. 9. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN SAFETY REGULATION RE2 QUIREMENTS. 

3 (a) EXTENSION OF CERTAIN SAFETY REGULATION RE4 QUIREMENTS.—Section 50905(c)(3) is amended by striking 

5 ‘‘Beginning on October 1, 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘Beginning 

6 on October 1, 2020’’. 

7 (b) CONSTRUCTION.—Section 50905(c) is amended by 

8 adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(5) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed 

10 to limit the authority of the Secretary to discuss po11 tential regulatory approaches with the commercial 

12 space sector, including observations, findings, and 

13 recommendations from the Commercial Space Trans14 portation Advisory Committee, prior to the issuance 

15 of a notice of proposed rulemaking.’’. 

16 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 

17 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, 

18 in consultation with the commercial space sector, including 

19 the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee, 

20 shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

21 Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 

22 Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representa23 tives a report specifying key industry metrics that might 

24 indicate readiness of the commercial space sector and the 

25 Department of Transportation to transition to a regulatory 

26 approach under section 50905(c)(3) of title 51, United 


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1 States Code, that considers space flight participant, govern2 ment astronaut, and crew safety. 

3 (d) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Beginning on December 31, 

4 2016, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Transpor5 tation, in consultation and coordination with the commer6 cial space sector, including the Commercial Space Trans7 portation Advisory Committee, shall submit to the Com8 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

9 Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech10 nology of the House of Representatives a report that identi11 fies the activities, described in subsections (c) and (d) of 

12 section 50905 of title 51, United States Code, most appro13 priate for regulatory action, if any, and a proposed transi14 tion plan for such regulations. 

15 SEC. 10. INDUSTRY VOLUNTARY CONSENSUS STANDARDS. 

16 (a) INDUSTRY VOLUNTARY CONSENSUS STANDARDS.— 

17 Section 50905(c), as amended in section 9 of this Act, is 

18 further amended by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(6) The Secretary shall continue to work with 

20 the commercial space sector, including the Commer21 cial Space Transportation Advisory Committee, to fa22 cilitate the development of voluntary consensus stand23 ards based on recommended best practices to improve 

24 the safety of crew, government astronauts, and space 


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1 flight participants as the commercial space sector 

2 continues to mature.’’. 

3 (b) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Beginning on December 31, 

4 2016, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Transpor5 tation, in consultation and coordination with the commer6 cial space sector, including the Commercial Space Trans7 portation Advisory Committee, shall submit to the Com8 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

9 Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech10 nology of the House of Representatives a report detailing 

11 progress on the development of industry voluntary con12 sensus standards under section 50905(c)(6) of title 51, 

13 United States Code. 

14 SEC. 11. GOVERNMENT ASTRONAUTS. 

15 (a) FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.—Section 50901(15) is 

16 amended by inserting ‘‘, government astronauts,’’ after 

17 ‘‘crew’’ each place it appears. 

18 (b) DEFINITION OF GOVERNMENT ASTRONAUT.—Sec19 tion 50902 is amended— 

20 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (22) 

21 as paragraphs (7) through (25), respectively; and 

22 (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol23 lowing: 

24 ‘‘(4) ‘government astronaut’ means an indi25 vidual who— 


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1 ‘‘(A) is either— 

2 ‘‘(i) an employee of the United States 

3 Government, including the uniformed serv4 ices, engaged in the performance of a Fed5 eral function under authority of law or an 

6 Executive act; or 

7 ‘‘(ii) an international partner astro8 naut; 

9 ‘‘(B) is identified by the Administrator of 

10 the National Aeronautics and Space Administra11 tion; 

12 ‘‘(C) is carried within a launch vehicle or 

13 reentry vehicle; and 

14 ‘‘(D) may perform or may not perform ac15 tivities directly relating to the launch, reentry, 

16 or other operation of the launch vehicle or re17 entry vehicle. 

18 ‘‘(5) ‘international partner astronaut’ means an 

19 individual designated under Article 11 of the Inter20 national Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement, 

21 by a partner to that agreement other than the United 

22 States, as qualified to serve as an International 

23 Space Station crew member. 

24 ‘‘(6) ‘International Space Station Intergovern25 mental Agreement’ means the Agreement Concerning 


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1 Cooperation on the International Space Station, 

2 signed at Washington January 29, 1998 (TIAS 

3 12927).’’. 

4 (c) DEFINITION OF LAUNCH.—Paragraph (7) of sec5 tion 50902, as redesignated, is amended by striking ‘‘and 

6 any payload, crew, or space flight participant’’ and insert7 ing ‘‘and any payload or human being’’. 

8 (d) DEFINITION OF LAUNCH SERVICES.—Paragraph 

9 (9) of section 50902, as redesignated, is amended by strik10 ing ‘‘payload, crew (including crew training), or space 

11 flight participant’’ and inserting ‘‘payload, crew (including 

12 crew training), government astronaut, or space flight par13 ticipant’’. 

14 (e) DEFINITION OF REENTER AND REENTRY.—Para15 graph (16) of section 50902, as redesignated, is amended 

16 by striking ‘‘and its payload, crew, or space flight partici17 pants, if any,’’ and inserting ‘‘and its payload or human 

18 beings, if any,’’. 

19 (f) DEFINITION OF REENTRY SERVICES.—Paragraph 

20 (17) of section 50902, as redesignated, is amended by strik21 ing ‘‘payload, crew (including crew training), or space 

22 flight participant, if any,’’ and inserting ‘‘payload, crew 

23 (including crew training), government astronaut, or space 

24 flight participant, if any,’’. 


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1 (g) DEFINITION OF SPACE FLIGHT PARTICIPANT.— 

2 Paragraph (20) of section 50902, as redesignated, is amend3 ed to read as follows: 

4 ‘‘(20) ‘space flight participant’ means an indi5 vidual, who is not crew or a government astronaut, 

6 carried within a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle.’’. 

7 (h) DEFINITION OF THIRD PARTY.—Paragraph 

8 (24)(E) of section 50902, as redesignated, is amended by 

9 inserting ‘‘, government astronauts,’’ after ‘‘crew’’. 

10 (i) RESTRICTIONS ON LAUNCHES, OPERATIONS, AND

11 REENTRIES; SINGLE LICENSE OR PERMIT.—Section 

12 50904(d) is amended by striking ‘‘activities involving crew 

13 or space flight participants’’ and inserting ‘‘activities in14 volving crew, government astronauts, or space flight par15 ticipants’’. 

16 (j) LICENSE APPLICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS; AP17 PLICATIONS.—Section 50905 is amended— 

18 (1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘‘crews and 

19 space flight participants’’ and inserting ‘‘crew, gov20 ernment astronauts, and space flight participants’’; 

21 (2) in subsection (b)(2)(D), by striking ‘‘crew or 

22 space flight participants’’ and inserting ‘‘crew, gov23 ernment astronauts, or space flight participants’’; 

24 and 

25 (3) in subsection (c)— 


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1 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘crew 

2 and space flight participants’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘crew, government astronauts, and space flight 

4 participants’’; and 

5 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘to crew 

6 or space flight participants’’ each place it ap7 pears and inserting ‘‘to crew, government astro8 nauts, or space flight participants’’. 

9 (k) MONITORING ACTIVITIES.—Section 50907(a) is 

10 amended by striking ‘‘crew or space flight participant 

11 training’’ and inserting ‘‘crew, government astronaut, or 

12 space flight participant training’’. 

13 (l) ADDITIONAL SUSPENSIONS.—Section 50908(d)(1) 

14 is amended by striking ‘‘to crew or space flight partici15 pants’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘to any human 

16 being’’. 

17 (m) ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTY.—Section 

18 50917(b)(1)(D)(i) is amended by striking ‘‘crew or space 

19 flight participant training site,’’ and inserting ‘‘crew, gov20 ernment astronaut, or space flight participant training 

21 site,’’. 

22 (n) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER EXECUTIVE AGENCIES, 

23 LAWS, AND INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS; NONAPPLICA24 TION.—Section 50919(g) is amended to read as follows: 

25 ‘‘(g) NONAPPLICATION.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—This chapter does not apply 

2 to— 

3 ‘‘(A) a launch, reentry, operation of a 

4 launch vehicle or reentry vehicle, operation of a 

5 launch site or reentry site, or other space activ6 ity the Government carries out for the Govern7 ment; or 

8 ‘‘(B) planning or policies related to the 

9 launch, reentry, operation, or activity under sub10 paragraph (A). 

11 ‘‘(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The following 

12 activities are not space activities the Government car13 ries out for the Government under paragraph (1): 

14 ‘‘(A) A government astronaut being carried 

15 within a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle under 

16 this chapter. 

17 ‘‘(B) A government astronaut performing 

18 activities directly relating to the launch, reentry, 

19 or other operation of the launch vehicle or re20 entry vehicle under this chapter.’’. 

21 (o) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act, or 

22 the amendments made by this Act, may be construed to 

23 modify or affect any law relating to astronauts. 


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1 SEC. 12. STREAMLINE COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH ACTIVI2 TIES. 

3 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 

4 that eliminating duplicative requirements and approvals 

5 for commercial launch and reentry operations will promote 

6 and encourage the development of the commercial space sec7 tor. 

8 (b) REAFFIRMATION OF POLICY.—Congress reaffirms 

9 that the Secretary of Transportation, in overseeing and co10 ordinating commercial launch and reentry operations, 

11 should— 

12 (1) promote commercial space launches and reen13 tries by the private sector; 

14 (2) facilitate Government, State, and private sec15 tor involvement in enhancing U.S. launch sites and 

16 facilities; 

17 (3) protect public health and safety, safety of 

18 property, national security interests, and foreign pol19 icy interests of the United States; and 

20 (4) consult with the head of another executive 

21 agency, including the Secretary of Defense or the Ad22 ministrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 

23 Administration, as necessary to provide consistent 

24 application of licensing requirements under chapter 

25 509 of title 51, United States Code. 

26 (c) REQUIREMENTS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transpor2 tation under section 50918 of title 51, United States 

3 Code, and subject to section 50905(b)(2)(C) of that 

4 title, shall consult with the Secretary of Defense, the 

5 Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 

6 Administration, and the heads of other executive 

7 agencies, as appropriate— 

8 (A) to identify all requirements that are im9 posed to protect the public health and safety, 

10 safety of property, national security interests, 

11 and foreign policy interests of the United States 

12 relevant to any commercial launch of a launch 

13 vehicle or commercial reentry of a reentry vehi14 cle; and 

15 (B) to evaluate the requirements identified 

16 in subparagraph (A) and, in coordination with 

17 the licensee or transferee and the heads of the rel18 evant executive agencies— 

19 (i) determine whether the satisfaction 

20 of a requirement of one agency could result 

21 in the satisfaction of a requirement of an22 other agency; and 

23 (ii) resolve any inconsistencies and re24 move any outmoded or duplicative require25 ments or approvals of the Federal GovernVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Jul 23, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S1297.RS S1297

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1 ment relevant to any commercial launch of 

2 a launch vehicle or commercial reentry of a 

3 reentry vehicle. 

4 (2) REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days after the 

5 date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter 

6 until the Secretary of Transportation determines no 

7 outmoded or duplicative requirements or approvals of 

8 the Federal Government exist, the Secretary of Trans9 portation, in consultation with the Secretary of De10 fense, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 

11 and Space Administration, the commercial space sec12 tor, and the heads of other executive agencies, as ap13 propriate, shall submit to the Committee on Com14 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the 

15 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 

16 House of Representatives, and the congressional de17 fense committees a report that includes the following: 

18 (A) A description of the process for the ap19 plication for and approval of a permit or license 

20 under chapter 509 of title 51, United States 

21 Code, for the commercial launch of a launch ve22 hicle or commercial reentry of a reentry vehicle, 

23 including the identification of— 

24 (i) any unique requirements for oper25 ating on a United States Government 


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1 launch site, reentry site, or launch property; 

2 and 

3 (ii) any inconsistent, outmoded, or du4 plicative requirements or approvals. 

5 (B) A description of current efforts, if any, 

6 to coordinate and work across executive agencies 

7 to define interagency processes and procedures 

8 for sharing information, avoiding duplication of 

9 effort, and resolving common agency require10 ments. 

11 (C) Recommendations for legislation that 

12 may further— 

13 (i) streamline requirements in order to 

14 improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary costs, 

15 resolve inconsistencies, remove duplication, 

16 and minimize unwarranted constraints; 

17 and 

18 (ii) consolidate or modify requirements 

19 across affected agencies into a single appli20 cation set that satisfies the requirements 

21 identified in paragraph (1)(A). 

22 (3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub23 section— 


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1 (A) any applicable definitions set forth in 

2 section 50902 of title 51, United States Code, 

3 shall apply; 

4 (B) the terms ‘‘launch’’, ‘‘reenter’’, and ‘‘re5 entry’’ include landing of a launch vehicle or re6 entry vehicle; and 

7 (C) the terms ‘‘United States Government 

8 launch site’’ and ‘‘United States Government re9 entry site’’ include any necessary facility, at 

10 that location, that is commercially operated on 

11 United States Government property. 

12 SEC. 13. OPERATION AND UTILIZATION OF THE ISS. 

13 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 

14 that— 

15 (1) maximum utilization of partnerships, sci16 entific research, commercial applications, and explo17 ration test bed capabilities of the ISS is essential to 

18 ensuring the greatest return on investments made by 

19 the United States and its international partners in 

20 the development, assembly, and operations of that 

21 unique facility; and 

22 (2) every effort should be made to ensure that de23 cisions regarding the service life of the ISS are based 

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1 viding effective and productive research and explo2 ration test bed capabilities. 

3 (b) CONTINUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE

4 STATION.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 501 of the National 

6 Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization 

7 Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18351) is amended— 

8 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘THROUGH

9 2020’’; and 

10 (B) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘through 

11 at least 2020’’ and inserting ‘‘through at least 

12 2024’’. 

13 (2) MAINTENANCE OF THE UNITED STATES SEG14 MENT AND ASSURANCE OF CONTINUED OPERATIONS

15 OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.—Section 

16 503 of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis17 tration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18353) 

18 is amended— 

19 (A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘through 

20 at least September 30, 2020’’ and inserting 

21 ‘‘through at least September 30, 2024’’; and 

22 (B) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘In 

23 carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator’’ 

24 and inserting ‘‘The Administrator’’. 


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1 (3) RESEARCH CAPACITY ALLOCATION AND INTE2 GRATION OF RESEARCH PAYLOADS.—Section 504(d) of 

3 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

4 Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18354(d)) is 

5 amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2020’’ each place 

6 it appears and inserting ‘‘at least September 30, 

7 2024’’. 

8 (4) MAINTAINING USE THROUGH AT LEAST

9 2024.—Section 70907 is amended to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘§ 70907. Maintaining use through at least 2024 

11 ‘‘(a) POLICY.—The Administrator shall take all nec12 essary steps to ensure that the International Space Station 

13 remains a viable and productive facility capable of poten14 tial United States utilization through at least September 

15 30, 2024. 

16 ‘‘(b) NASA ACTIONS.—In furtherance of the policy 

17 under subsection (a), the Administrator shall ensure, to the 

18 extent practicable, that the International Space Station, as 

19 a designated national laboratory— 

20 ‘‘(1) remains viable as an element of overall ex21 ploration and partnership strategies and approaches; 

22 ‘‘(2) is considered for use by all NASA mission 

23 directorates, as appropriate, for technically appro24 priate scientific data gathering or technology risk re25 duction demonstrations; and 


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1 ‘‘(3) remains an effective, functional vehicle pro2 viding research and test bed capabilities for the 

3 United States through at least September 30, 2024.’’. 

4 (5) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMEND5 MENTS.— 

6 (A) TABLE OF CONTENTS OF 2010 ACT.—The 

7 item relating to section 501 in the table of con8 tents in section 1(b) of the National Aeronautics 

9 and Space Administration Authorization Act of 

10 2010 (124 Stat. 2806) is amended by striking 

11 ‘‘through 2020’’. 

12 (B) TABLE OF CONTENTS OF CHAPTER

13 709.—The table of contents for chapter 709 is 

14 amended by amending the item relating to sec15 tion 70907 to read as follows: 

‘‘70907. Maintaining use through at least 2024.’’. 


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Calendar No. 159 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1297 

[Report No. 114–88] 

A BILL 

To update the Commercial Space Launch Act by 

space sector, and for other purposes. mote competitiveness of the U.S. commercial amending title 51, United States Code, to proJULY 22, 2015 

Reported with an amendment 


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