IB 

Union Calendar No. 611 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5346 

[Report No. 115–789] 

To amend title 51, United States Code, to provide for licenses and 

experimental permits for space support vehicles, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 20, 2018 

Mr. POSEY (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. BABIN, and Mr. LAWSON

of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

JUNE 27, 2018 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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•HR 5346 RH

A BILL 

To amend title 51, United States Code, to provide for licenses and experimental permits for space support vehicles, and for other purposes. 


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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commercial Space 

5 Support Vehicle Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 Section 50902 of title 51, United States Code, is 

8 amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (21) through 

10 (25) as paragraphs (23) through (27), respectively; 

11 and 

12 (2) by inserting after paragraph (20) the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(21) ‘space support flight’ means a flight 

15 in the air that is— 

16 ‘‘(A) not a launch or reentry; but 

17 ‘‘(B) related to launch or reentry serv18 ices. 

19 ‘‘(22) ‘space support vehicle’ means a vehi20 cle that is— 

21 ‘‘(A) a launch vehicle; 

22 ‘‘(B) a reentry vehicle; or 

23 ‘‘(C) a component of a launch or re24 entry vehicle.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. LICENSING OF SPACE SUPPORT FLIGHTS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 50904 of title 51, United 

3 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(e) SPACE SUPPORT FLIGHTS.— 

6 ‘‘(1) The Secretary of Transportation may issue 

7 or transfer a license for multiple space support 

8 flights of a space support vehicle to a citizen of the 

9 United States, but only if such citizen holds an oper10 ator license issued under this chapter for launch or 

11 reentry of such space support vehicle as, or included 

12 as a component of, a launch vehicle or reentry vehi13 cle. 

14 ‘‘(2) A licensee may only carry out a space sup15 port flight of a space support vehicle under a license 

16 for carrying a person or property for compensation 

17 or hire if such flight lands at the same site from 

18 which the vehicle took flight.’’. 

19 (b) LIMITATION ON WAVIER OF REQUIREMENTS.— 

20 Section 50905(b)(3) of title 51, United States Code, is 

21 amended by inserting ‘‘, or the operation of a space sup22 port vehicle,’’ after ‘‘or a reentry vehicle’’. 

23 SEC. 4. EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS FOR SPACE SUPPORT 

24 FLIGHTS. 

25 Section 50906 of title 51, United States Code, is 

26 amended— 


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1 (1) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(d) The Secretary may issue a permit only for— 

4 ‘‘(1) reusable suborbital rockets or reusable 

5 launch vehicles that will be launched into a sub6 orbital trajectory or reentered under that permit 

7 solely for— 

8 ‘‘(A) research and development to test de9 sign concepts, equipment, or operating tech10 niques; 

11 ‘‘(B) showing compliance with require12 ments as part of the process for obtaining a li13 cense for launch or reentry under this chapter; 

14 or 

15 ‘‘(C) crew training for a launch or reentry 

16 using the design of the rocket or vehicle for 

17 which the permit would be issued; or 

18 ‘‘(2) a space support vehicle, or a vehicle that 

19 is in development to become a space support vehicle, 

20 operated by a citizen of the United States for space 

21 support flights that will be conducted under the per22 mit for, or in support of, the purposes described in 

23 subparagraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1).’’; 

24 and 


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1 (2) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(h) No person may, under a permit, operate a reus4 able suborbital rocket, reusable launch vehicle, or space 

5 support vehicle for carrying any property or human being 

6 for compensation or hire.’’. 

7 SEC. 5. COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY. 

8 Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this 

9 Act shall be construed to limit the authority of the Sec10 retary of Transportation to discuss potential regulatory 

11 approaches, potential performance standards, or any other 

12 topic related to this Act and the amendments made by 

13 this Act with the commercial space industry prior to the 

14 issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking. 

15 SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this 

17 Act shall take effect on March 1, 2019. 

18 (b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Transportation 

19 may issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out 

20 the amendments made by this Act beginning on the date 

21 of enactment of this Act. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 611 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5346 

[Report No. 115–789] 

A BILL 

To amend title 51, United States Code, to provide 

support vehicles, and for other purposes. for licenses and experimental permits for space 

JUNE 27, 2018 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS