I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5385 

To authorize the establishment of a Centennial Challenge Prize Program 

at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2004 

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

Committee on Science 

A BILL 

To authorize the establishment of a Centennial Challenge 

Prize Program at the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration. 

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

3 SECTION 1. CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE PRIZE. 

4 Title III of the National Aeronautics and Space Act 

5 of 1958 (42 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.) is amended by adding 

6 the following new section: 

7 ‘‘CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE PRIZE

8 ‘‘SEC. 316. (a) PRIZE PROGRAM.—The Adminis9 trator may carry out a Program, to be known as the Cen10 tennial Challenge Program (referred to in this section as 
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1 ‘the Program’), to award competitive prizes for innova2 tions with the potential for application to the space and 

3 aeronautical goals and activities of the Administration. 

4 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—(1) The Program 

5 shall use a competitive process for the selection of prize 

6 recipients. The Program shall widely advertise and solicit 

7 participation in prize competitions. 

8 ‘‘(2) No individual or entity shall participate in a 

9 prize competition unless the individual or entity has reg10 istered with the Program in accordance with requirements 

11 established by the Administrator. At a minimum those re12 quirements shall— 

13 ‘‘(A) limit participation in Program competi14 tions to— 

15 ‘‘(i) individuals who are citizens of the 

16 United States; 

17 ‘‘(ii) entities organized or existing under 

18 the laws of the United States or a State; and 

19 ‘‘(iii) entities organized or existing under 

20 the laws of a foreign country if the controlling 

21 interest (as defined by the Administrator) is 

22 held by an individual or entity described in 

23 clause (i) or (ii); 

24 ‘‘(B) require any individual or entity that reg25 isters for a Program competition to assume any and 
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1 all risks arising from participation in the competi2 tion, and to waive any and all claims against the 

3 United States Government for damages arising from 

4 participation in the competition, including any and 

5 all claims for injury, death, damage or loss of prop6 erty, or loss of revenue or profits, whether direct, in7 direct, or consequential, whether through negligence 

8 or otherwise, except in the case of willful mis9 conduct; and 

10 ‘‘(C) require any individual or entity that reg11 isters for a Program competition to waive claims 

12 against any non-Federal entity involved with the 

13 Program (such as a private contractor managing a 

14 competition for the Program) to the extent the Ad15 ministrator believes is necessary to protect the inter16 ests of the United States Government. 

17 ‘‘(c) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—(1) Any funds ap18 propriated to carry out this section shall remain available 

19 until expended. 

20 ‘‘(2) Funds appropriated to carry out this section 

21 shall not be available for any other purpose and shall not 

22 be subject to reprogramming. 

23 ‘‘(d) LIMITATIONS.—(1) No prize competitions under 

24 this section may be commenced after Sept. 30, 2006. 
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1 ‘‘(2) No prize offered by the Program may exceed 

2 $1,000,000. 

3 ‘‘(e) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER AUTHORITY.—The 

4 Administrator may exercise the authority in this section 

5 in conjunction with or in addition to any other authority 

6 of the Administrator to acquire, support, or stimulate in7 novations with the potential for application to the space 

8 and aeronautical goals and activities of the United States. 

9 ‘‘(f) REPORTS.—(1) The Administrator may not ac10 cept any registrations for a competition under the Pro11 gram until 30 days after the Administrator has submitted 

12 a description of the competition to the Committee on 

13 Science of the House of Representatives and the Com14 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

15 Senate. The description shall include eligibility criteria for 

16 registrants, criteria for selecting a winner, and the amount 

17 of the prize to be awarded. 

18 ‘‘(2) In the proposed budget for the fiscal year begin19 ning October 1, 2005, the Administrator shall include an 

20 estimate of the amounts proposed to be expended on the 

21 Program and a list of the competitions proposed for that 

22 fiscal year. 

23 ‘‘(3) Not later than December 31, 2006, the Adminis24 trator shall submit to the Committee on Science of the 

25 House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
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1 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an ac2 counting of previously appropriated Program funds, in3 cluding an accounting of administrative costs, of amounts 

4 remaining that are allocated to pending prize competi5 tions, and of amounts remaining that are not yet so allo6 cated.’’. 

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