I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5063 
To promote the development of a commercial asteroid resources industry 
for outer space in the United States and to increase the exploration 
and utilization of asteroid resources in outer space. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 10, 2014 
Mr. POSEY (for himself and Mr. KILMER) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To promote the development of a commercial asteroid re-
sources industry for outer space in the United States 
and to increase the exploration and utilization of asteroid 
resources in outer space. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Space Tech-
nology for Exploring Resource Opportunities In Deep 
Space Act’’ or the ‘‘ASTEROIDS Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. TITLE 51 AMENDMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle V of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new chapter: 
‘‘CHAPTER 513—ASTEROID RESOURCE 
EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘51301. Commercialization of asteroid resource exploration and utilization in 
outer space. 
‘‘51302. Legal framework. 
‘‘51303. Definitions. 
‘‘§ 51301. Commercialization of asteroid resource ex-
ploration and utilization in outer space 
‘‘The President, through the Administration, the 
Federal Aviation Administration, and other appropriate 
Federal agencies, shall— 
‘‘(1) facilitate the commercial exploration and 
utilization of asteroid resources to meet national 
needs; 
‘‘(2) discourage government barriers to the de-
velopment of economically viable, safe, and stable in-
dustries for the exploration and utilization of aster-
oid resources in outer space in manners consistent 
with the existing international obligations of the 
United States; 
‘‘(3) promote the right of United States com-
mercial entities to explore and utilize resources from 
asteroids in outer space, in accordance with the ex-
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isting international obligations of the United States, 
free from harmful interference, and to transfer or 
sell such resources; and 
‘‘(4) develop the frameworks necessary to meet 
the international obligations of the United States. 
‘‘§ 51302. Legal framework 
‘‘(a) PROPERTY RIGHTS.—Any resources obtained in 
outer space from an asteroid are the property of the entity 
that obtained such resources, which shall be entitled to 
all property rights thereto, consistent with applicable pro-
visions of Federal law. 
‘‘(b) FREEDOM FROM HARMFUL INTERFERENCE.— 
As between any entities over which the United States can 
exercise jurisdiction, any assertion of superior right to exe-
cute specific commercial asteroid resource utilization ac-
tivities in outer space shall prevail if it is found to be first 
in time, derived upon a reasonable basis, and in accord-
ance with all existing international obligations of the 
United States. 
‘‘(c) SAFETY
OF OPERATIONS.—A United States 
commercial asteroid resource utilization entity shall avoid 
harmful interference to other spacecraft. 
‘‘(d) RELIEF FROM HARMFUL INTERFERENCE.—A 
United States commercial asteroid resource utilization en-
tity may bring an action for appropriate legal or equitable 
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relief, or both, under this chapter for any action, by an-
other private entity, compromising the right to conduct its 
operations free of harmful interference. 
‘‘(e) EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION.—The district courts 
of the United States shall have exclusive jurisdiction of 
an action under this chapter without regard to the amount 
in controversy. 
‘‘§ 51303. Definitions 
‘‘For the purposes of this chapter: 
‘‘(1) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means any of 
the several States, the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, and any other common-
wealth, territory, or possession of the United States. 
‘‘(2) UNITED STATES COMMERCIAL ASTEROID 
RESOURCE UTILIZATION ENTITY.—The term ‘United 
States commercial asteroid resource utilization enti-
ty’ means a person or company providing asteroid 
exploration or utilization services, the control of 
which is held by persons other than a Federal, 
State, local, or foreign government, that is— 
‘‘(A) duly organized under the laws of a 
State; 
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‘‘(B) subject to the subject matter and per-
sonal jurisdiction of the courts of the United 
States; or 
‘‘(C) a foreign entity that has voluntarily 
submitted to the subject matter and personal 
jurisdiction of the courts of the United States.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 
for title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end of the items for subtitle V the following: 
‘‘513. Asteroid resource exploration and utilization ...........51301’’. 
Æ 
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