130 
Commission, or any member designated by a majority of the Commis-
sion. 
(2) RECEIPT, HANDLING, STORAGE, AND DISSEMINATION.—Informa-
tion shall only be received, handled, stored, and disseminated by mem-
bers of the Commission and its staff consistent with all applicable stat-
utes, regulations, and Executive orders. 
(d) ASSISTANCE FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
(1) GENERAL
SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION.—The Administrator of 
General Services shall provide to a Commission on a reimbursable basis 
administrative support and other services for the performance of the 
Commission’s tasks. 
(2) OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.—In addition to the as-
sistance prescribed in paragraph (1), departments and agencies of the 
United States may provide to the Commission such services, funds, fa-
cilities, staff, and other support services as they may determine advis-
able and as may be authorized by law. 
(3) ADMINISTRATION ENGINEERING AND SAFETY CENTER.—The Ad-
ministration Engineering and Safety Center shall provide data and 
technical support as requested by the Commission. 
§ 70706. Public meetings, information, and hearings 
(a) PUBLIC MEETINGS AND RELEASE OF PUBLIC VERSIONS OF RE-
PORTS.—A Commission shall— 
(1) hold public hearings and meetings to the extent appropriate; and 
(2) release public versions of the reports required under this chapter. 
(b) PUBLIC HEARINGS.—Any public hearings of a Commission shall be 
conducted in a manner consistent with the protection of information pro-
vided to or developed for or by the Commission as required by any applica-
ble statute, regulation, or Executive order. 
§ 70707. Staff of Commission 
(a) APPOINTMENT AND COMPENSATION.—The Chairman, in consultation 
with the Vice Chairman, in accordance with rules agreed upon by a Com-
mission, may appoint and fix the compensation of a staff director and such 
other personnel as may be necessary to enable the Commission to carry out 
its functions. 
(b) DETAILEES.—Any Federal Government employee, except for an em-
ployee of the Administration, may be detailed to a Commission without re-
imbursement from the Commission, and such detailee shall retain the rights, 
status, and privileges of his or her regular employment without interruption. 
(c) CONSULTANT SERVICES.—A Commission may procure the services of 
experts and consultants in accordance with section 3109 of title 5, but at 
rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in
131 
effect for positions at level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 
of title 5. An expert or consultant whose services are procured under this 
subsection shall disclose any contract or association the expert or consultant 
has with the Administration or any Administration contractor. 
§ 70708. Compensation and travel expenses 
(a) COMPENSATION.—Each member of a Commission may be com-
pensated at a rate not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of 
basic pay in effect for positions at level IV of the Executive Schedule under 
section 5315 of title 5 for each day during which that member is engaged 
in the actual performance of the duties of the Commission. 
(b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—While away from their homes or regular places 
of business in the performance of services for the Commission, members of 
a Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu 
of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in 
the Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703 of title 5. 
§ 70709. Security clearances for Commission members and 
staff 
The appropriate Federal agencies or departments shall cooperate with a 
Commission in expeditiously providing to the Commission members and 
staff appropriate security clearances to the extent possible pursuant to exist-
ing procedures and requirements. No person shall be provided with access 
to classified information under this chapter without the appropriate security 
clearances. 
§ 70710. Reporting requirements and termination 
(a) INTERIM REPORTS.—A Commission may submit to the President and 
Congress interim reports containing such findings, conclusions, and rec-
ommendations for corrective actions as have been agreed to by a majority 
of Commission members. 
(b) FINAL REPORT.—A Commission shall submit to the President and 
Congress, and make concurrently available to the public, a final report con-
taining such findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective ac-
tions as have been agreed to by a majority of Commission members. Such 
report shall include any minority views or opinions not reflected in the ma-
jority report. 
(c) TERMINATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A Commission, and all the authorities of this 
chapter with respect to that Commission, shall terminate 60 days after 
the date on which the final report is submitted under subsection (b). 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES BEFORE TERMINATION.—A Com-
mission may use the 60-day period referred to in paragraph (1) for the 
purpose of concluding its activities, including providing testimony to
132 
committees of Congress concerning its reports and disseminating the 
final report. 
CHAPTER 709—INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION 
Sec. 
70901.
Peaceful uses of space station. 
70902.
Allocation of International Space Station research budget. 
70903.
International Space Station research. 
70904.
International Space Station completion. 
70905.
National laboratory designation. 
70906.
International Space Station National Laboratory Advisory Committee. 
70907.
Maintaining use through at least 2020. 
§ 70901. Peaceful uses of space station 
No civil space station authorized under section 103(a)(1) of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1991 
(Public Law 101–611, 104 Stat. 3190) may be used to carry or place in 
orbit any nuclear weapon or any other weapon of mass destruction, to in-
stall any such weapon on any celestial body, or to station any such weapon 
in space in any other manner. This civil space station may be used only 
for peaceful purposes. 
§ 70902. Allocation of International Space Station research 
budget 
The Administrator shall allocate at least 15 percent of the funds budg-
eted for International Space Station research to ground-based, free-flyer, 
and International Space Station life and microgravity science research that 
is not directly related to supporting the human exploration program, con-
sistent with section 40904 of this title. 
§ 70903. International Space Station research 
The Administrator shall— 
(1) carry out a program of microgravity research consistent with sec-
tion 40904 of this title; and 
(2) consider the need for a life sciences centrifuge and any associated 
holding facilities. 
§ 70904. International Space Station completion 
(a) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to achieve diverse and 
growing utilization of, and benefits from, the International Space Station. 
(b) ELEMENTS, CAPABILITIES, AND CONFIGURATION CRITERIA.—The 
Administrator shall ensure that the International Space Station will— 
(1) be assembled and operated in a manner that fulfills international 
partner agreements, as long as the Administrator determines that the 
shuttle can safely enable the United States to do so; 
(2) be used for a diverse range of microgravity research, including 
fundamental, applied, and commercial research, consistent with section 
40904 of this title;
133 
(3) have an ability to support a crew size of at least 6 persons, un-
less the Administrator transmits to the Committee on Science and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later than 
60 days after December 30, 2005, a report explaining why such a re-
quirement should not be met, the impact of not meeting the require-
ment on the International Space Station research agenda and oper-
ations and international partner agreements, and what additional fund-
ing or other steps would be required to have an ability to support a 
crew size of at least 6 persons; 
(4) support Crew Exploration Vehicle docking and automated dock-
ing of cargo vehicles or modules launched by either heavy-lift or com-
mercially-developed launch vehicles; 
(5) support any diagnostic human research, on-orbit characterization 
of molecular crystal growth, cellular research, and other research that 
the Administration believes is necessary to conduct, but for which the 
Administration lacks the capacity to return the materials that need to 
be analyzed to Earth; and 
(6) be operated at an appropriate risk level. 
(c) CONTINGENCIES.— 
(1) POLICY.—The Administrator shall ensure that the International 
Space Station can have available, if needed, sufficient logistics and on- 
orbit capabilities to support any potential period during which the 
space shuttle or its follow-on crew and cargo systems are unavailable, 
and can have available, if needed, sufficient surge delivery capability or 
prepositioning of spares and other supplies needed to accommodate any 
such hiatus. 
(2) PLAN.—Before making any change in the International Space 
Station assembly sequence in effect on December 30, 2005, the Admin-
istrator shall transmit to the Committee on Science and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a plan to carry out the pol-
icy described in paragraph (1). 
§ 70905. National laboratory designation 
(a) DEFINITION OF UNITED STATES SEGMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE STATION.—In this section the term ‘‘United States segment of the 
International Space Station’’ means those elements of the International 
Space Station manufactured— 
(1) by the United States; or 
(2) for the United States by other nations in exchange for funds or 
launch services.