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Administration-sponsored payloads and space flight 
participants on operational commercial suborbital ve-
hicles; 
(4) identify Administration-provided hardware, 
software, or services that may be provided to com-
mercial reusable suborbital space flight operators on 
a cost-reimbursable basis, through agreements or 
contracts entered into under section 20113(e) of 
title 51, United States Code; and 
(5) describe the United States Government and 
space flight operator responsibilities for liability and 
indemnification with respect to commercial sub-
orbital vehicle flights that involve Administration- 
sponsored payloads or activities, Administration-sup-
ported space flight participants, or other Adminis-
tration-related contributions. 
(c) ASSESSMENT OF CAPABILITIES AND RISKS.—The 
Administrator shall assess and characterize the potential 
capabilities and performance of commercial reusable sub-
orbital vehicles for addressing scientific research, includ-
ing research requiring access to low-gravity and micro-
gravity environments, for carrying out technology dem-
onstrations related to science, exploration, or space oper-
ations requirements, and for providing opportunities for 
educating and training space scientists and engineers, 
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once those vehicles become operational. The assessment 
shall also characterize the risks of using potential commer-
cial reusable suborbital flights to Administration-spon-
sored researchers and scientific investigations and flight 
hardware. 
(d) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
transmit the plan and assessment described in subsections 
(b) and (c) to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 
(e) ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTS.—In conjunction 
with the Administration’s annual budget request justifica-
tion for each fiscal year, the Administrator shall transmit 
a report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
describing progress in carrying out the Commercial Reus-
able Suborbital Research Program, including the number 
and type of suborbital missions planned in each fiscal 
year. 
(f) INDEMNIFICATION AND LIABILITY.—The Admin-
istrator shall not proceed with a request for proposals, 
award any contract, commit any United States Govern-
ment funds, or enter into any other agreement for the pro-
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vision of a commercial reusable suborbital vehicle launch 
service for an Administration-sponsored spaceflight partic-
ipant until transmittal of the plan and assessment speci-
fied in subsections (b) and (c), the liability issues associ-
ated with the use of such systems by the United States 
Government have been addressed, and the liability and in-
demnification provisions that are planned to be included 
in such contracts or agreements have been provided to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 718. FUNDAMENTAL SPACE LIFE AND PHYSICAL 
SCIENCES RESEARCH. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It the sense of Congress 
that fundamental, discovery-based space life and physical 
sciences research is critical for enabling space exploration, 
protecting humans in space, and providing societal bene-
fits, and that the space environment facilitates the ad-
vancement of understanding of the life sciences and phys-
ical sciences. Space life and physical science research con-
tributes to advancing science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics research, and provides careers and training 
opportunities in academia, Federal laboratories, and com-
mercial industry. Congress encourages the Administrator 
to augment discovery-based fundamental research and to 
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establish requirements reflecting the importance of such 
research in keeping with the priorities established in the 
National Academies’ decadal survey entitled ‘‘Recapturing 
a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical 
Sciences Research for a New Era’’. 
(b) BUDGET REQUEST.—The Administrator shall in-
clude as part of the Administration’s annual budget re-
quest for each fiscal year a budget line for fundamental 
space life and physical sciences research, devoted to com-
petitive, peer-reviewed grants, that is separate from the 
International Space Station Operations account. 
(c) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT.—The Administrator, in 
consultation with academia, other Federal agencies, 
and other potential stakeholders, shall develop a 
strategic plan for carrying out competitive, peer-re-
viewed fundamental space life science and physical 
sciences and related technology research, among 
other activities, consistent with the priorities in the 
National Academies’ decadal survey described in 
subsection (a). 
(2) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 270 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
trator shall transmit the strategic plan developed 
under paragraph (1) to the Committee on Science, 
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Space, and Technology of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 719. RESTORING COMMITMENT TO ENGINEERING RE-
SEARCH. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that engineering excellence has long been a hallmark 
of the Administration’s ability to make significant ad-
vances in aeronautics and space exploration. However, as 
has been noted in recent National Academies reports, in-
creasingly constrained funding and competing priorities 
have led to an erosion of the Administration’s commitment 
to basic engineering research. This research provides the 
basis for the technology development that enables the Ad-
ministration’s many challenging missions to succeed. If 
current trends continue, the Administration’s ability to at-
tract and maintain the best and brightest engineering 
workforce at its Centers as well as its ability to remain 
on the cutting edge of aeronautical and space technology 
will continue to erode and will threaten the Administra-
tion’s ability to be a world leader in aeronautics research 
and development and space exploration. 
(b) PLAN.—The Administrator shall develop a plan 
for restoring a meaningful basic engineering research pro-
gram at the Administration’s Centers, including, as appro-
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priate, collaborations with industry, universities, and other 
relevant organizations. The plan shall identify the organi-
zational approach to be followed, an initial set of basic 
research priorities, and a proposed budget. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit 
the plan specified in subsection (b) to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 720. LIQUID ROCKET ENGINE DEVELOPMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
The Administrator shall consult with the Secretary 
of Defense to ensure that any next generation liquid rock-
et engine made in the United States for national security 
space launch objectives can contribute, to the extent prac-
ticable, to the space programs and missions carried out 
by the Administration. 
SEC. 721 REMOTE SATELLITE SERVICING DEMONSTRA-
TIONS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the Administration plays a key role in dem-
onstrating the feasibility of using robotic tech-
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nologies for a spacecraft that could autonomously 
access, inspect, repair, and refuel satellites; 
(2) demonstrating this feasibility would both as-
sist the Administration in its future missions and 
provide other Federal agencies and private sector en-
tities with enhanced confidence in the feasibility to 
robotically refuel, inspect, repair, and maintain their 
satellites in both near and distant orbits; and 
(3) the capability to refuel, inspect, repair, and 
maintain satellites robotically could add years of 
functional life to satellites. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 120 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit 
a report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
describing the Administration’s— 
(1) activities, tools, and techniques associated 
with the ultimate goal of autonomously servicing sat-
ellites using robotic spacecraft; 
(2) efforts to coordinate its technology develop-
ment and demonstrations with other Federal agen-
cies and private sector entities that conduct pro-
grams, projects, or activities on on-orbit satellite in-
spection and servicing capabilities; 
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(3) efforts to leverage the work of these Federal 
agencies and private sector entities into the Admin-
istration’s plans; 
(4) accomplishments to date in demonstrating 
various servicing technologies; 
(5) major technical and operational challenges 
encountered and mitigation measures taken; and 
(6) demonstrations needed to increase con-
fidence in the use of the technologies for operational 
missions, and the timeframe for these demonstra-
tions. 
SEC. 722. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that information security is central to the Adminis-
tration’s ability to protect information and information 
systems vital to its mission. 
(b) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study to assess the effectiveness of 
the Administration’s Information Technology Governance. 
The study shall include an assessment of— 
(1) the resources available for overseeing Ad-
ministration-wide information technology operations, 
investments, and security measures and the Chief 
Information Officer’s visibility into and access to 
those resources; 
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(2) the effectiveness of the Administration’s de-
centralized information technology structure, deci-
sionmaking processes and authorities and its ability 
to enforce information security; and 
(3) the impact of providing the Chief Informa-
tion Officer approval authority over information 
technology investments that exceed a defined mone-
tary threshold and any potential impacts of the 
Chief Information Officer having such authority on 
the Administration’s missions, flights programs and 
projects, research activities, and Center operations. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
transmit a report detailing the results of the study con-
ducted under subsection (b) to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate. 
SEC. 723. STRENGTHENING ADMINISTRATION SECURITY. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) Following the public disclosure of security 
and export control violations at its research centers, 
the Administration contracted with the National 
Academy of Public Administration to conduct an 
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independent assessment of how the Administration 
carried out Foreign National Access Management 
practices and other security matters. 
(2) The assessment by the National Academy of 
Public Administration concluded that ‘‘NASA net-
works are compromised’’, that the Administration 
lacked a standardized and systematic approach to 
export compliance, and that individuals within the 
Administration were not held accountable when 
making serious, preventable errors in carrying out 
Foreign National Access Management practices and 
other security matters. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administration shall report 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on how 
it plans to address each of the recommendations made in 
the security assessment by the National Academy of Pub-
lic Administration and the recommendations made by the 
Government Accountability Office and the Administra-
tion’s Office of the Inspector General regarding security 
and safeguarding export control information. 
(c) REVIEW.—Within one year of enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
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