114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6076 
AN ACT 
To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration to establish a program for 
the medical monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of as-
tronauts, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘To Research, Evaluate, 
Assess, and Treat Astronauts Act’’ or the ‘‘TREAT Astro-
nauts Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) Human space exploration can pose signifi-
cant challenges and is full of substantial risk, which 
has ultimately claimed the lives of 24 National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration astronauts serving 
in the line of duty. 
(2) As United States government astronauts 
participate 
in 
long-duration 
and 
exploration 
spaceflight missions they may experience increased 
health risks, such as vision impairment, bone 
demineralization, and behavioral health and perform-
ance risks, and may be exposed to galactic cosmic 
radiation. Exposure to high levels of radiation and 
microgravity can result in acute and long-term 
health consequences that can increase the risk of 
cancer and tissue degeneration and have potential 
effects on the musculoskeletal system, central nerv-
ous system, cardiovascular system, immune function, 
and vision.
(3) To advance the goal of long-duration and 
exploration spaceflight missions, United States gov-
ernment astronaut Scott Kelly participated in a 1- 
year twins study in space while his identical twin 
brother, former United States government astronaut 
Mark Kelly, acted as a human control specimen on 
Earth, providing an understanding of the physical, 
behavioral, microbiological, and molecular reaction of 
the human body to an extended period of time in 
space. 
(4) Since the Administration currently provides 
medical monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment for 
United States government astronauts during their 
active employment, given the unknown long-term 
health consequences of long-duration space explo-
ration, the Administration has requested statutory 
authority from Congress to provide medical moni-
toring, diagnosis, and treatment to former United 
States government astronauts for psychological and 
medical conditions associated with human space 
flight. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the United States should continue to seek 
the unknown and lead the world in space exploration
and scientific discovery as the Administration pre-
pares for long-duration and exploration spaceflight 
in deep space and an eventual mission to Mars; 
(2) data relating to the health of astronauts will 
become increasingly valuable to improving our un-
derstanding of many diseases humans face on Earth; 
(3) the Administration should provide the type 
of monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment described in 
subsection (a) only for conditions the Administration 
considers unique to the training or exposure to the 
spaceflight environment of United States govern-
ment astronauts and should not require any former 
United States government astronauts to participate 
in the Administration’s monitoring; 
(4) such monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment 
should not replace a former United States govern-
ment astronaut’s private health insurance; 
(5) expanded data acquired from such moni-
toring, diagnosis, and treatment should be used to 
tailor treatment, inform the requirements for new 
spaceflight medical hardware, and develop controls 
in order to prevent disease occurrence in the astro-
naut corps; and 
(6) the 340-day space mission of Scott Kelly 
aboard the ISS—
(A) was pivotal for the goal of the United 
States for humans to explore deep space and 
Mars as the mission generated new insight into 
how the human body adjusts to weightlessness, 
isolation, radiation, and the stress of long-dura-
tion space flight; and 
(B) will help support the physical and 
mental well-being of astronauts during longer 
space exploration missions in the future. 
SEC. 3. MEDICAL MONITORING AND RESEARCH RELATING 
TO HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 201 of 
title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 20148. Medical monitoring and research relating to 
human space flight 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of law, the Administrator may provide for the med-
ical monitoring and diagnosis of a former United States 
government astronaut or a former payload specialist for 
conditions that the Administrator considers potentially as-
sociated with human space flight, and may provide for the 
treatment of a former United States government astro-
naut or a former payload specialist for conditions that the 
Administrator considers associated with human space
flight, including scientific and medical tests for psycho-
logical and medical conditions. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) NO COST SHARING.—The medical moni-
toring, diagnosis, or treatment described in sub-
section (a) shall be provided without any deductible, 
copayment, or other cost sharing obligation. 
‘‘(2) ACCESS TO LOCAL SERVICES.—The med-
ical monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment described 
in subsection (a) may be provided by a local health 
care provider if it is unadvisable due to the health 
of the applicable former United States government 
astronaut or former payload specialist for that 
former United States government astronaut or 
former payload specialist to travel to the Lyndon B. 
Johnson Space Center, as determined by the Admin-
istrator. 
‘‘(3) SECONDARY PAYMENT.—Payment or reim-
bursement for the medical monitoring, diagnosis, or 
treatment described in subsection (a) shall be sec-
ondary to any obligation of the United States gov-
ernment or any third party under any other provi-
sion of law or contractual agreement to pay for or 
provide such medical monitoring, diagnosis, or treat-
ment. Any costs for items and services that may be
provided by the Administrator for medical moni-
toring, diagnosis, or treatment under subsection (a) 
that are not paid for or provided under such other 
provision of law or contractual agreement, due to the 
application of deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, 
other cost sharing, or otherwise, are reimbursable by 
the Administrator on behalf of the former United 
States government astronaut or former payload spe-
cialist involved to the extent such items or services 
are authorized to be provided by the Administrator 
for such medical monitoring, diagnosis, or treatment 
under subsection (a). 
‘‘(4) CONDITIONAL
PAYMENT.—The Adminis-
trator may provide for conditional payments for or 
provide medical monitoring, diagnosis, or treatment 
described in subsection (a) that is obligated to be 
paid for or provided by the United States or any 
third party under any other provision of law or con-
tractual agreement to pay for or provide such med-
ical monitoring, diagnosis, or treatment if— 
‘‘(A) payment for (or the provision of) 
such medical monitoring, diagnosis, or treat-
ment services has not been made (or provided) 
or cannot reasonably be expected to be made
(or provided) promptly by the United States or 
such third party, respectively; and 
‘‘(B) such payment (or such provision of 
services) by the Administrator is conditioned on 
reimbursement by the United States or such 
third party, respectively, for such medical moni-
toring, diagnosis, or treatment. 
‘‘(c) EXCLUSIONS.—The Administrator may not— 
‘‘(1) provide for medical monitoring or diag-
nosis of a former United States government astro-
naut or former payload specialist under subsection 
(a) for any psychological or medical condition that 
is not potentially associated with human space flight; 
‘‘(2) provide for treatment of a former United 
States government astronaut or former payload spe-
cialist under subsection (a) for any psychological or 
medical condition that is not associated with human 
space flight; or 
‘‘(3) require a former United States govern-
ment astronaut or former payload specialist to par-
ticipate in the medical monitoring, diagnosis, or 
treatment authorized under subsection (a). 
‘‘(d) PRIVACY.—Consistent with applicable provisions 
of Federal law relating to privacy, the Administrator shall