I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4522 
To provide for the establishment of an independent, Presidentially-appointed 
Commission to assess the safety of the International Space Station and 
its crew. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 8, 2004 
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Science 
A BILL 
To provide for the establishment of an independent, Presi-
dentially-appointed Commission to assess the safety of 
the International Space Station and its crew. 
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 ‘‘International Space 
Station Independent Safety Commission Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Commis-
sion established under this Act;
(2) the term ‘‘ISS’’ means the International 
Space Station; 
(3) the term ‘‘NASA’’ means the National Aer-
onautics and Space Administration; 
(4) the term ‘‘NASA Administrator’’ means the 
Administrator of NASA; and 
(5) the term ‘‘NTSB’’ means the National 
Transportation Safety Board. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President shall establish 
an independent, nonpartisan Commission within the exec-
utive branch to discover and assess any vulnerabilities of 
the International Space Station that could lead to its de-
struction, compromise the health of its crew, or necessitate 
its premature abandonment. 
(b) DEADLINE FOR ESTABLISHMENT.—The Presi-
dent shall issue an executive order establishing a Commis-
sion within 30 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
SEC. 4. COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION. 
(a) NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS.—The Commission 
shall consist of 15 members. 
(b) SELECTION.—The members of the Commission 
shall be chosen in the following manner:
(1) The Chairman of the NTSB shall be a 
member of the Commission. 
(2) The President shall appoint the remaining 
14 members, and shall designate the Chairman and 
Vice Chairman of the Commission from among its 
members. 
(3) Five of the 14 members appointed by the 
President shall be selected by the President in the 
following manner: 
(A) The majority leader of the Senate, the 
minority leader of the Senate, the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives, the minority 
leader of the House of Representatives, and the 
President of the collective-bargaining organiza-
tion including the largest number of NASA en-
gineers, shall each provide to the President a 
list of candidates for membership on the Com-
mission. 
(B) The President shall select one of the 
candidates from each of the 5 lists for member-
ship on the Commission. 
(4)(A) With the exception of the Chairman of 
the NTSB, no officer or employee of the Federal 
Government shall serve as a member of the Commis-
sion.
(d) INITIAL MEETING.—The Commission shall meet 
and begin operations as soon as practicable. 
(e) QUORUM; VACANCIES.—After its initial meeting, 
the Commission shall meet upon the call of the Chairman 
or a majority of its members. Eight members of the Com-
mission shall constitute a quorum. Any vacancy in the 
Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled 
in the same manner in which the original appointment was 
made. 
SEC. 5. TASKS OF THE COMMISSION. 
The Commission shall, to the extent possible, under-
take the following tasks: 
(1) Catalog threats to and vulnerabilities of the 
ISS, including design flaws, natural phenomena, 
computer software or hardware flaws, sabotage or 
terrorist attack, number of crewmembers, and inabil-
ity to adequately deliver replacement parts and sup-
plies, and management or procedural deficiencies. 
(2) Make recommendations for corrective ac-
tions. 
(3) Provide any additional findings or rec-
ommendations considered by the Commission to be 
important, whether or not they are related to ISS 
safety.
(4) Prepare a report to Congress, the Presi-
dent, and the public. 
SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) HEARINGS AND EVIDENCE.—The Commis-
sion or, on the authority of the Commission, any 
subcommittee or member thereof, may, for the pur-
pose of carrying out this Act— 
(A) hold such hearings and sit and act at 
such times and places, take such testimony, re-
ceive such evidence, administer such oaths; and 
(B) subject to paragraph (2)(A), require, 
by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance and 
testimony of such witnesses and the production 
of such books, records, correspondence, memo-
randa, papers, and documents, 
as the Commission or such designated subcommittee 
or designated member may determine advisable. 
(2) SUBPOENAS.— 
(A) ISSUANCE.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—A subpoena may be 
issued under this subsection only— 
(I) by the agreement of the 
Chairman and the Vice Chairman; or
(II) by the affirmative vote of 8 
members of the Commission. 
(ii) SIGNATURE.—Subject to clause 
(i), subpoenas issued under this subsection 
may be issued under the signature of the 
Chairman or any member designated by a 
majority of the Commission, and may be 
served by any person designated by the 
Chairman or by a member designated by a 
majority of the Commission. 
(B) ENFORCEMENT.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—In the case of con-
tumacy or failure to obey a subpoena 
issued under subparagraph (A), the United 
States district court for the judicial district 
in which the subpoenaed person resides, is 
served, or may be found, or where the sub-
poena is returnable, may issue an order re-
quiring such person to appear at any des-
ignated place to testify or to produce docu-
mentary or other evidence. Any failure to 
obey the order of the court may be pun-
ished by the court as a contempt of that 
court.
(ii) ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT.—In 
the case of a failure of a witness to comply 
with a subpoena or to testify when sum-
moned under authority of this section, the 
Commission may, by majority vote, certify 
a statement of fact constituting such fail-
ure to the appropriate United States attor-
ney, who may bring the matter before a 
grand jury for its action, under the same 
statutory authority and procedures as if 
the United States attorney had received a 
certification under sections 102 through 
104 of the Revised Statutes of the United 
States (2 U.S.C. 192 through 194). 
(b) CONTRACTING.—The Commission may, to such 
extent and in such amounts as are provided in appropria-
tion Acts, enter into contracts to enable the Commission 
to discharge its duties under this Act. 
(c) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may secure 
directly from any executive department, bureau, 
agency, board, commission, office, independent es-
tablishment, or instrumentality of the Government, 
information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics 
for the purposes of this Act. Each department, bu-
reau, agency, board, commission, office, independent 
establishment, or instrumentality shall, to the extent 
authorized by law, furnish such information, sugges-
tions, estimates, and statistics directly to the Com-
mission, upon request made by the Chairman, the 
chairman of any subcommittee created by a majority 
of the Commission, or any member designated by a 
majority of the Commission. 
(2) RECEIPT, HANDLING, STORAGE, AND DIS-
SEMINATION.—Information shall be received, han-
dled, stored, and disseminated by members of the 
Commission and its staff consistent with all applica-
ble statutes, regulations, and Executive orders. 
(d) ASSISTANCE FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
(1) GENERAL
SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION.— 
The Administrator of General Services shall provide 
to the Commission on a reimbursable basis adminis-
trative support and other services for the perform-
ance of the Commission’s tasks. 
(2) OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.—In 
addition to the assistance prescribed in paragraph 
(1), departments and agencies of the United States 
may provide to the Commission such services, funds, 
facilities, staff, and other support services as they
may determine advisable and as may be authorized 
by law. 
(3) NASA ENGINEERING
AND
SAFETY
CEN-
TER.—The NASA Engineering and Safety Center 
shall provide data and technical support as re-
quested by the Commission. 
(e) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 
the United States mails in the same manner and under 
the same conditions as departments and agencies of the 
United States. 
SEC. 7. PUBLIC MEETINGS, INFORMATION, AND HEARINGS. 
(a) PUBLIC MEETINGS AND RELEASE OF PUBLIC 
VERSIONS OF REPORTS.—The Commission shall— 
(1) hold public hearings and meetings to the ex-
tent appropriate; and 
(2) release public versions of the reports re-
quired under this Act. 
(b) PUBLIC HEARINGS.—Any public hearings of the 
Commission shall be conducted in a manner consistent 
with the protection of information provided to or developed 
for or by the Commission as required by any applicable 
statute, regulation, or Executive order. 
SEC. 8. STAFF OF COMMISSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—