IB 
Union Calendar No. 873 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6226 
[Report No. 115–1106, Part I] 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to provide for civil space situational 
awareness services and information, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2018 
Mr. SMITH of Texas (for himself, Mr. BERA, Mr. BABIN, Mr. PERLMUTTER, 
Mr. LUCAS, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. POSEY, Mr. 
KNIGHT, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. WEBSTER of Florida, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. 
DUNN, Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Mrs. LESKO, and Mr. WEBER of 
Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on 
the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
DECEMBER 22, 2018 
Reported from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology with an 
amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
DECEMBER 22, 2018 
Referral to the Committee on the Budget extended for a period ending not 
later than December 28, 2018 
DECEMBER 28, 2018 
Committee on the Budget discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 26, 2018] 
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A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to provide for civil 
space situational awareness services and information, and 
for other purposes. 
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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 Situa-
tional Awareness and Framework for Entity Management 
Act’’ or the ‘‘American Space SAFE Management Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.— 
The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ 
means the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate. 
(2) NASA.—The term ‘‘NASA’’ means the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL CIVIL SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS 
AND SPACE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 
AND TECHNOLOGY PLAN. 
(a) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to 
encourage the coordination of public and private sector 
science and technology activities to improve space situa-
tional awareness and space traffic management. 
(b) PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of NASA, in con-
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sultation with other Federal departments and agencies, as 
appropriate, shall develop and submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a national civil space situational 
awareness and space traffic management science and tech-
nology plan. 
(c) PURPOSE.—The Plan developed under subsection 
(b) shall carry out the policy set forth under subsection (a) 
by identifying and prioritizing civil space situational 
awareness and space traffic management research and de-
velopment activities in support of the activities to be con-
ducted pursuant to sections 4 and 5. 
(d) CONTENTS.—The plan developed under subsection 
(b) shall include recommendations— 
(1) to improve coordination among Federal de-
partments and agencies on civil space situational 
awareness and space traffic management research and 
development; 
(2) to promote and facilitate private investment 
in civil space situational awareness and space traffic 
management research and development; 
(3) to identify current and project future private 
investment in civil space situational awareness and 
space traffic management research and development; 
(4) to work proactively with the private sector to 
avoid competing with, disincentivizing, or otherwise 
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discouraging private sector research and development 
investment; and 
(5) to prioritize Federal Government investments 
in civil space situational awareness and space traffic 
management research and development to occur over 
a 5-year funding period. 
(e) AVAILABILITY.—The Administrator shall ensure 
that the plan developed under subsection (b), and any up-
dates to such plan, are made available on a publicly acces-
sible website and published in the Federal Register. 
(f) UPDATED PLAN.—Every 5 years, the Adminis-
trator shall update the plan and submit the updated plan 
to the appropriate committees of Congress. 
(g) ANNUAL BUDGET.—In submitting each annual 
budget request to Congress, the President shall identify ac-
tivities to implement the plan. 
(h) CENTER FOR CIVIL SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARE-
NESS AND SPACE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND 
TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of 
NASA shall establish, through a competitive process, 
a Center for Civil Space Situational Awareness and 
Space Traffic Management Science and Technology 
Excellence at a United States academic institution or 
institutions. 
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(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Center estab-
lished under paragraph (1), taking into account the 
plan established in this section, shall be to develop, 
lead, and promote research that furthers civil space 
situational awareness, space traffic coordination, and 
space traffic management. 
(3) FUNDING.—NASA shall devote not less than 
$2,000,000 to carry out this subsection for each of fis-
cal years 2019 through 2023, subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations, to come from amounts 
made available for NASA. This subsection shall be 
carried out using funds otherwise appropriated by 
law after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. CIVIL SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS PROGRAM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) commercial activity in space is accelerating 
and the United States has a growing commercial 
space market; 
(2) the number of launches and satellites in orbit 
will grow significantly in the near future, increasing 
the number of objects, satellites, and debris, and the 
risk of collisions; and 
(3) responsible space operations has large impli-
cations for the sustainability of space activities, and 
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in turn the prosperity and national security of the 
United States. 
(b) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to 
establish and maintain a civil space situational awareness 
program that provides the public space situational aware-
ness information and services in order to facilitate a safe 
operational environment. The Program established under 
subsection (c) shall facilitate and promote opportunities for 
United States private sector providers of space situational 
awareness data, information, and services to participate in 
and contribute to the Program. The Program shall promote 
broad participation from both domestic and international 
spacecraft operators. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT.—No later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce 
shall establish a civil space situational awareness program 
(in this section, referred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to provide 
space situational awareness services and information to, 
and obtain space situational awareness data and informa-
tion from, eligible entities described under subsection (f), 
in accordance with this section. 
(d) CONSULTATION.—In developing the Program, the 
Secretary of Commerce shall consult with— 
(1) other Federal departments and agencies, as 
the Secretary considers appropriate; and 
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(2) the United States private sector and aca-
demia. 
(e) TRANSITION PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Commerce and the Secretary of Defense, in coordina-
tion with relevant Federal agencies, shall jointly sub-
mit a transition plan to the appropriate committees 
of Congress for the transfer to the Department of 
Commerce of the provision of space situational aware-
ness services and information performed under section 
2274 of title 10, United States Code, as of the day be-
fore the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The transition plan referred to 
in paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) contain an analysis of how to prevent 
a gap in the provision of the space situational 
awareness services and information referred to 
in such paragraph; 
(B) identify the capabilities the Department 
of Commerce requires to provide such services 
and information, including— 
(i) workforce, facilities, and training; 
(ii) the cost of such capabilities; and 
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(iii) the estimated effective date for 
such capabilities; and 
(C) describe the structure of any partner-
ship with a commercial or international entity 
or entities in which the Department of Commerce 
may enter for purposes of providing such services 
and information. 
(f) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Secretary may provide 
services and information under the Program to, and may 
obtain data and information from, an entity, including any 
of the following: 
(1) A State. 
(2) A political subdivision of a State. 
(3) A United States commercial entity. 
(4) The government of a foreign country. 
(5) A foreign commercial entity. 
(g) USER FEES.— 
(1) NO FEE FOR BASIC SET.—In providing space 
situational awareness services and information under 
the Program, the Secretary shall provide a basic set 
of such services and information, as determined by 
the Secretary, without charging a user fee. 
(2) ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND INFORMATION.— 
The Secretary is authorized to charge a reasonable 
user fee for any additional space situational aware-
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ness services and information not provided under 
paragraph (1). 
(3) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
subsection shall be construed to preclude private sector 
entities from charging a user fee for providing space 
situational awareness services and information. 
(h) QUALITY OF SERVICES AND INFORMATION.—The 
Program shall provide space situational awareness services 
and information that are as good as or better than the serv-
ices and information provided pursuant to section 2274 of 
title 10, United States Code, as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
(i) 
SPACE
SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS
DATA 
TESTBED.—In carrying out the Program, the Secretary 
shall provide for a space situational awareness data testbed 
to facilitate innovation in the use of space situational 
awareness data to support space situational awareness serv-
ices that may be provided by the Federal Government or 
the private sector. The testbed shall allow the public to ac-
cess such space situational awareness data, including 
United States Government data, as the Secretary considers 
appropriate. The Secretary shall place conditions on such 
data in consultation with appropriate Federal departments 
and agencies to protect United States national security and 
foreign policy interests. 
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(j) PROMOTING PRIVATE SECTOR SOLUTIONS.—The 
Secretary shall facilitate and promote opportunities for 
United States private sector providers of space situational 
awareness data, information, and services to participate in 
and contribute to the Program. 
(k) ROLE OF NASA.—In implementing and carrying 
out the Program, the Secretary of Commerce may use, on 
a reimbursable basis and to the greatest extent practicable, 
NASA’s existing infrastructure, workforce, and experience 
relating to space situational awareness, including conjunc-
tion assessments that NASA provides for NASA robotic and 
crewed operations. 
(l) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—In implementing 
and carrying out the Program, the Secretary of Commerce 
may leverage existing workforce and experience of other 
Federal agencies relating to space situational awareness for 
the training of staff and other needs, as determined by the 
Secretary. 
(m) IMMUNITY.—The United States, any agencies and 
instrumentalities thereof, including the Department of 
Commerce and NASA, and any individuals, firms, corpora-
tions, and other persons acting for the United States, shall 
be immune from any suit in any court for any cause of 
action arising from the provision or receipt of space situa-
tional awareness services or information, whether or not 
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provided in accordance with this section, or any related ac-
tion or omission. 
(n) QUARTERLY BRIEFING.—The Department of Com-
merce and NASA shall brief the appropriate committees of 
Congress quarterly, beginning on the date that is 3 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, on the status of, 
and all progress, changes, and other developments related 
to, carrying out the Program. 
(o) PROGRAM USERS.—The Secretary shall, to the 
maximum extent feasible and as soon as is practicable after 
the establishment of the Program, engage with and solicit 
feedback from stakeholders that are contributors to or recipi-
ents of space situational awareness services and informa-
tion under the Program in order to, at a minimum, receive 
practical information on the effectiveness of the Program 
and receive recommendations on how to improve the Pro-
gram. 
(p) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to modify any other authorities for 
the Federal Government to provide space situational aware-
ness services and information to the public. 
(q) FUNDING.—The Secretary shall devote no less than 
$20,000,000 to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2023, subject to the availability of appropria-
tions, to come from amounts made available for the Office 
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of the Secretary. This section shall be carried out using 
funds otherwise appropriated by law after the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
SEC. 5. SPACE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States has the capability to rap-
idly develop voluntary civil space traffic coordination 
guidelines, practices, and standards. 
(2) It is in the national interest that the United 
States leads the world in the development of vol-
untary civil space traffic coordination guidelines, 
practices, and standards in cooperation with the pri-
vate sector in the United States. 
(3) The United States should promote the inter-
national adoption of such civil space traffic coordina-
tion guidelines, practices, and standards developed in 
the United States. 
(4) Establishing voluntary civil space traffic co-
ordination guidelines, practices, and standards is an 
important first step in developing a comprehensive 
space traffic management framework. 
(b) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to 
timely develop voluntary civil space traffic coordination 
guidelines, practices, and standards to ensure a safe oper-
ational environment. 
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(c) VOLUNTARY CIVIL SPACE TRAFFIC COORDINATION 
GUIDELINES, PRACTICES, AND STANDARDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce 
shall, in consultation with appropriate governmental 
and nongovernmental entities, promote the develop-
ment of voluntary civil space traffic coordination 
guidelines, practices, and standards to ensure a safe 
operational environment and inform development of a 
comprehensive space traffic management framework. 
(2) GUIDELINES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Commerce shall publish voluntary 
civil space traffic coordination guidelines. Such 
guidelines shall be developed in consultation with 
other relevant Federal agencies, domestic private 
entities (including entities in the commercial sec-
tor and institutions of higher education (as such 
term is defined in section 101 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001))). 
(B) PUBLIC COMMENT.—To facilitate and 
assure ample opportunity for input from domes-
tic private entities specified in subparagraph 
(A), during the period in which the development 
of the guidelines under such subparagraph oc-
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curs, the Secretary of Commerce shall allow for 
a public comment period to identify key issues, 
trends, and needs that should be addressed dur-
ing the period of that development. 
(C) USE OF GUIDELINES.—Federal agencies 
operating spacecraft shall, to the extent prac-
ticable and taking into account the national se-
curity interests of the United States in operating 
such spacecraft, follow the guidelines issued 
under subparagraph (A). 
(d) PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Commerce shall establish a civil space traffic co-
ordination pilot program under which the Secretary 
will, using the guidelines, practices, and standards 
developed under subsection (c) to the greatest extent 
practicable, facilitate communication, coordination, 
negotiation, and resolution among domestic and 
international civil spacecraft operators (including 
governmental and private entities operating such 
spacecraft) for the purposes of improving the safety of 
spaceflight. The Secretary shall, to the greatest extent 
practicable, incentivize participation in the pilot pro-
gram. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be con-
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strued as requiring a private entity to participate in 
such pilot program. 
(2) PUBLIC COMMENT.—Before establishing the 
pilot program under this subsection, the Secretary of 
Commerce shall publish information about the pro-
gram’s details in the Federal Register and allow for 
public comment for a reasonable period that ends be-
fore the date of such establishment. 
(3) DURATION.—The authority to carry out the 
pilot program under this subsection shall terminate 
on the date that is 5 years after the pilot program 
under paragraph (1) is established. 
(4) PILOT
PROGRAM
PARTICIPANTS.—The Sec-
retary shall, to the maximum extent feasible and as 
soon as is practicable after the date on which the pilot 
program is established under paragraph (1), engage 
with and solicit feedback from pilot program partici-
pants, in order to, at minimum, receive practical in-
formation on the effectiveness of the pilot program 
and receive recommendations on how to improve the 
pilot program. 
(5) FUNDING.—The Secretary of Commerce shall 
devote no less than $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2023 to carry out this subsection, sub-
ject to the availability of appropriations, to come 
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from amounts made available for the Office of the 
Secretary. This subsection shall be carried out using 
funds otherwise appropriated by law after the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
(e) REPORTS.— 
(1) SPACE
TRAFFIC
COORDINATION
STAND-
ARDS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a report on the role the Department of Com-
merce, including the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, will have in the development of civil 
space traffic coordination standards for purposes of 
promoting innovation and the competitiveness of the 
United States. 
(2) REPORT ON NEXT STEPS FOR SPACE TRAFFIC 
MANAGEMENT
FRAMEWORK.—Beginning not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary of Com-
merce shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report on, for the period covered by the re-
port— 
(A) the state of domestic and international 
civil space traffic management, including vol-
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untary or legally binding guidelines, practices, 
and standards; and 
(B) the Secretary’s recommendations on 
what steps should be taken by the United States 
to facilitate— 
(i) further development and adoption 
of the guidelines, practices, and standards 
developed under subsection (c); 
(ii) coordination carried out pursuant 
to subsection (d); and 
(iii) development of a comprehensive 
space traffic management framework. 
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Union Calendar No. 873 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6226 
[Report No. 115–1106, Part I] 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to provide for 
civil space situational awareness services and in-
formation, and for other purposes. 
DECEMBER 28, 2018 
Committee on the Budget discharged; committed to the 
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 
Union and ordered to be printed 
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