I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6226 
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 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to provide for civil 
space situational awareness services and information, 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 ‘‘American Space Situa-
tional Awareness and Framework for Entity Management 
Act’’ or the ‘‘American Space SAFE Management Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’’ means the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation 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 
consultation with other Federal departments and agencies, 
as appropriate, shall develop and submit to the appro-
priate committees of Congress a national civil space situa-
tional awareness and space traffic management science 
and technology plan. 
(c) PURPOSE.—The Plan developed under subsection 
(b) shall carry out the policy set forth under subsection 
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(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 sub-
section (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 pri-
vate investment in civil space situational awareness 
and space traffic management research and develop-
ment; 
(4) to work proactively with the private sector 
to avoid competing with, disincentivizing, or other-
wise discouraging private sector research and devel-
opment investment; and 
(5) to prioritize Federal Government invest-
ments in civil space situational awareness and space 
traffic management research and development to 
occur over a 5-year funding period. 
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(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 
activities 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. 
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Center es-
tablished under paragraph (1), taking into account 
the plan established in this section, shall be to de-
velop, lead, and promote research that furthers civil 
space situational awareness, space traffic coordina-
tion, and space traffic management. 
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(3) FUNDING.—NASA shall devote not less 
than $2,000,000 to carry out this subsection for 
each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, subject to 
the availability of appropriations, to come from 
amounts made available for NASA. This subsection 
shall be carried out using funds otherwise appro-
priated 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, in-
creasing the number of objects, satellites, and de-
bris, and the risk of collisions; and 
(3) responsible space operations has large impli-
cations for the sustainability of space activities, and 
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 
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operational environment. The Program established under 
subsection (c) shall facilitate and promote opportunities 
for United States private sector providers of space situa-
tional awareness data, information, and services to partici-
pate in and contribute to the Program. The Program shall 
promote broad participation from both domestic and inter-
national 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 (e), 
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 
(2) the United States private sector and aca-
demia. 
(e) 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: 
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(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. 
(f) 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 deter-
mined by the Secretary, without charging a user fee. 
(2) ADDITIONAL
SERVICES
AND
INFORMA-
TION.—The Secretary is authorized to charge a rea-
sonable user fee for any additional space situational 
awareness 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 informa-
tion. 
(g) QUALITY OF SERVICES AND INFORMATION.—The 
Program shall provide space situational awareness services 
and information that are as good as or better than the 
services and information provided pursuant to section 
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2274 of title 10, United States Code, as determined by 
the Secretary. 
(h) 
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 situa-
tional awareness data to support space situational aware-
ness services that may be provided by the Federal Govern-
ment or the private sector. The testbed shall allow the 
public to access such space situational awareness data, in-
cluding United States Government data, as the Secretary 
considers appropriate. The Secretary shall place condi-
tions on such data in consultation with appropriate Fed-
eral departments and agencies to protect United States 
national security and foreign policy interests. 
(i) 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. 
(j) ROLE OF NASA.—In carrying out the Program, 
the Secretary of Commerce may use, on a reimbursable 
basis and to the greatest extent practicable, NASA’s exist-
ing infrastructure, workforce, and experience relating to 
space situational awareness, including conjunction assess-
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ments that NASA provides for NASA robotic and crewed 
operations. 
(k) IMMUNITY.—The United States, any agencies and 
instrumentalities thereof, including the Department of 
Commerce and NASA, and any individuals, firms, cor-
porations, 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 
situational awareness services or information, whether or 
not provided in accordance with this section, or any re-
lated action or omission. 
(l) QUARTERLY
BRIEFING.—The Department of 
Commerce and NASA shall brief the appropriate commit-
tees 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 develop-
ments related to, carrying out the Program. 
(m) 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 recipients of space situational awareness services and 
information under the Program in order to, at a minimum, 
receive practical information on the effectiveness of the 
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Program and receive recommendations on how to improve 
the Program. 
(n) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
section may be construed to modify any other authorities 
for the Federal Government to provide space situational 
awareness services and information to the public. 
(o) FUNDING.—The Secretary shall devote no less 
than $20,000,000 to carry out this section for each of fis-
cal years 2019 through 2023, subject to the availability 
of appropriations, to come from amounts made available 
for the Office of the Secretary. This section shall be car-
ried out using funds otherwise appropriated by law after 
the date of enactment 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 
international adoption of such civil space traffic co-
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ordination guidelines, practices, and standards devel-
oped 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. 
(c) VOLUNTARY CIVIL SPACE TRAFFIC COORDINA-
TION 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. 
(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 
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private entities (including entities in the com-
mercial sector and institutions of higher edu-
cation (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-
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 agen-
cies operating spacecraft shall, to the extent 
practicable and taking into account the national 
security interests of the United States in oper-
ating 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 Sec-
retary of Commerce shall establish a civil space traf-
fic coordination pilot program under which the Sec-
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retary will, using the guidelines, practices, and 
standards developed under subsection (c) to the 
greatest extent practicable, facilitate communication, 
coordination, negotiation, and resolution among do-
mestic and international civil spacecraft operators 
(including governmental and private entities oper-
ating such spacecraft) for the purposes of improving 
the safety of spaceflight. The Secretary shall, to the 
greatest extent practicable, incentivize participation 
in the pilot program. Nothing in the preceding sen-
tence shall be construed 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 
before 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 
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pilot program is established under paragraph (1), 
engage with and solicit feedback from pilot program 
participants, in order to, at minimum, receive prac-
tical information on the effectiveness of the pilot 
program and receive recommendations on how to im-
prove the pilot program. 
(5) FUNDING.—The Secretary of Commerce 
shall devote no less than $5,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2019 through 2023 to carry out this sub-
section, subject to the availability of appropriations, 
to come 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 Com-
merce shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report on the role the Department of 
Commerce, including the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, will have in the develop-
ment of civil space traffic coordination standards for 
purposes of promoting innovation and the competi-
tiveness of the United States. 
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