112 
secondary students, including students at institutions of 
higher education, two-year colleges, and high schools, and 
students in vocational or career and technical education 
programs, and that— 
(1) expose students to careers that require career 
and technical education; 
(2) encourage students to pursue careers that re-
quire career and technical education; and 
(3) provide students hands-on learning opportu-
nities to view the manufacturing, assembly, and test-
ing of NASA-funded space and aeronautical systems, 
as the Administrator considers appropriate and with 
consideration of relevant factors such as workplace 
safety, mission needs, and the protection of sensitive 
and proprietary technologies. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the 
NASA’s activities, and any planned activities, conducted 
pursuant to this section. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 101(a) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00112
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
113 
(2) 
SKILLED
TECHNICAL
WORKFORCE.—The 
term ‘‘skilled technical workforce’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 4(b)(3) of the Innovations 
in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act (42 
U.S.C. 1862p note; Public Law 115–402). 
TITLE VIII—POLICY/NASA 
SEC. 801. MAJOR PROGRAMS. 
Section 30104 of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended in subsection (a)(1) by striking ‘‘7120.5E, dated 
August 14, 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘7120.5F, dated August 3, 
2021’’. 
SEC. 802. NASA ADVISORY COUNCIL. 
(a) CONSULTATION AND ADVICE.—Section 20113(g) of 
title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding ‘‘and 
Congress’’ after ‘‘advice to the Administration’’. 
(b) SUNSET.—Effective September 30, 2028, section 
20113(g) of title 51, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ‘‘and Congress’’. 
SEC. 803. NASA ASSESSMENT OF EARLY COST ESTIMATES. 
Not later than 12 months after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall transmit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a review of the 
development, application, and assessment of early cost esti-
mates made prior to preliminary design review for NASA 
missions. The review may include— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00113
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
114 
(1) an assessment of NASA processes related to 
the formation and evaluation of proposed and early- 
stage cost estimates; 
(2) an evaluation of NASA’s monitoring and 
management of cost estimates throughout mission de-
velopment, in accordance with section 10861(b)(4) of 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Authorization Act of 2022 (Public Law 117–167); 
and 
(3) any such recommendations as the Comp-
troller General determines appropriate. 
SEC. 804. INDEPENDENT COST ESTIMATE. 
Section 30307 of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘anal-
ysis’’ and inserting ‘‘estimate’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Before any funds may be 
obligated for implementation’’ and inserting 
‘‘After the Administrator completes the prelimi-
nary design review’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘analysis’’ and inserting 
‘‘estimate’’; and 
(C) by inserting after the first sentence, ‘‘No 
funds may be obligated for implementation of the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00114
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
115 
project before the Administrator reports the re-
sults of the life-cycle cost estimate to Congress.’’. 
SEC. 805. OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY, POLICY, AND STRATEGY 
REPORT. 
Not later than January 1, 2025, and annually there-
after, the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy shall 
prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a report describing the efforts of the Office during the 
previous calendar year and priorities of the Office for the 
upcoming calendar year, as practicable. 
SEC. 806. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE TRANSFER TO NASA OF 
FUNDS FROM OTHER AGENCIES FOR SCI-
ENTIFIC OR ENGINEERING RESEARCH OR 
EDUCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (f) of section 20113 of 
title 51, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘In the performance of its func-
tions’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the performance of its 
functions’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(2) TREATMENT.—Funds available to any de-
partment or agency of the Federal Government for 
scientific or engineering research or education, or the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00115
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
116 
provision of facilities therefor, shall, subject to the ap-
proval of the head of such department or agency or 
as delegated pursuant to such department’s or agen-
cy’s regulation, be available for transfer, in whole or 
in part, to the Administration for such use as is con-
sistent with the purposes for which such funds were 
appropriated. Funds so transferred shall be merged 
with the appropriation to which transferred, except 
that such transferred funds shall be limited to the 
awarding of grants or cooperative agreements for sci-
entific or engineering research or education.’’. 
(b) 
ANNUAL
INFORMATION
ON
FUNDS
TRANS-
FERRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Adminis-
trator shall include in the annual budget justification 
materials of the Administration, as submitted to Con-
gress with the President’s budget request under section 
1105 of title 31, United States Code, information de-
scribing the activities conducted under subsection (f) 
of section 20113 of title 51, United States Code (as 
amended by subsection (a)), during the immediately 
preceding fiscal year. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The information referred to in 
paragraph (1) shall contain a description of each 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00116
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
117 
transfer of funds under the authority provided for in 
paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of section 20113 of 
title 51, United States Code (as added and amended, 
respectively, by this section), during the immediately 
preceding fiscal year, including the following: 
(A) An identification of the department or 
agency of the Federal Government from which 
such funds were transferred. 
(B) The total amount of funds so trans-
ferred, disaggregated by each such department or 
agency. 
(C) The purposes for which such funds were 
appropriated to each agency or department. 
(D) The program or activity of the Admin-
istration to which such funds were made avail-
able by each such transfer. 
(E) The purposes of each such administra-
tion program or activity, and the amount of 
funding appropriated to the Administration for 
such purposes. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than three years after the date 
of enactment of the section, the Administrator of the Admin-
istration shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00117
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
118 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate a report that includes the following: 
(1) A summary of the value of the authority pro-
vided for in paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of section 
209113 of title 51, United States Code (as added and 
amended, respectively, by this section), including the 
extent to which such authority has benefited the Ad-
ministration and its ability to meet its needs, achieve 
its mission, or more effectively conduct interagency 
collaborations. 
(2) An identification of any barriers or chal-
lenges to implementing such authority, or otherwise to 
managing funding required to conduct joint programs 
and award jointly funded grants and cooperative 
agreements by the administration with other Federal 
departments and agencies to advance the missions of 
each such department and agency. 
SEC. 807. PROCEDURE FOR LAUNCH SERVICES RISK MITI-
GATION. 
(a) ASSESSMENT.—The Administrator shall enter into 
an arrangement for an independent external assessment of 
the effectiveness and efficiency of NASA’s approach towards 
launch services risk mitigation in the Administration’s Pro-
cedural Requirements 8610.7D. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00118
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
119 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days from the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress the following: 
(1) The report of the assessment conducted under 
subsection (a). 
(2) NASA response to the findings of the report, 
if any. 
SEC. 808. REPORT ON MERITS AND OPTIONS FOR ESTAB-
LISHING AN INSTITUTE RELATING TO SPACE 
RESOURCES. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator and Sec-
retary shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees 
of Congress a report on the merits of, and options for, estab-
lishing an institute relating to space resources to advance 
the objectives of NASA and the Department in maintaining 
United States preeminence in space. Such objectives shall 
include the following: 
(1) Identifying, developing, and distributing 
space resources, including by encouraging the develop-
ment of foundational science, industrial capability, 
and technology. 
(2) Reducing the technological and business risks 
associated with identifying, developing, and distrib-
uting space resources. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00119
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
120 
(3) Research to maximize the responsible use of 
space resources. 
(4) Developing options for using space resources 
to carry out the following. 
(A) Support current and future space archi-
tectures, programs, business, and missions. 
(B) Enable such architectures, programs, 
business, and missions that would not otherwise 
be possible. 
(C) Supplement the supply of such resources 
available on Earth. 
(b) ADDITIONAL
MATTERS.—The report required 
under subsection (a) shall also include the following assess-
ments of the Administrator and the Secretary: 
(1) Whether a virtual or physical institute relat-
ing to space resources is most cost effective and ap-
propriate. 
(2) Whether partnering with institutions of high-
er education and the aerospace industry, and the ex-
tractive industry as appropriate, would be effective in 
increasing information available to the institute with 
respect to advancing the objectives described in such 
subsection. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00120
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
121 
(1) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of Commerce. 
(2) EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY.—The term ‘‘extrac-
tive industry’’ means companies and individuals in-
volved in the processes of extracting, including min-
ing, quarrying, drilling, and dredging, raw, natural 
materials or energy sources. 
(3) INSTITUTE
OF
HIGHER
EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce. 
(5) SPACE RESOURCE.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘space re-
source’’ means an abiotic resource in situ in 
outer space. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘space re-
source’’ includes a raw, natural material or en-
ergy source. 
SEC. 809. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) CONGRESSIONAL REPORTS AND NOTICES.—Any 
report or notice provided to Congress by NASA shall be pro-
vided to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:02 Sep 24, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00121
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H8958.RH
H8958
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS