I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2607
To promote the development of the commercial space transportation industry,
to authorize appropriations for the Office of the Associate Administrator
for Commercial Space Transportation, to authorize appropriations for
the Office of Space Commercialization, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 26, 1999
Mr. ROHRABACHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science
A BILL
To promote the development of the commercial space trans-
portation industry, to authorize appropriations for the
Office of the Associate Administrator for Commercial
Space Transportation, to authorize appropriations for the
Office of Space Commercialization, and for other pur-
poses.
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 ‘‘Commercial Space
Transportation Competitiveness Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) a robust United States space transportation
industry is vital to the Nation’s economic well-being
and national security;
(2) a 5-year extension of the excess third party
claims payment provision of chapter 701 of title 49,
United States Code, (Commercial Space Launch Ac-
tivities) is necessary at this time to protect the pri-
vate sector from uninsurable levels of liability;
(3) enactment of this extension will have a ben-
eficial impact on the international competitiveness of
the United States space transportation industry;
(4) space transportation may eventually move
into more airplane-style operations;
(5) during the next 3 years the Federal Govern-
ment and the private sector should analyze and de-
termine whether a more appropriate and effective li-
ability risk-sharing regime can be achieved and, if
so, develop and propose the new regime to Congress
at least 2 years prior to the expiration of the exten-
sion contained in this Act;
(6) the areas of responsibility of the Office of
the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space
Transportation have significantly increased as a re-
sult of—
(A) the rapidly expanding commercial
space transportation industry and associated
government licensing requirements;
(B) regulatory activity as a result of the
emerging commercial reusable launch vehicle in-
dustry; and
(C) the increased regulatory activity asso-
ciated with commercial operation of launch and
reentry sites; and
(7) the Office of the Associate Administrator
for Commercial Space Transportation should engage
in only those promotional activities which directly
support its regulatory mission.
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION.
(a) AMENDMENT.—Section 70119 of title 49, United
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 70119. Office of Commercial Space Transportation
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Transportation for the activities of the Office
of the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space
Transportation—
‘‘(1) $6,275,000 for fiscal year 1999;
‘‘(2) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
‘‘(3) $8,300,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
‘‘(4) $9,840,000 for fiscal year 2002.’’.
(b) TABLE OF SECTIONS AMENDMENT.—The item
relating to section 70119 in the table of sections of chap-
ter 701 of title 49, United States Code, is amended to
read as follows:
‘‘70119.
Office of Commercial Space Transportation.’’.
SEC. 4. OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION.
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Com-
merce for the activities of the Office of Space
Commercialization—
(1) $530,000 for fiscal year 2000;
(2) $550,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
(3) $570,000 for fiscal year 2002.
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of Commerce shall transmit to the Congress a report on
the Office of Space Commercialization detailing the activi-
ties of the Office, the materials produced by the Office,
the extent to which the Office has fulfilled the functions
established for it by the Congress, and the extent to which
the Office has participated in interagency efforts.
SEC. 5. COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION INDEM-
NIFICATION EXTENSION.
Section 70113(f) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by striking ‘‘December 31, 1999’’ and inserting
‘‘December 31, 2004’’.
SEC. 6. LIABILITY REGIME FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE
TRANSPORTATION.
(a) REPORT REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 18
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Transportation shall transmit to the Con-
gress a report on the liability risk-sharing regime in the
United States for commercial space transportation.
(b) CONTENTS.—The report required by this section
shall—
(1) analyze the adequacy, propriety, and effec-
tiveness of, and the need for, the current liability
risk-sharing regime in the United States for com-
mercial space transportation;
(2) examine the current liability and liability
risk-sharing regimes in other countries with space
transportation capabilities;
(3) examine whether it is appropriate for all
space 
transportation 
activities 
to 
be 
deemed
‘‘ultrahazardous activities’’ for which a strict liability
standard may be applied and, if not, what liability
regime should attach to space transportation activi-
ties, whether ultrahazardous activities or not;
(4) examine how relevant international treaties
affect the Federal Government’s liability for com-
mercial space launches and whether the current do-
(2) a section containing the views of United
States commercial space transportation providers on
the issues described in subsection (b);
(3) a section containing the views of United
States commercial space transportation customers
on the issues described in subsection (b);
(4) a section containing the views of the insur-
ance industry on the issues described in subsection
(b); and
(5) a section containing views obtained from
public comment received as a result of notice in
Commerce Business Daily, the Federal Register, and
appropriate Federal agency Internet websites on the
issues described in subsection (b).
The Secretary of Transportation shall enter into appro-
priate arrangements for a non-Federal entity or entities
to provide the sections of the report described in para-
graphs (2), (3), and (4).
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