108 
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. NATIONAL SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
Section 121 of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1991 (Pub-
lic Law 101–611; 51 U.S.C. 20111 note) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘USERS’ 
ADVISORY
GROUP’’ and inserting ‘‘NATIONAL 
SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘Users’ Advisory Group’’ in 
each place that it appears and inserting ‘‘National 
Space Advisory Committee’’: and 
(3) by adding the following after subsection (b): 
‘‘(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Committee shall submit 
an annual report to the Administrator and to Congress 
describing the activities and recommendations of the Com-
mittee.’’. 
SEC. 807. 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— 
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(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 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) TREATMENT.—Funds available to any de-
partment or agency of the Federal Government for 
scientific or engineering research or education, or 
the provision of facilities therefor, shall, subject to 
the approval of the head of such department or 
agency or as delegated pursuant to such depart-
ment’s or agency’s regulation, be available for trans-
fer, in whole or in part, to the Administration for 
such use as is consistent 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 scientific 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 
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110 
Administrator shall include in the annual budget 
justification materials of the Administration, as sub-
mitted to Congress with the President’s budget re-
quest under section 1105 of title 31, United States 
Code, information describing 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 
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 amend-
ed, respectively, by this section), during the imme-
diately 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 depart-
ment. 
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(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 
Administration shall submit to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate a report that includes the following: 
(1) A summary of the value of the authority 
provided 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 Administration 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 pro-
grams and award jointly funded grants and coopera-
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tive agreements by the administration with other 
Federal departments and agencies to advance the 
missions of each such department and agency. 
SEC. 808. PROCEDURE FOR LAUNCH SERVICES RISK MITI-
GATION. 
(a) ASSESSMENT.—The Administrator shall enter 
into an arrangement for an independent external assess-
ment of the effectiveness and efficiency of NASA’s ap-
proach towards launch services risk mitigation in the Ad-
ministration’s Procedural Requirements 8610.7D. 
(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 re-
port, if any. 
SEC. 809. 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 congressional 
committees a report on the merits of, and options for, es-
tablishing an institute relating to space resources to ad-
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vance the objectives of NASA and the Department in 
maintaining United States preeminence in space. Such ob-
jectives shall include the following: 
(1) Identifying, developing, and distributing 
space resources, including by encouraging the devel-
opment of foundational science and technology. 
(2) Reducing the technological risks associated 
with identifying, developing, and distributing space 
resources. 
(3) Research to maximize the responsible use of 
space resources. 
(4) Developing options for using space re-
sources to— 
(A) support current and future space ar-
chitectures, programs, and missions; and 
(B) enable such architectures, programs, 
and missions that would not otherwise be pos-
sible. 
(b) ADDITIONAL MATTERS.—The report required 
under subsection (a) shall also include the following as-
sessments 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. 
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(2) Whether partnering with institutions of 
higher education and the aerospace industry, and 
the extractive industry as appropriate, would be ef-
fective in increasing information available to the in-
stitute with respect to advancing the objectives de-
scribed in subsection (a). 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of Commerce. 
(2) EXTRACTIVE
INDUSTRY.—The term ‘‘ex-
tractive industry’’ means companies and individuals 
involved in the processes of extracting, including 
mining, quarrying, drilling, and dredging, raw, nat-
ural materials or energy sources. 
(3) INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning 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. 
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(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘space re-
source’’ includes a raw, natural material or en-
ergy source. 
SEC. 810. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
Section 20116 of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—’’ 
after ‘‘PRESIDENTIAL REPORT.—’’; and 
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and 
(2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B); 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by redesignating subsection (b) as 
paragraph (2); and 
(B) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘section’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
section’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by redesignating subsection (c) as 
paragraph (3); and 
(B) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘section’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
section’’; and 
(4) by inserting at the end the following: 
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‘‘(b) CONGRESSIONAL REPORTS AND NOTICES.—Any 
report or notice provided to Congress by NASA shall be 
provided to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, 
concurrently with its delivery to any other Committee or 
office. 
‘‘(c) REPORTS ON INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS.— 
If the United States becomes a signatory to an inter-
national agreement concerning outer space activities, the 
Administrator shall provide to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate a report containing a copy of such 
agreement.’’. 
SEC. 811. ADVANCEMENT OF PRIVATE SECTOR HUMAN 
SPACE ACTIVITIES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Private space activities are increasing and 
expanding, and contribute to United States sci-
entific, economic, and strategic leadership in space. 
(2) According to section 217(a) of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization 
Act, Fiscal Year 1989, ‘‘the extension of human life 
beyond Earth’s atmosphere, leading ultimately to 
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the establishment of space settlements, will fulfill the 
purposes of advancing science, exploration, and de-
velopment and will enhance the general welfare’’. 
(3) Other countries are investing in and ex-
panding national space activities. 
(4) Continued advancement of commercial 
space activities can reduce the cost of space access. 
(5) NASA partnerships with United States 
commercial entities, including in NASA’s robotic and 
human exploration of the Moon under the Artemis 
program, in accordance with the Moon to Mars Pro-
gram under section 10811 of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration Authorization Act 
(Public Law 117–167), and provide opportunities to 
gain important lessons learned on nongovernmental 
activities in cislunar space and on the surface of the 
Moon that can inform future evolution of commer-
cial activities in cislunar space and on the lunar sur-
face, as appropriation, and the development of pol-
icy, legal, regulatory matters necessary to support 
such commercial endeavors. 
(6) As a leading organization for space explo-
ration and activities, and a significant partner in 
cutting edge space technologies, NASA should pur-
sue missions using private human spaceflight capa-
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