International Space Station Payments Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3103
Sponsor: Sen. Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2008-06-09 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Astronauts
Emergency Management
International cooperation in astronautics
Rescue work
Russia
Space activities
Space stations
Spacecraft
Treaties

Summary:
action_date: 2008-06-09
text: 
International Space Station Payments Act of 2008 - Amends the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act to exempt from the prohibition on &quot;extraordinary payments'' U.S. government payments made between January 1, 2012, and reentry into Earth's atmosphere of the International Space Station (ISS) at its end of life for work or services necessary to meet U.S. obligations under the Agreement Concerning Cooperation on the Civil International Space Station. (Extraordinary payments are, generally, those made for work on the ISS which the Russian government pledged to provide at its expense and those for work on the ISS, or for the purchase of goods or services relating to human space flight, that are not required to be made under the terms of a contract or other agreement that was in effect on January 1, 1999, as the terms were in effect on that date.)
 
Specifies that such exemption shall not permit payments for: (1) cargo services provided by a Progress vehicle; or (2) crew transportation or rescue services provided by a Soyuz vehicle after the U.S. Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle reaches full operational capability, or a U.S. commercial provider of crew transportation and rescue services demonstrates the capability to meet ISS mission requirements.

action_date: 2008-09-23
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
International Space Station Payments Act of 2008 - Amends the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act to exempt from the prohibition on extraordinary payments U.S. government payments made between January 1, 2012, and reentry into Earth's atmosphere of the International Space Station (ISS) at its end of life for work or services necessary to meet U.S. obligations under the Agreement Concerning Cooperation on the Civil International Space Station. (Extraordinary payments are, generally, those made for work on the ISS which the Russian government pledged to provide at its expense and those for work on the ISS, or for the purchase of goods or services relating to human space flight, that are not required to be made under the terms of a contract or other agreement that was in effect on January 1, 1999, as the terms were in effect on that date.)
 
Specifies that such exemption shall not permit payments for: (1) cargo services provided by a Progress vehicle; or (2) crew transportation or rescue services provided by a Soyuz vehicle after the U.S. Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle reaches full operational capability, or a U.S. commercial provider of crew transportation and rescue services demonstrates the capability to meet ISS mission requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1046.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Dodd without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Dodd without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2008-06-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2008-06-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5392-5393)
action_date: 2008-06-09
text: Introduced in Senate