NASA SPREES Act

Bill: 118-s-4221
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2024-05-01
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Higher education

Research administration and funding

Science and engineering education
Latest action: action_date: 2024-05-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-05-01
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>NASA Streamlining Partnerships for Research and Education for Engineering and Science Act or the NASA SPREES Act</strong></p><p>This bill authorizes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to use funds from other federal agencies for grants regarding scientific or engineering research or education, if such funds were otherwise earmarked for similar activities.&nbsp;<br/></p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4221 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 1, 2024 Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Ms. Sinema ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To amend title 51, United States Code, to authorize the transfer to NASA of funds from other agencies for scientific or engineering research or education, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the NASA Streamlining Partnerships for Research and Education for Engineering and Science Act or the NASA SPREES Act . 2. Authorization for the transfer to NASA of funds from other agencies for scientific 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 functions 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 department 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 department’s or agency’s regulation, be available for transfer, 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 transferred (1) In general Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (in this section referred to as the Administration ) shall include in the annual budget justification materials of the Administration, as submitted to Congress with the President’s budget request 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 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 transferred, disaggregated by each such department or agency. (C) The purposes for which such funds were appropriated to each such agency or department. (D) The program or activity of the Administration to which such funds were made available by each such transfer. (E) The purposes of each such Administration 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 Transportation 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 20113 of title 51, United States Code (as added and amended, respectively, by this section), including the extent which such authority has benefitted Administration and its ability to meet its needs, achieve its mission, or more effectively conduct interagency collaborations. (2) An identification of any barriers or challenges 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.