New Space Age Act of 2024

Bill: 118-hr-10320
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Kiley, Kevin [R-CA-3]
Introduced: 2024-12-06
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-06
text: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10320 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 6, 2024 Mr. Kiley (for himself and Mr. Fong ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology A BILL To amend title 51, United States Code, to establish a Commercial Space Transportation Administration, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the New Space Age Act of 2024 . 2. Commercial Space Transportation Administration (a) In general Section 50921 of title 51, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 50921. Commercial Space Transportation Administration (a) Establishment There is established within the Department of Transportation a Commercial Space Transportation Administration to— (1) accelerate the growth of the commercial space transportation industry of the United States; (2) ensure United States technological leadership in space; and (3) protect the public health and safety, safety of property, national security interests, and foreign policy interests of the United States during commercial launch and reentry activities. (b) Administrator The Commercial Space Transportation Administration shall be headed by an Administrator who is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Administrator shall report directly to the Secretary of Transportation. The Administrator shall have at least 5 years of experience in the space industry or in a government agency or office in the commercial space industry. (c) Duties and responsibilities The Administrator of the Commercial Space Transportation Administration shall— (1) exercise the authorities of the Secretary of Transportation with respect to commercial space launch and reentry activities, including the authorities provided under chapter 509 of title 51; (2) encourage the development of technologies and capabilities of the commercial space transportation industry of the United States; (3) maintain the competitive edge of the United States in commercial space activities; (4) coordinate activities with other agencies and departments of the Federal Government, including the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Commerce, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Defense, to streamline and expedite the approval of licenses necessary for the timely conduct of commercial space launch and reentry activities; and (5) issue regulations concerning commercial space launch and reentry activities that appropriately manage— (A) commercial requirements for timely approval or denial of license and permit applications or modifications to such applications; (B) advantages in technology developed or manufactured in the United States; (C) responsiveness and readiness of commercial space launches to meet commercial and national security needs, including by minimizing delays as a result of licensing and authorization processes; and (D) public safety concerns. (d) Transfer Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the New Space Age Act of 2024 , the Secretary shall transfer the authorities to be exercised by the Administrator of the Commercial Space Transportation Administration from the Federal Aviation Administration or any other agency of the Department of Transportation. (e) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for the activities of the Commercial Space Transportation Administration $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028, of which not less than 75 percent of the amount appropriated— (1) shall be reserved only for use in the timely and expeditious processing of applications for licenses and authorizations; and (2) may not be used in the development or promulgation of regulations. . (b) Clerical amendment The analysis for title 51, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 50921 and inserting the following: 50921. Commercial Space Transportation Administration. . 3. Launch and Reentry Working Group (a) Disestablishment The Common Standards Working Group established by the Department of the Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall be disestablished not more than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act. The records, responsibilities, and duties of such Working Group shall be assumed by the working group established pursuant to subsection (b). (b) Establishment The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a working group, to be known as the Launch and Reentry Working Group , to recommend to the Secretary safety standards intended to protect the public and critical assets on Federal space launch ranges from hazards associated with space launch and reentry events. (c) Members The Launch and Reentry Working Group shall be made up of— (1) the Administrator of the Commercial Space Transportation Administration; (2) the Chief of Space Operations; (3) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; (4) representatives from commercial space launch or reentry operators with a proven history of successful launch or reentry activities licensed by the Commercial Space Transportation Administration or the Office of the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation; and (5) not more than 4 non-governmental members with specific expertise in space launch and reentry, to be appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, that are not representatives of commercial space launch and reentry providers described in paragraph (4). (d) Additional procedures The Launch and Reentry Working Group shall— (1) make its methodologies for calculating risks and standards available to an operator of a launch or reentry vehicle system within 7 days of a request by such operator impacted by such methodologies; (2) in approving new risk models, data products, other safety recommendations, or in conducting other significant business— (A) require recorded approval from a majority of the participants of the Working Group; and (B) not allow nonconcurrence or abstention by a single or multiple members of the Working Group to disrupt or delay the approval; (3) make all relevant data available to space launch and reentry providers, government agencies, and other responsible bodies upon request; (4) conduct the work of the Working Group in a timely manner, including through regularly scheduled meetings and, as required, emergency meetings; and (5) ensure that recommendations are based on real-world, probabilistic assessments and discount hypotheticals based on unproven assumptions or technologies. 3. Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall update the charter of the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (DOT/FAA Order 1110.124I) to— (1) encourage greater participation from industry and nongovernmental experts; (2) require that the Advisory Committee establish the agenda of the Committee independently of any requests from the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration; (3) ensure that the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration or, once established, the Commercial Space Transportation Administration is using the Advisory Committee to receive input from external sources in order to inform governmental activities; (4) require that the Advisory Committee transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives not less than annually a report that includes all agenda items proposed by the Advisory Committee, including any agenda items that are not accepted by the Secretary; and (5) require that the Secretary make available not later than December 31 of each year a public report detailing the total expenses incurred by or reasonably caused by the Advisory Committee, including the number of hours consumed by full Committee and working group meetings and in-kind contributions that may include the value of time provided by Federal Government employees, in the calendar year in which such report is prepared, as well as a cumulative accounting of all prior expenses incurred, to the maximum extent practicable. 3. Space-related advisory rulemaking committees Section 50903 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (e) FACA Chapter 10 of title 5 (commonly known as the Federal Advisory Committee Act ) does not apply to such space-related rulemaking committees under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Transportation as the Secretary may designate. .