[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10320 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10320
To amend title 51, United States Code, to establish a Commercial Space
Transportation Administration, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``New Space Age Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATION.
(a) In General.--Section 50921 of title 51, United States Code, is
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 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.''.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.''.
<all>