[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 434 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 198
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 434
[Report No. 119-87]
To establish the Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 5, 2025
Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Wicker) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
October 21, 2025
Reported by Mr. Cruz, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Space Commerce Advisory
Committee Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the
Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Office of Space
Commerce.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Space object.--The term ``space object''--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) means--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) a human-made object located in
outer space, including on the Moon or other
celestial bodies, with or without human
occupants, that was launched from Earth, such
as a satellite or a spacecraft, including
component parts of the object; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) all items carried on such
object that are intended for use in outer space
outside of, and independent of, the operation
of such object;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) includes any human-made object that
is--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) manufactured or assembled in
outer space; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) intended for operations in
outer space other than, and independent of, the
operations of such object in which the
manufacturing or assembly occurred;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) does not include--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) an article aboard a space
object that is only intended for use inside the
space object;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) an article manufactured or
processed in outer space that is a material;
or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) an article intended for use
outside a space object as part of the
authorized operations of the space
object.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the
several States of the United States, the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, and any other commonwealth, territory, or
possession of the United States.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) United states entity.--The term ``United
States entity'' means--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) an individual who is a national of the
United States (as defined in section 101(a) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)));
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) a nongovernmental entity organized or
existing under, and subject to, the laws of the United
States or a State.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. COMMERCIAL SPACE ACTIVITY ADVISORY
COMMITTEE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a
Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee (in this section referred
to as the ``Committee'').</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Membership.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) In general.--The Committee shall be composed
of 15 members appointed by the Secretary.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Qualifications.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) In general.--The Committee shall be
composed of representatives from a variety of space
policy, engineering, technical, science, legal, and
finance fields who have significant experience in the
commercial space industry.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Limitation.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) In general.--Except as
provided in clause (i), the Secretary may not
appoint as a member of the Committee any
employee or official of the Federal
Government.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) Exception.--The Secretary may
appoint as a member of the Committee a special
government employee (as defined in section
202(a) of title 18, United States Code) who
serves on 1 or more other Federal advisory
committees.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Term.--Each individual appointed as a member
of the Committee--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) shall be appointed for a term of 4
years; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) during the 2-year period beginning on
the date on which such term ends, may not serve as a
member of the Committee.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Duties.--The duties of the Committee shall be--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) to advise on the status and recent
developments of nongovernmental space activities;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) to provide to the Secretary and Congress
recommendations on the manner in which the United States may
facilitate and promote a robust and innovative commercial
sector that is investing in, developing, and operating space
objects;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) to identify any challenge faced by the United
States commercial sector relating to--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) international obligations of the
United States relevant to commercial space sector
activities in outer space;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) export controls that affect the
commercial space sector;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) harmful interference with commercial
space sector activities in outer space; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) access to adequate, predictable, and
reliable radio frequency spectrum;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) to review existing best practices for United
States entities to avoid--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the harmful contamination of the Moon
and other celestial bodies; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) adverse changes in the environment of
the Earth resulting from the introduction of
extraterrestrial matter; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) to provide information, advice, and
recommendations on matters relating to--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) United States commercial space sector
activities in outer space; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) other commercial space sector
activities, as the Committee considers
necessary.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (d) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate on the
date that is 10 years after the date on which the Committee is
established.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Space Commerce Advisory Committee
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce, acting through the Office of Space Commerce.
(2) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and any other commonwealth, territory, or possession
of the United States.
(3) United states entity.--The term ``United States
entity'' means--
(A) an individual who is a national of the United
States (as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a))); and
(B) a nongovernmental entity organized or existing
under, and subject to, the laws of the United States or
a State.
SEC. 3. COMMERCIAL SPACE ACTIVITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a Commercial Space
Activity Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the
``Committee'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of 15
members appointed by the Secretary.
(2) Qualifications.--
(A) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of
representatives from a variety of space policy,
engineering, technical, science, legal, academic, and
finance fields who have significant experience in the
commercial space industry, which may include previous
Government experience.
(B) Limitation.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in
clause (i), the Secretary may not appoint as a
member of the Committee any employee or
official of the Federal Government.
(ii) Exception.--The Secretary may appoint
as a member of the Committee a special
government employee (as defined in section
202(a) of title 18, United States Code) who
serves on 1 or more other Federal advisory
committees.
(3) Term.--Each individual appointed as a member of the
Committee--
(A) shall be appointed for a term of not more than
4 years; and
(B) during the 2-year period beginning on the date
on which such term ends, may not serve as a member of
the Committee.
(c) Duties.--The duties of the Committee shall be--
(1) to advise on the status and recent developments of
nongovernmental space activities;
(2) to provide to the Secretary and Congress
recommendations on the manner in which the United States may
facilitate and promote a safe, sustainable, robust,
competitive, and innovative commercial sector that is investing
in, developing, and conducting space activities within the
jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce, including through
the development and implementation of any regulatory framework
applicable to the commercial space industry;
(3) to identify, and provide recommendations in response
to, any challenge faced by the United States commercial sector
relating to--
(A) the application of international obligations of
the United States relevant to commercial space sector
activities in outer space;
(B) export controls that affect the commercial
space sector;
(C) harmful interference with commercial space
sector activities in outer space; and
(D) access to adequate, predictable, and reliable
radio frequency spectrum;
(4) to review existing best practices for United States
entities to avoid--
(A) the harmful contamination of the Moon and other
celestial bodies; and
(B) adverse changes in the environment of the Earth
resulting from the introduction of extraterrestrial
matter; and
(5) to provide information, advice, and recommendations on
matters relating to--
(A) United States commercial space sector
activities in outer space; and
(B) other commercial space sector activities, as
the Committee considers necessary.
(d) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate on the date that is
10 years after the date on which the Committee is established.
Calendar No. 198
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 434
[Report No. 119-87]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 21, 2025
Reported with an amendment