[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 582 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 582

To provide for the authorized use of Federal vehicle transportation by 
                          certain astronauts.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 13, 2025

 Mr. Cruz (for himself and Mr. Peters) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the authorized use of Federal vehicle transportation by 
                          certain astronauts.

    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 ``Astronaut Ground Travel Support 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PASSENGER CARRIER USE FOR ASTRONAUT TRANSPORTATION.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter III of chapter 201 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 20150. Passenger carrier use for astronaut transportation
    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Government astronaut; international partner 
        astronaut; space flight participant; space support vehicle.--
        The terms `government astronaut', `international partner 
        astronaut', `space flight participant', and `space support 
        vehicle' have the meanings given such terms in section 50902.
            ``(2) Mission.--The term `mission' means an assignment to a 
        space support vehicle of one or more--
                    ``(A) government astronauts in the course of their 
                employment; or
                    ``(B) space flight participants.
            ``(3) Official purpose.--With respect to transportation, 
        the term `official purpose' means transportation necessary for 
        post-mission activities, including medical research, 
        monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of a government astronaut 
        or space flight participant before receiving post-mission 
        medical clearance to operate a motor vehicle.
            ``(4) Passenger carrier.--The term `passenger carrier' 
        means a passenger motor vehicle, aircraft, boat, vessel, or 
        other similar means of transportation that is owned or leased 
        by the United States Government.
    ``(b) Authority.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator may authorize the use 
        of a passenger carrier to transport a government astronaut or 
        space flight participant between the residence of the 
        individual and various locations if--
                    ``(A) such transportation is provided for an 
                official purpose; and
                    ``(B) the Chief of the Astronaut Office has 
                approved, in writing, post-mission transportation of 
                government astronauts and space flight participants 
                under this section.
            ``(2) Maintenance, operation, and repair.--The 
        Administrator may maintain, operate, and repair one or more 
        passenger carriers for the purpose of providing transportation 
        pursuant to the authority provided in paragraph (1).
    ``(c) Reimbursement.--Transportation under subsection (b)(1) of an 
international partner astronaut or a space flight participant who is 
not an employee of the United States Government shall be subject to 
reimbursement to the Treasury.
    ``(d) Regulations.--The Administrator shall promulgate such 
regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.
    ``(e) Applicability of Section 1344 of Title 31.--In carrying out 
subsection (b), the Administrator may expend funds available to the 
Administration, by appropriation or otherwise, notwithstanding section 
1344(a) of title 31.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for chapter 201 of 
title 51, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 20149 the following:

``20150. Passenger carrier use for astronaut transportation.''.
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