[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2607 Engrossed Amendment Senate (EAS)]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

                  In the Senate of the United States,

                      October 13 (legislative day, September 22), 2000.
    Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 
2607) entitled ``An Act to promote the development of the commercial 
space transportation industry, to authorize appropriations for the 
Office of the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space 
Transportation, to authorize appropriations for the Office of Space 
Commercialization, and for other purposes.'', do pass with the 
following

                               AMENDMENT:

            Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Commercial Space Transportation 
Competitiveness Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) a robust United States space transportation industry is 
        vital to the Nation's economic well-being and national 
        security;
            (2) enactment of a 5-year extension of the excess third 
        party claims payment provision of chapter 701 of title 49, 
        United States Code (Commercial Space Launch Activities), will 
        have a beneficial impact on the international competitiveness 
        of the United States space transportation industry;
            (3) space transportation may evolve into airplane-style 
        operations;
            (4) during the next 3 years the Federal Government and the 
        private sector should analyze the liability risk-sharing regime 
        to determine its appropriateness and effectiveness, and, if 
        needed, develop and propose a new regime to Congress at least 2 
        years prior to the expiration of the extension contained in 
        this Act;
            (5) the areas of responsibility of the Office of the 
        Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation 
        have significantly increased as a result of--
                    (A) the rapidly expanding commercial space 
                transportation industry and associated government 
                licensing requirements;
                    (B) regulatory activity as a result of the emerging 
                commercial reusable launch vehicle industry; and
                    (C) the increased regulatory activity associated 
                with commercial operation of launch and reentry sites; 
                and
            (6) the Office of the Associate Administrator for 
        Commercial Space Transportation should continue to limit its 
        promotional activities to those which support its regulatory 
        mission.

SEC. 3. OFFICE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION.

    (a) Amendment.--Section 70119 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 70119. Office of Commercial Space Transportation
    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Transportation for the activities of the Office of the Associate 
Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation--
            ``(1) $12,607,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
            ``(2) $16,478,000 for fiscal year 2002.''.
    (b) Table of Sections Amendment.--The item relating to section 
70119 in the table of sections of chapter 701 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows:

``70119. Office of Commercial Space Transportation.''.

SEC. 4. OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce for the activities of the 
Office of Space Commercialization--
            (1) $590,000 for fiscal year 2001;
            (2) $608,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
            (3) $626,000 for fiscal year 2003.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall transmit to 
the Congress a report on the Office of Space Commercialization 
detailing the activities of the Office, the materials produced by the 
Office, the extent to which the Office has fulfilled the functions 
established for it by the Congress, and the extent to which the Office 
has participated in interagency efforts.

SEC. 5. COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION INDEMNIFICATION EXTENSION.

    (a) In General.--If, on the date of enactment of this Act, section 
70113(f) of title 49, United States Code, has not been amended by the 
Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and 
Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, then that section is 
amended by striking ``December 31, 2000'' and inserting ``December 31, 
2004''.
    (b) Amendment of Modified Section.--If, on the date of enactment of 
this Act, section 70113(f) of title 49, United States Code, has been 
amended by the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban 
Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, then 
that section is amended by striking ``December 31, 2001'' and inserting 
``December 31, 2004''.

SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT TO SECTION 70113 OF TITLE 49.

    (a) Section 70113 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``------, 19----.','' in subsection (e)(1)(A) and inserting 
``------, 20----.',''.
    (b) The amendment made by subsection (a) takes effect on January 1, 
2000.

SEC. 7. LIABILITY REGIME FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION.

    (a) Report Requirement.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
transmit to the Congress a report on the liability risk-sharing regime 
in the United States for commercial space transportation.
    (b) Contents.--The report required by this section shall--
            (1) analyze the adequacy, propriety, and effectiveness of, 
        and the need for, the current liability risk-sharing regime in 
        the United States for commercial space transportation;
            (2) examine the current liability and liability risk-
        sharing regimes in other countries with space transportation 
        capabilities;
            (3) examine the appropriateness of deeming all space 
        transportation activities to be ``ultrahazardous activities'' 
        for which a strict liability standard may be applied and which 
        liability regime should attach to space transportation 
        activities, whether ultrahazardous activities or not;
            (4) examine the effect of relevant international treaties 
        on the Federal Government's liability for commercial space 
        launches and how the current domestic liability risk-sharing 
        regime meets or exceeds the requirements of those treaties;
            (5) examine the appropriateness, as commercial reusable 
        launch vehicles enter service and demonstrate improved safety 
        and reliability, of evolving the commercial space 
        transportation liability regime towards the approach of the 
        airline liability regime;
            (6) examine the need for changes to the Federal 
        Government's indemnification policy to accommodate the risks 
        associated with commercial spaceport operations; and
            (7) recommend appropriate modifications to the commercial 
        space transportation liability regime and the actions required 
        to accomplish those modifications.
    (c) Sections.--The report required by this section shall contain 
sections expressing the views and recommendations of--
            (1) interested Federal agencies, including--
                    (A) the Office of the Associate Administrator for 
                Commercial Space Transportation;
                    (B) the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration;
                    (C) the Department of Defense; and
                    (D) the Office of Space Commercialization; and
            (2) the public, received as a result of notice in Commerce 
        Business Daily, the Federal Register, and appropriate Federal 
        agency Internet websites.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF INTERAGENCY SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL POSITIONING 
              SYSTEM.

    The use of interagency funding and other forms of support is hereby 
authorized by Congress for the functions and activities of the 
Interagency Global Positioning System Executive Board, including an 
Executive Secretariat to be housed at the Department of Commerce.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
106th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2607

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                               AMENDMENT