[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 29, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRAHAM:
  S. 2316. A bill to authorize the lease of real and personal property 
under the jurisdiction of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation.


                    commercial space partnership act

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the 
Commercial Space Partnership Act--legislation to encourage the 
commercial development of space through the long term lease of real and 
personal property held by the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA).
  The Cox Commission Report identified the need to expand domestic 
launch capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand for commercial U.S. 
launch services. It is vital that we increase our domestic launch 
capacity, reduce our dependence on foreign launch providers and help 
eliminate the transfer of critical U.S. technology. The Cox Report 
specifically recommended that congressional committees ``report 
legislation to encourage and stimulate further the expansion of such 
capacity of competition.''
  Mr. President, the Commercial Space Partnership Act is the third 
piece of legislation I have introduced with the goal of increasing our 
domestic launch capacity. The first was the Commercial Space Act, which 
became law in 1998. The Act helped break the federal government's 
monopoly on space travel by establishing a licensing framework for the 
private sector's reusable launch vehicles. It also provided for the 
conversion of excess ballistic missiles into space transportation 
vehicles, thus helping to reduce our nation's cost of access to space.
  Last year, along with a similar bipartisan coalition, I introduced 
the Spaceport Investment Act. This bill would allow spaceports to issue 
tax-free bonds to attract private sector investment dollars for launch 
infrastructure. It achieves the dual purpose of reducing pressure on 
the federal budget while stimulating this crucial industry.
  Mr. President, the third leg of this effort is the Commercial Space 
Partnership Act. Presently, NASA holds real and personal property that 
would be invaluable in developing new domestic launch resources. At the 
same time, however, NASA has no appropriations with which to cover the 
costs that result from integrating new commercial launch facilities 
into its existing infrastructure. The Commercial Space Partnership Act 
is designed to resolve this problem by allowing public and private 
interests with development money to lease property from NASA for the 
purpose of expanding commercial launch capacity, and by permitting NASA 
to make use of some of the lease proceeds to cover the resulting costs 
it incurs.
  The Commercial Space Partnership Act will empower NASA to assist the 
commercial space industry in expanding the domestic launch capacity at 
no cost to the taxpayer. Under this new lease authority, NASA will 
receive fair market value for its property and will further be 
empowered to apply the lease proceeds to cover the full costs resulting 
from the integration of the new commercial launch facilities into 
NASA's existing infrastructure. The Act further provides that any lease 
proceeds in excess of NASA's full costs shall be forwarded to the U.S. 
Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.
  The fair market value approach also ensures that NASA property will 
be leased to industry at a price which is comparable to other similar 
commercial properties. NASA's property will thereby be leased in a fair 
and equitable manner that will give in an unfair advantage to those 
with preexisting launch facilities in commercial locations.
  Mr. President, the Commercial Space Partnership Act can only 
encourage and stimulate the domestic launch capacity of our country. I 
urge my colleagues in the Senate to join us in this important effort by 
co-sponsoring this bill.
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