[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 171 (Monday, December 31, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8608-S8609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXTENDING THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SPACE LAUNCH LIABILITY PROVISIONS

  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6586, which is at the 
desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.

[[Page S8609]]

  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 6586) to extend the application of certain 
     space launch liability provisions through 2014.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Nelson-
Hutchison substitute amendment which is at the desk be agreed to; the 
bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate; and that any statements relating to this measure be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3449) was agreed to, as follows:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Space Exploration 
     Sustainability Act''.

     SEC. 2. ASSURANCE OF CORE CAPABILITIES.

       Section 203 of the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18313) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Sense of Congress Regarding Human Space Flight 
     Capability Assurance.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
     Administrator shall proceed with the utilization of the ISS, 
     technology development, and follow-on transportation systems 
     (including the Space Launch System, multi-purpose crew 
     vehicle, and commercial crew and cargo transportation 
     capabilities) under titles III and IV of this Act in a manner 
     that ensures--
         ``(1) that these capabilities remain inherently 
     complementary and interrelated;
         ``(2) a balance of the development, sustainment, and use 
     of each of these capabilities, which are of critical 
     importance to the viability and sustainability of the U.S. 
     space program; and
         ``(3) that resources required to support the timely and 
     sustainable development of these capabilities authorized in 
     either title III or title IV of this Act are not derived from 
     a reduction in resources for the capabilities authorized in 
     the other title.''.
       ``(d) Limitation--Nothing in subsection (c) shall apply to 
     or affect any capability authorized by any other title of 
     this Act.''

     SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN SPACE LAUNCH LIABILITY 
                   PROVISIONS.

       Section 50915(f) of title 51, United States Code, is 
     amended by striking ``December 31, 2012'' and inserting 
     ``December 31, 2013''.

     SEC. 4. EXEMPTION FROM INKSNA.

       Section 7(1)(B) of the Iran, North Korea, and Syria 
     Nonproliferation Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended--
         (1) by striking ``, or for the purchase of goods or 
     services relating to human space flight, that are''; and
         (2) by striking ``prior to July 1, 2016'' and inserting 
     ``prior to December 31, 2020''.
  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill was read the third time.
  The bill (H.R. 6586), as amended, was passed.

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