[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4595-S4596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 710. Mr. STRANGE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. EVOLVED EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE MODERNIZATION AND 
                   SUSTAINMENT OF ASSURED ACCESS TO SPACE.

       (a) Development.--
       (1) Evolved expendable launch vehicle.--Using funds 
     described in paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense may only 
     obligate or expend funds to carry out the evolved expendable 
     launch vehicle program to--
       (A) develop a domestic rocket propulsion system to replace 
     non-allied space launch engines;
       (B) develop the necessary interfaces to, or integration of, 
     such domestic rocket propulsion system with an existing or 
     new launch vehicle;
       (C) develop capabilities necessary to enable new or 
     existing commercially available space launch vehicles or 
     infrastructure to meet any requirements that are unique to 
     national security space missions to meet the assured access 
     to space requirements pursuant to section 2273 of title 10, 
     United States Code, with respect to only--
       (i) modifications to such vehicles required for national 
     security space missions, including--

       (I) certification and compliance of such vehicles for use 
     in national security space missions;
       (II) fairings necessary for the launch of national security 
     space payloads to orbit; and
       (III) other upgrades to meet performance, reliability, and 
     orbital requirements that cannot otherwise be met through the 
     use of new or existing commercially available launch 
     vehicles; and

       (ii) the development of infrastructure necessary for 
     national security space missions, such as infrastructure for 
     the use of heavy launch vehicles, including--

       (I) facilities and equipment for the vertical integration 
     of payloads;
       (II) secure facilities for the processing of classified 
     payloads; and
       (III) other facilities and equipment, including ground 
     systems and expanded capabilities, unique to national 
     security space launches and the launch of national security 
     payloads;

       (D) conduct activities to modernize and improve existing 
     certified launch vehicles, or existing launch vehicles 
     previously contracted for use by the Air Force, including

[[Page S4596]]

     restarting a dormant supply chain, and infrastructure to 
     increase the cost effectiveness of the launch system;
       (E) certify new, modified, or existing launch vehicle 
     systems; or
       (F) develop, design, and integrate parts for new launch 
     vehicle systems necessary for national security use.
       (2) Funds described.--The funds described in this paragraph 
     are the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or 
     otherwise made available for fiscal year 2018 for research, 
     development, test, and evaluation, Air Force, for the evolved 
     expendable launch vehicle program.
       (b) Other Authorities.--Nothing in this section shall 
     affect or prohibit the Secretary from procuring launch 
     services of evolved expendable launch vehicle launch systems, 
     including with respect to any associated operation and 
     maintenance of capabilities and infrastructure relating to 
     such systems.
       (c) Notification.--Not later than 30 days before any date 
     on which the Secretary publishes a draft or final request for 
     proposals, or obligates funds, for the development under 
     subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall notify the 
     congressional defense committees of such proposed draft or 
     final request for proposals or proposed obligation, as the 
     case may be. If such proposed draft or final request for 
     proposals or proposed obligation relates to intelligence 
     requirements, the Secretary shall also notify the Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
     Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of 
     the Senate.
       (d) Assessment.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination 
     with the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, 
     shall submit to the congressional defense committees, the 
     Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
     Representatives, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of 
     the Senate a report containing an assessment of the most 
     cost-effective method to meet the assured access to space 
     requirements pursuant to section 2273 of title 10, United 
     States Code, with respect to each of the following periods:
       (1) The five-year period beginning on the date of the 
     report.
       (2) The 10-year period beginning on the date of the report.
       (3) The period consisting of the full lifecycle of the 
     evolved expendable launch vehicle program.
       (e) Rocket Propulsion System Defined.--In this section, the 
     term ``rocket propulsion system'' means, with respect to the 
     development authorized by subsection (a)(1), a main booster, 
     first-stage rocket engine (including such an engine using 
     kerosene or methane-based or other propellant) or motor. The 
     term does not include a launch vehicle, an upper stage, a 
     strap-on motor, or related infrastructure.
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