[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 129 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4493-S4494]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SPACE COMMERCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT
Mrs. MOODY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 198, S. 434.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 434) to establish the Commercial Space Activity
Advisory Committee, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill,
which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting
clause and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Space Commerce Advisory
Committee Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce, acting through the Office of Space Commerce.
(2) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, and any other commonwealth,
territory, or possession of the United States.
(3) United states entity.--The term ``United States
entity'' means--
(A) an individual who is a national of the United States
(as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a))); and
(B) a nongovernmental entity organized or existing under,
and subject to, the laws of the United States or a State.
SEC. 3. COMMERCIAL SPACE ACTIVITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a
Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee (in this section
referred to as the ``Committee'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of 15
members appointed by the Secretary.
(2) Qualifications.--
(A) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of
representatives from a variety of space policy, engineering,
technical, science, legal, academic, and finance fields who
have significant experience in the commercial space industry,
which may include previous Government experience.
(B) Limitation.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in clause (i), the
Secretary may not appoint as a member of the Committee any
employee or official of the Federal Government.
(ii) Exception.--The Secretary may appoint as a member of
the Committee a special government employee (as defined in
section 202(a) of title 18, United States Code) who serves on
1 or more other Federal advisory committees.
[[Page S4494]]
(3) Term.--Each individual appointed as a member of the
Committee--
(A) shall be appointed for a term of not more than 4 years;
and
(B) during the 2-year period beginning on the date on which
such term ends, may not serve as a member of the Committee.
(c) Duties.--The duties of the Committee shall be--
(1) to advise on the status and recent developments of
nongovernmental space activities;
(2) to provide to the Secretary and Congress
recommendations on the manner in which the United States may
facilitate and promote a safe, sustainable, robust,
competitive, and innovative commercial sector that is
investing in, developing, and conducting space activities
within the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce,
including through the development and implementation of any
regulatory framework applicable to the commercial space
industry;
(3) to identify, and provide recommendations in response
to, any challenge faced by the United States commercial
sector relating to--
(A) the application of international obligations of the
United States relevant to commercial space sector activities
in outer space;
(B) export controls that affect the commercial space
sector;
(C) harmful interference with commercial space sector
activities in outer space; and
(D) access to adequate, predictable, and reliable radio
frequency spectrum;
(4) to review existing best practices for United States
entities to avoid--
(A) the harmful contamination of the Moon and other
celestial bodies; and
(B) adverse changes in the environment of the Earth
resulting from the introduction of extraterrestrial matter;
and
(5) to provide information, advice, and recommendations on
matters relating to--
(A) United States commercial space sector activities in
outer space; and
(B) other commercial space sector activities, as the
Committee considers necessary.
(d) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate on the date
that is 10 years after the date on which the Committee is
established.
Mrs. MOODY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
committee-reported substitute amendment be withdrawn; that the Peters
substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to; that the bill, as
amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was
withdrawn.
The amendment (No. 6748) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to
as follows:
(Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Space Commerce Advisory
Committee Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce, acting through the Office of Space Commerce.
(2) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, and any other commonwealth,
territory, or possession of the United States.
(3) United states entity.--The term ``United States
entity'' means--
(A) an individual who is a national of the United States
(as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a))); and
(B) a nongovernmental entity organized or existing under,
and subject to, the laws of the United States or a State.
SEC. 3. COMMERCIAL SPACE ACTIVITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a
Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee (in this section
referred to as the ``Committee'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of 15
members appointed by the Secretary.
(2) Qualifications.--
(A) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of
representatives from a variety of space policy, engineering,
technical, science, legal, academic, and finance fields who
have significant experience in the commercial space industry,
which may include previous Government experience.
(B) Limitation.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in clause (ii), the
Secretary may not appoint as a member of the Committee any
employee or official of the Federal Government.
(ii) Exception.--The Secretary may appoint as a member of
the Committee a special government employee (as defined in
section 202(a) of title 18, United States Code) who serves on
1 or more other Federal advisory committees.
(3) Term.--Each individual appointed as a member of the
Committee--
(A) shall be appointed for a term of not more than 4 years;
and
(B) during the 2-year period beginning on the date on which
such term ends, may not serve as a member of the Committee.
(c) Duties.--The duties of the Committee shall be--
(1) to advise on the status and recent developments of
nongovernmental space activities;
(2) to provide to the Secretary and Congress
recommendations on the manner in which the United States may
facilitate and promote a safe, sustainable, robust,
competitive, and innovative commercial sector that is
investing in, developing, and conducting space activities
within the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce,
including through the development and implementation of any
regulatory framework applicable to the commercial space
industry;
(3) to identify, and provide recommendations in response
to, any challenge faced by the United States commercial
sector relating to--
(A) the application of international obligations of the
United States relevant to commercial space sector activities
in outer space;
(B) export controls that affect the commercial space
sector;
(C) harmful interference with commercial space sector
activities in outer space; and
(D) access to adequate, predictable, and reliable radio
frequency spectrum;
(4) to review existing best practices for United States
entities to avoid--
(A) the harmful contamination of the Moon and other
celestial bodies; and
(B) adverse changes in the environment of the Earth
resulting from the introduction of extraterrestrial matter;
and
(5) to provide information, advice, and recommendations on
matters relating to--
(A) United States commercial space sector activities in
outer space; and
(B) other commercial space sector activities, as the
Committee considers necessary.
(d) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate on the date
that is 10 years after the date on which the Committee is
established.
The bill (S. 434), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
____________________