Senate Report 118-298 - ASTRONAUT SAFE TEMPORARY RIDE OPERATIONS (ASTRO) ACT

[Senate Report 118-298]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

Calendar No. 704
118th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 118-298
_______________________________________________________________________

ASTRONAUT SAFE TEMPORARY RIDE OPERATIONS (ASTRO) ACT

__________

R E P O R T

of the

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

UNITED STATES SENATE

to accompany

H.R. 272

TO AMEND TITLE 31, UNITED STATES CODE, TO AUTHORIZE
TRANSPORTATION FOR GOVERNMENT ASTRONAUTS RETURNING
FROM SPACE BETWEEN THEIR RESIDENCE AND VARIOUS
LOCATIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

December 16, 2024.--Ordered to be printed

_______

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

59-010 WASHINGTON : 2025

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

GARY C. PETERS, Michigan, Chairman
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware RAND PAUL, Kentucky
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada MITT ROMNEY, Utah
JON OSSOFF, Georgia RICK SCOTT, Florida
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
ADAM SCHIFF, California ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas

David M. Weinberg, Staff Director
Alan S. Kahn, Chief Counsel
Lena C. Chang, Director of Governmental Affairs
Chelsea A. Davis, Senior Professional Staff Member
William E. Henderson III, Minority Staff Director
Christina N. Salazar, Minority Chief Counsel
Andrew J. Hopkins, Minority Counsel
Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk

Calendar No. 704
118th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 118-298

======================================================================

ASTRONAUT SAFE TEMPORARY RIDE OPERATIONS (ASTRO) ACT

_______

December 16, 2024.--Ordered to be printed

_______

Mr. Peters, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, submitted the following

R E P O R T

[To accompany H.R. 272]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, to which was referred the bill (H.R. 272) to amend
title 31, United States Code, to authorize transportation for
Government astronauts returning from space between their
residence and various locations, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, reports favorably without amendment and
recommends that the bill do pass.

CONTENTS

Page
I. Purpose and Summary.............................................. 1
II. Background and Need for the Legislation.......................... 2
III. Legislative History.............................................. 2
IV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill, as Reported............. 3
V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact.................................. 3
VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 3
VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 5

I. Purpose and Summary

H.R. 272, the Astronaut Safe Temporary Ride Options (ASTRO)
Act, would streamline NASA Administrator approvals for
transportation of astronauts returning from space prior to
their medical clearance to operate a motor vehicle. This bill
specifically amends title 31, United States Code, to clarify
that post-flight ground transportation of an astronaut for
official duties is transportation for an official purpose. This
bill also requires annual reports on the use of the authority
to provide transportation.

II. Background and Need for the Legislation

The space environment can prompt various physiological
changes, like disrupted equilibrium, vision impairments, muscle
atrophy, and other medical issues that prevent astronauts from
being authorized to drive immediately upon return from
space.\1\ At the same time, post-flight medical evaluations
allow NASA to study the effects of space on the human body,
both to ensure astronaut well-being and inform future
exploration efforts and astronaut care.\2\ To facilitate this
process and ensure astronauts can travel to their required
post-flight medical evaluations, or other official duties, the
NASA Administrator approves the provision of official ground
transportation for returning astronauts until they are
medically cleared to resume driving. Under current law,
however, the approval process is burdensome because the
Administrator must grant such approval for each returning
astronaut on an individual basis.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\How the Human Body Changes in Space, Baylor College of Medicine:
Center for Space Medicine (https://www.bcm.edu/academic-centers/space-
medicine/translational-research-institute/space-health-resources/how-
the-body-changes-in-space) (accessed Oct. 8, 2024).
\2\The Human Body in Space, NASA (Feb. 2, 2021) (https://
www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/the-human-body-in-space/).
\3\31 USC Sec. 1344(a)(2).
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The ASTRO Act streamlines this process, effectively
allowing the NASA Administrator to issue a comprehensive
approval for post-flight ground transportation of astronauts
returning from space, for the purpose of official duties such
as medical treatment, until the astronauts are medically
cleared to drive. This authority would ensure NASA can provide
agency-supported transportation for such astronauts between
their homes and official duties. This bill would not require
additional resources, but would instead eliminate redundant
bureaucracy around the continued provision of safe transport.
The bill would also help ensure continued transparency by
requiring NASA to report annually on the use of this authority.

III. Legislative History

Representative Brian Babin (R-TX-36), the Chairman of the
House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Space and
Aeronautics Subcommittee, introduced H.R. 272, the ASTRO Act,
on January 11, 2023. Representative Jeff Jackson (D-NC-14)
joined as a cosponsor on March 13, 2024. The bill was jointly
referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability
and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. The
House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology considered
H.R. 272 at a business meeting on March 20, 2024 and ordered it
to be reported to the House by a vote of 35 yeas to 0 nays. The
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability considered the
bill at a business meeting on April 10, 2024 and ordered it to
be reported by a vote of 42 yeas to 0 nays. The House of
Representatives considered H.R. 272 on May 6, 2024, under
suspension of the rules, and passed the bill by voice vote.
The bill was received in the Senate on May 7, 2024 and
referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs. The committee considered H.R. 272 at a
business meeting on September 18, 2024. The bill was ordered
reported favorably by roll call vote of 11 yeas to 1 nay, with
Senators Peters, Hassan, Sinema, Rosen, Ossoff, Blumenthal,
Butler, Lankford, Romney, Scott, and Marshall voting in the
affirmative, and Senator Paul voting in the negative. Senators
Carper, Johnson, and Hawley voted yea by proxy, for the record
only.

IV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill, as Reported

Section 1. Short title

This section establishes the short title of the bill as the
``Astronaut Safe Temporary Ride Options Act'' or the ``ASTRO
Act.''

Section 2. Transportation of astronauts returning from space

Subsection (a) amends Section 1344 of title 31, United
States Code, to clarify that post-flight transportation for
government astronauts returning from space, prior to receiving
medical clearance to operate a motor vehicle, is transportation
for an official purpose and therefore eligible for a general
written approval from the NASA Administrator. The section
allows for transportation between the residence of an astronaut
and various locations, if necessary for the performance of
medical research, monitoring, diagnosis, or treatment, or other
official duties.
Subsection (b) requires an annual report to Congress on
NASA's use of this authority, including each instance NASA
provided such official transportation and the total cost.

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact

Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has
considered the regulatory impact of this bill and determined
that the bill will have no regulatory impact within the meaning
of the rules. The Committee agrees with the Congressional
Budget Office's statement that the bill contains no
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs
on state, local, or tribal governments.

VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the
Congressional Budget Office, to the extent practicable, to
prepare estimates of the budgetary effects of legislation
ordered reported by Congressional authorizing committees. In
order to provide the Congress with as much information as
possible, the attached table summarizes information about the
estimated direct spending and revenue effects of some of the
legislation that has been ordered reported by the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs during
the 118th Congress. The legislation listed in this table
generally would have small effects, if any, on direct spending
or revenues, CBO estimates. Where possible, the table also
provides information about the legislation's estimated effects
on spending subject to appropriation and on intergovernmental
and private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act.

Estimated Budgetary Effects and Mandates Information
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Spending
Last Budget Direct Revenues, subject to Pay-as-you-go Budgetary
Bill number Title Status action function spending, 2025-2034 appropriation, procedures effects Mandates Contact
2025-2034 2025-2029 apply? after 2034
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H.R. 272........ ASTRO Act.............. Ordered reported....... 09/18/24 800 0 0 Not Estimated No No No Matthew Pickford
H.R. 272 would authorize the federal government to provide transportation for government astronauts after they return to Earth until they are medically cleared to operate a
motor vehicle. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 272 would not affect direct spending or revenues. CBO has not estimated the legislation's effect on spending subject to
appropriation. The legislation contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
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VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in brackets, new matter is
printed in italic, and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):

UNITED STATES CODE

* * * * * * *

TITLE 31--MONEY AND FINANCE

* * * * * * *

Subtitle II--The Budget Process

* * * * * * *

CHAPTER 13--APPROPRIATIONS

* * * * * * *

Subchapter III--Limtations, Exceptions, and Penalties

* * * * * * *

SEC. 1344. PASSENGER CARRIER USE.

(a)(1) * * *
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), transportation
between the residence of an officer or employee and
various locations that is--
(A) required for the performance of field
work, in accordance with regulations prescribed
pursuant to subsection (e) of this section,
[or]
(B) essential for the safe and efficient
performance of intelligence,
counterintelligence, protective services, or
criminal law enforcement duties, or
transportation of federally owned canines
associated with force protection duties of any
part of the intelligence community (as defined
in section 3 of the National Security Act of
1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003)), or
(C) necessary for post-flight transportation
of Government astronauts, and others subject to
reimbursable arrangements, returning from space
for the performance of medical research,
monitoring, diagnosis, or treatment, or other
official duties, prior to receiving post-flight
medical clearance to operate a motor vehicle,
is transportation for an official purpose, when
approved in writing by the head of the Federal
agency.

* * * * * * *

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