A bill to authorize appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002, and for other purposes.
Subtitle B: Limitations and Special Authority - Sets forth limitations on and special authorities for the use of funds, with prior notice to Congress: (1) for the construction of new facilities and the repair, rehabilitation, or modification of existing facilities; and (2) in excess of authorizations or for programs not funded by the Congress.
Title II: International Space Station - Prohibits funds or in-kind payments from being transferred to any Russian Government entity or Russian contractor to perform work on the International Space Station which the Russian Government pledged to provide at its expense. Sets forth specified exceptions.
(Sec. 201) Directs the Administrator of NASA to develop and deliver to Congress a contingency plan for the removal or replacement of each Russian Government element of the International Space Station that lies in the Station's critical path, as well as Russian space launch services.
Directs the Administrator to report bimonthly, on or before December 1, 1999, and until substantial completion of the assembly of the Space Station, to Congress on whether or not the Russians have performed work expected of them and necessary to complete the Space Station.
Directs the President to notify Congress of the decision on whether or not to proceed with permanent replacement of the Russian Service Module, other Russian elements in the critical path of the Space Station, or Russian launch services.
(Sec. 202) Limits (excluding funding and costs of the Station and space shuttle launch with respect to operations, research, and crew return activities subsequent to substantial completion of the Space Station) the total amount that may be appropriated for: (1) assembly costs of the Space Station; and (2) space shuttle launch costs in connection with Space Station assembly. Provides for increases attributable to: (1) inflation; (2) compliance with changes in Federal, State, or local laws enacted; (3) the lack of performance or the termination of participation of any of the participating countries; and (4) the incorporation of new technologies.
Requires the Administrator to provide written notices of such increases to specified congressional committees. Requires the Administrator, as part of the annual Shuttle program and Station budget request, to identify the costs for assembly and development of the Space Station.
(Sec. 203) Authorizes the Administrator to reciprocally waive claims with cooperating parties under which each party agrees to be responsible for damage or loss to its property, or for losses resulting from injury or death sustained by its employees, as a result of activities related to the Space Station Program.
Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions - Amends the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 to require: (1) the President to submit to Congress the annual aeronautics and space report in May (currently, January); and (2) such report to address activities on a fiscal (currently, calendar) year basis. Permits the Administrator to delay, for up to five years after development, the unrestricted public disclosure of technical data generated in the performance of experimental, developmental, or research activities or programs conducted or funded by NASA if such data would have been a trade secret or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) if it had been obtained from a non-Federal party. Declares that such data shall not be subject to FOIA disclosure requirements.
(Sec. 302) Requires the Administrator to consider closed military installations and excess or underutilized Government facilities for meeting NASA's requirements. Encourages NASA to make the underutilized Stennis Space Center infrastructure available for launch vehicle development activities if so requested by the U.S. space launch industry, and to notify the Science Committees if existing Administration authority is insufficient for this purpose.
(Sec. 304) Requires the Administrator to provide notice to the House and Senate Science Committees and Appropriations Committees on reprogramming and reorganization matters.
(Sec. 305) Expresses the sense of Congress regarding NASA's assessing, correcting, and developing contingency plans for its year 2000 (Y2K) date-related computer problem.
(Sec. 306) Amends the Unitary Wind Tunnel Plan Act of 1949 to include hypersonic wind tunnel construction within the scope of covered research and development facilities.
(Sec. 307) Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator should donate educationally useful Federal equipment to schools to enhance science and mathematics programs. Requires the Administrator to report annually on such donations to Congress.
(Sec. 308) Amends the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 to permit the Administrator to vest title in tangible personal property to a participant in a cooperative agreement if the participant's primary purpose is research or technology development.
(Sec. 309) Amends the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 to modify the applicability and cost limits of, and extend the authority for, the NASA Mid-Range Procurement Test Program.
(Sec. 310) Amends Federal law to prohibit the launch of a payload containing material for obtrusive space advertising. Requests the President to negotiate with foreign launching nations for the purpose of reaching agreements prohibiting the use of outer space for obtrusive space advertising, and expresses the sense of Congress that the President should take action to enforce the terms of any such agreement.
Became Public Law No: 106-391.
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1151)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce.
Committee on Commerce. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
Committee on Commerce. Reported to Senate by Senator McCain with amendments. With written report No. 106-77.
Committee on Commerce. Reported to Senate by Senator McCain with amendments. With written report No. 106-77.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 155.
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