Bill Sponsor
House Bill 8958
118th Congress(2023-2024)
NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024
Active
Active
Passed House on Sep 23, 2024
Overview
Text
Introduced
Jul 9, 2024
Latest Action
Sep 24, 2024
Origin Chamber
House
Type
Bill
Bill
The primary form of legislative measure used to propose law. Depending on the chamber of origin, bills begin with a designation of either H.R. or S. Joint resolution is another form of legislative measure used to propose law.
Bill Number
8958
Congress
118
Policy Area
Science, Technology, Communications
Science, Technology, Communications
Primary focus of measure is natural sciences, space exploration, research policy and funding, research and development, STEM education, scientific cooperation and communication; technology policies, telecommunication, information technology; digital media, journalism. Measures concerning scientific education may fall under Education policy area.
Sponsorship by Party
Republican
Oklahoma
Democrat
California
House Votes (1)
Senate Votes (0)
checkPassed on September 23, 2024
Question
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended
Status
Passed
Type
Roll Call Vote
Roll Call Vote
A vote that records the individual position of each Member who voted. Such votes occurring on the House floor (by the "yeas and nays" or by "recorded vote") are taken by electronic device. The Senate has no electronic voting system; in such votes, Senators answer "yea" or "nay" as the clerk calls each name aloud. Each vote is compiled by clerks and receives a roll call number (referenced in Congress.gov as a "Record Vote" [Senate] or "Roll no." [House]).
Roll Call Type
2/3 Yea-And-Nay
Roll Number
441
House Roll Call Votes
Summary

NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024

This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 the programs and activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It also establishes and revises various NASA programs relating to space exploration, research, and technology.

For example, the bill directs NASA to continue its efforts to support crewed lunar landings and Mars explorations, including through partnerships with the private sector (i.e., the Moon to Mars and Artemis programs). NASA must report on certain details of these partnerships, including the respective amounts of government and private sector contributions.

The bill also provides for private sector involvement with the International Space Station (ISS), including authorizing private sector missions to the ISS to advance commercial spaceflight and requiring NASA to partner with the private sector to support the eventual deorbiting of the ISS.

In addition, NASA must continue to support improvements to space technology, including lunar communications. NASA must also evaluate and conduct research programs relating to experimental aircrafts, hypersonic research, and unmanned aircraft systems (i.e., drones).

The bill also establishes certain requirements relating to earth science and monitoring, including requiring NASA to evaluate greenhouse gas detection capabilities and to distribute relevant earth science data to the agricultural industry. It also provides statutory authority for the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Program, which supports NASA's earth science research.

Finally, the bill requires several reports and evaluations of NASA programs and policies, including an external review of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program and a report on NASA's early cost estimates for missions.

Text (4)
September 24, 2024
September 23, 2024
September 23, 2024
Actions (15)