To authorize the establishment of a Centennial Challenge Prize Program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Amends the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 to provide for a Centennial Challenge Program to award competitive prizes for innovations with the potential for application to the space and aeronautical goals and activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Sets forth program requirements.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5385 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5385

To authorize the establishment of a Centennial Challenge Prize Program 
         at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2004

 Mr. Boehlert introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the establishment of a Centennial Challenge Prize Program 
         at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE PRIZE.

    Title III of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (42 
U.S.C. 2451 et seq.) is amended by adding the following new section:

                      ``centennial challenge prize

    ``Sec. 316. (a) Prize Program.--The Administrator may carry out a 
Program, to be known as the Centennial Challenge Program (referred to 
in this section as `the Program'), to award competitive prizes for 
innovations with the potential for application to the space and 
aeronautical goals and activities of the Administration.
    ``(b) Program Requirements.--(1) The Program shall use a 
competitive process for the selection of prize recipients. The Program 
shall widely advertise and solicit participation in prize competitions.
    ``(2) No individual or entity shall participate in a prize 
competition unless the individual or entity has registered with the 
Program in accordance with requirements established by the 
Administrator. At a minimum those requirements shall--
            ``(A) limit participation in Program competitions to--
                    ``(i) individuals who are citizens of the United 
                States;
                    ``(ii) entities organized or existing under the 
                laws of the United States or a State; and
                    ``(iii) entities organized or existing under the 
                laws of a foreign country if the controlling interest 
                (as defined by the Administrator) is held by an 
                individual or entity described in clause (i) or (ii);
            ``(B) require any individual or entity that registers for a 
        Program competition to assume any and all risks arising from 
        participation in the competition, and to waive any and all 
        claims against the United States Government for damages arising 
        from participation in the competition, including any and all 
        claims for injury, death, damage or loss of property, or loss 
        of revenue or profits, whether direct, indirect, or 
        consequential, whether through negligence or otherwise, except 
        in the case of willful misconduct; and
            ``(C) require any individual or entity that registers for a 
        Program competition to waive claims against any non-Federal 
        entity involved with the Program (such as a private contractor 
        managing a competition for the Program) to the extent the 
        Administrator believes is necessary to protect the interests of 
        the United States Government.
    ``(c) Availability of Funds.--(1) Any funds appropriated to carry 
out this section shall remain available until expended.
    ``(2) Funds appropriated to carry out this section shall not be 
available for any other purpose and shall not be subject to 
reprogramming.
    ``(d) Limitations.--(1) No prize competitions under this section 
may be commenced after Sept. 30, 2006.
    ``(2) No prize offered by the Program may exceed $1,000,000.
    ``(e) Relationship to Other Authority.--The Administrator may 
exercise the authority in this section in conjunction with or in 
addition to any other authority of the Administrator to acquire, 
support, or stimulate innovations with the potential for application to 
the space and aeronautical goals and activities of the United States.
    ``(f) Reports.--(1) The Administrator may not accept any 
registrations for a competition under the Program until 30 days after 
the Administrator has submitted a description of the competition to the 
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. The description 
shall include eligibility criteria for registrants, criteria for 
selecting a winner, and the amount of the prize to be awarded.
    ``(2) In the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning October 
1, 2005, the Administrator shall include an estimate of the amounts 
proposed to be expended on the Program and a list of the competitions 
proposed for that fiscal year.
    ``(3) Not later than December 31, 2006, the Administrator shall 
submit to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an 
accounting of previously appropriated Program funds, including an 
accounting of administrative costs, of amounts remaining that are 
allocated to pending prize competitions, and of amounts remaining that 
are not yet so allocated.''.
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