RAVES Reporting Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3697 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3697

  To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study, and publish 
    guidance, on the conversion of rural abandoned factories, space 
centers, and military bases into space-related manufacturing facilities 
              and space complexes, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 3, 2025

  Mr. David Scott of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study, and publish 
    guidance, on the conversion of rural abandoned factories, space 
centers, and military bases into space-related manufacturing facilities 
              and space complexes, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural American Vitalization in 
Extraterrestrial Space Reporting Act of 2025'' or the ``RAVES Reporting 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. STUDY AND GUIDANCE ON CONVERSION OF RURAL, ABANDONED FACTORIES 
              INTO SPACE-RELATED MANUFACTURING FACILITIES.

    (a) Study.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Office of 
Local Defense Community Cooperation, and in consultation with the 
Office of Space Affairs of the Department of State and the Small 
Business Development Center of the Small Business Administration, shall 
conduct a study, and publish guidance, on the conversion of abandoned 
factories, space centers, and military bases in rural areas into space-
related manufacturing facilities and space complexes.
    (b) Elements.--The study and guidance required under subsection (a) 
shall include information relating to the following:
            (1) On average and by State, the cost of conversions of 
        abandoned factories, and space centers, and abandoned military 
        bases in rural areas into space-related manufacturing 
        facilities and space complexes.
            (2) Greatest needs for terrestrial space manufacturing.
            (3) Environmental and sustainability concerns relating to 
        such conversions.
            (4) Impact on local economies of region in which such 
        conversions are carried out.
            (5) Technical skills and relevant education needed for 
        construction workers, engineers, scientists, and other elements 
        of the workforce relating to such conversions, as well as for 
        the operation of such facilities.
            (6) Potential for collaboration with local community 
        colleges relating to such conversions.
            (7) Effects of artificial intelligence on workforce 
        development relating to such conversions.
            (8) The number of factories and military bases in rural 
        areas abandoned as of 2025.
            (9) Potential for development within rural communities 
        relating to such conversions.
            (10) Viable sources of potential funding or incentives for 
        private sector entities for such conversions.
            (11) Potential national security implications relating to 
        such conversions, in particular with regard to United States 
        adversaries and the Space Command.
            (12) An estimate of the time required to complete such 
        conversions.
            (13) Input from private and public entities that have 
        collaborated or currently collaborate with the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) regarding space 
        manufacturing.
            (14) An analysis undertaken in consultation with outside 
        experts in the aerospace field on the current state of the 
        aerospace industry in rural areas of the United States, 
        including a description of best practices relating to such 
        conversions.
    (c) Submission to Congress.--The Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to Congress the study and guidance required under subsection (a).
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Abandoned.--The term ``abandoned'' means out of use or 
        underutilized for at least five years, with no apparent plans 
        to restart production or repurpose for other uses.
            (2) Factory.--The term ``factory'' means an industrial 
        facility for manufacturing goods or parts.
            (3) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'', with respect to 
        an abandoned factory, space center, or military base, means 
        such a factory, center, or base, as the case may be, that is 
        located in any area other than--
                    (A) a city or town that has a population of greater 
                than 50,000 inhabitants; or
                    (B) any urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a 
                city or town described in subparagraph (A).
            (4) Space complex.--The term ``space complex'' means a 
        group of buildings designed for the purpose of building 
        spacecraft, instruments, or technologies to study space, or 
        testing or launching such devices.
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