Space Exploration Research Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2351 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2351

To supplement existing lease authorities available to the Administrator 
    of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to support 
       research, education, and training, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 17, 2025

Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mr. Padilla, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Schiff, 
and Mr. Wicker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To supplement existing lease authorities available to the Administrator 
    of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to support 
       research, education, and training, 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 ``Space Exploration Research Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL 
              LEASE AUTHORITY.

    (a) Supplemental Lease Authority.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator of the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in this Act 
        as the ``Administrator'') may, using existing lease authorities 
        available to the Administrator and on such terms as the 
        Administrator considers appropriate, lease, for a term not to 
        exceed 99 years, real property under the jurisdiction of the 
        Administrator to 1 or more entities described in subsection (c) 
        for the purpose of the construction and operation on such real 
        property of 1 or more facilities the purposes of which shall 
        be--
                    (A) to conduct aeronautical and space research;
                    (B) to educate and train individuals for careers in 
                the space industry;
                    (C) to carry out the transfer of aeronautical and 
                space technology between the United States public and 
                domestic private sectors;
                    (D) to conduct scientific, engineering, medical, or 
                academic activities; and
                    (E) to conduct any other space-related activity.
            (2) Renewal.--The Administrator may renew a lease under 
        this subsection for 1 or more additional periods.
    (b) Administrative, Maintenance, and Instructional Support.--
Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator may--
            (1) enter into 1 or more agreements, on such terms as the 
        Administrator considers appropriate, with 1 or more entities 
        described in subsection (c) to lease back real property 
        described in subsection (a), including such real property that 
        has been--
                    (A) leased to a private entity under other lease 
                authority available to the Administrator; and
                    (B) subleased to an entity described in subsection 
                (c);
            (2) enter into 1 or more contracts, grant agreements, 
        cooperative agreements, or other authorized transactions with 
        an entity described in subsection (c) with respect to such 
        property; and
            (3) provide administrative, maintenance, instructional, and 
        other appropriate support, with or without reimbursement, to 
        the 1 or more facilities described in subsection (a).
    (c) Entities Described.--An entity described in this subsection 
is--
            (1) the State in which the real property described in 
        subsection (a) is located;
            (2) a subdivision, agent, or agency of such a State;
            (3) a corporation or foundation organized exclusively for 
        education or scientific purposes that is exempt from taxation 
        under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
        (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)); and
            (4) an institution of higher education (as defined in 
        section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1001)).
    (d) Delegation.--The Administrator may delegate the authorities 
under subsections (a) and (b) to subordinate officers and employees of 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as the Administrator 
considers appropriate.
    (e) Effect of Other Law.--The authority provided by this section 
shall apply--
            (1) regardless of the existing authority used by the 
        Administrator to lease the real property described in 
        subsection (a); and
            (2) notwithstanding any provision of--
                    (A) section 1302 of title 40, United States Code;
                    (B) section 20145 of title 51, United States Code; 
                or
                    (C) section 306121 of title 54, United States Code.
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