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S 434 · 119th Congress · Science, Technology, Communications

Space Commerce Advisory Committee Act

Introduced February 05, 2025 Latest action October 21, 2025 1 cosponsor

Sponsor

Latest action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 198.

Action timeline

Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.

Oct 21, 2025
committee Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-87.
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Oct 21, 2025
other Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 198.
Jun 25, 2025
committee Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Feb 05, 2025
introduced Introduced in Senate
Feb 05, 2025
introduced Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Text versions

Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.

Oct 21, 2025 Reported to Senate
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Feb 05, 2025 Introduced in Senate
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CRS summaries

Plain-English summaries written by the Congressional Research Service — neutral, nonpartisan staff who summarize bills as they advance through stages. The authoritative description of what each version of the bill does.

via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov

Changelog
ⓘ

How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.

  1. ih / is — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.
  2. rfh / rfs — Referred to a committee for review.
  3. rh / rs — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).
  4. pcs / pch — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.
  5. eh / es — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.
  6. rdh / rds — Received by the other chamber.
  7. eah / eas — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.
  8. ath / ats — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.
  9. enr — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.
  10. pl — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.
  11. pp — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.

Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.

Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.

→
+185 −44 55 unchanged
--- Introduced (Senate)
+++ Reported (Senate)
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
-[S. 434 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
+[S. 434 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
+Calendar No. 198
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 434
+[Report No. 119-87]
+
To establish the Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee, and for
other purposes.
@@ -20,6 +23,12 @@
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
+October 21, 2025
+
+Reported by Mr. Cruz, with an amendment
+[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
+in italic]
+
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
@@ -29,6 +38,139 @@
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
+
+<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Space Commerce Advisory
+Committee Act''.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the
+Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Office of Space
+Commerce.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (2) Space object.--The term ``space object''--
+</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (A) means--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (i) a human-made object located in
+outer space, including on the Moon or other
+celestial bodies, with or without human
+occupants, that was launched from Earth, such
+as a satellite or a spacecraft, including
+component parts of the object; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (ii) all items carried on such
+object that are intended for use in outer space
+outside of, and independent of, the operation
+of such object;</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (B) includes any human-made object that
+is--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (i) manufactured or assembled in
+outer space; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (ii) intended for operations in
+outer space other than, and independent of, the
+operations of such object in which the
+manufacturing or assembly occurred;
+and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (C) does not include--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (i) an article aboard a space
+object that is only intended for use inside the
+space object;</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (ii) an article manufactured or
+processed in outer space that is a material;
+or</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (iii) an article intended for use
+outside a space object as part of the
+authorized operations of the space
+object.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the
+several States of the United States, the District of Columbia,
+the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
+Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern
+Mariana Islands, and any other commonwealth, territory, or
+possession of the United States.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (4) United states entity.--The term ``United
+States entity'' means--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (A) an individual who is a national of the
+United States (as defined in section 101(a) of the
+Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)));
+and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (B) a nongovernmental entity organized or
+existing under, and subject to, the laws of the United
+States or a State.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED>SEC. 3. COMMERCIAL SPACE ACTIVITY ADVISORY
+COMMITTEE.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED> (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
+of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a
+Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee (in this section referred
+to as the ``Committee'').</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (b) Membership.--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (1) In general.--The Committee shall be composed
+of 15 members appointed by the Secretary.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (2) Qualifications.--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (A) In general.--The Committee shall be
+composed of representatives from a variety of space
+policy, engineering, technical, science, legal, and
+finance fields who have significant experience in the
+commercial space industry.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (B) Limitation.--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (i) In general.--Except as
+provided in clause (i), the Secretary may not
+appoint as a member of the Committee any
+employee or official of the Federal
+Government.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (ii) Exception.--The Secretary may
+appoint as a member of the Committee a special
+government employee (as defined in section
+202(a) of title 18, United States Code) who
+serves on 1 or more other Federal advisory
+committees.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (3) Term.--Each individual appointed as a member
+of the Committee--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (A) shall be appointed for a term of 4
+years; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (B) during the 2-year period beginning on
+the date on which such term ends, may not serve as a
+member of the Committee.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (c) Duties.--The duties of the Committee shall be--
+</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (1) to advise on the status and recent
+developments of nongovernmental space activities;</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (2) to provide to the Secretary and Congress
+recommendations on the manner in which the United States may
+facilitate and promote a robust and innovative commercial
+sector that is investing in, developing, and operating space
+objects;</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (3) to identify any challenge faced by the United
+States commercial sector relating to--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (A) international obligations of the
+United States relevant to commercial space sector
+activities in outer space;</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (B) export controls that affect the
+commercial space sector;</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (C) harmful interference with commercial
+space sector activities in outer space; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (D) access to adequate, predictable, and
+reliable radio frequency spectrum;</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (4) to review existing best practices for United
+States entities to avoid--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (A) the harmful contamination of the Moon
+and other celestial bodies; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (B) adverse changes in the environment of
+the Earth resulting from the introduction of
+extraterrestrial matter; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (5) to provide information, advice, and
+recommendations on matters relating to--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (A) United States commercial space sector
+activities in outer space; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (B) other commercial space sector
+activities, as the Committee considers
+necessary.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (d) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate on the
+date that is 10 years after the date on which the Committee is
+established.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
@@ -40,41 +182,13 @@
In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce, acting through the Office of Space Commerce.
-(2) Space object.--The term ``space object''--
-(A) means--
-(i) a human-made object located in outer
-space, including on the Moon or other celestial
-bodies, with or without human occupants, that
-was launched from Earth, such as a satellite or
-a spacecraft, including component parts of the
-object; and
-(ii) all items carried on such object that
-are intended for use in outer space outside of,
-and independent of, the operation of such
-object;
-(B) includes any human-made object that is--
-(i) manufactured or assembled in outer
-space; and
-(ii) intended for operations in outer space
-other than, and independent of, the operations
-of such object in which the manufacturing or
-assembly occurred; and
-(C) does not include--
-(i) an article aboard a space object that
-is only intended for use inside the space
-object;
-(ii) an article manufactured or processed
-in outer space that is a material; or
-(iii) an article intended for use outside a
-space object as part of the authorized
-operations of the space object.
-(3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
+(2) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and any other commonwealth, territory, or possession
of the United States.
-(4) United states entity.--The term ``United States
+(3) United states entity.--The term ``United States
entity'' means--
(A) an individual who is a national of the United
States (as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration
@@ -95,9 +209,10 @@
(2) Qualifications.--
(A) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of
representatives from a variety of space policy,
-engineering, technical, science, legal, and finance
-fields who have significant experience in the
-commercial space industry.
+engineering, technical, science, legal, academic, and
+finance fields who have significant experience in the
+commercial space industry, which may include previous
+Government experience.
(B) Limitation.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in
clause (i), the Secretary may not appoint as a
@@ -111,7 +226,8 @@
committees.
(3) Term.--Each individual appointed as a member of the
Committee--
-(A) shall be appointed for a term of 4 years; and
+(A) shall be appointed for a term of not more than
+4 years; and
(B) during the 2-year period beginning on the date
on which such term ends, may not serve as a member of
the Committee.
@@ -120,14 +236,18 @@
nongovernmental space activities;
(2) to provide to the Secretary and Congress
recommendations on the manner in which the United States may
-facilitate and promote a robust and innovative commercial
-sector that is investing in, developing, and operating space
-objects;
-(3) to identify any challenge faced by the United States
-commercial sector relating to--
-(A) international obligations of the United States
-relevant to commercial space sector activities in outer
-space;
+facilitate and promote a safe, sustainable, robust,
+competitive, and innovative commercial sector that is investing
+in, developing, and conducting space activities within the
+jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce, including through
+the development and implementation of any regulatory framework
+applicable to the commercial space industry;
+(3) to identify, and provide recommendations in response
+to, any challenge faced by the United States commercial sector
+relating to--
+(A) the application of international obligations of
+the United States relevant to commercial space sector
+activities in outer space;
(B) export controls that affect the commercial
space sector;
(C) harmful interference with commercial space
@@ -149,4 +269,25 @@
the Committee considers necessary.
(d) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate on the date that is
10 years after the date on which the Committee is established.
-<all>
+Calendar No. 198
+
+119th CONGRESS
+
+1st Session
+
+S. 434
+
+[Report No. 119-87]
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+A BILL
+
+To establish the Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee, and for
+other purposes.
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+October 21, 2025
+
+Reported with an amendment

Cosponsors (1)

Members who signed on to support this bill.

Wicker R