119-s2351

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

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

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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