Arcuri (NY)

#7

Amends Title IV, Section 407 to require the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to examine the feasibility of contracting non-federal actors to disseminate images and multi-media records delivered from space to the public as part of NASA’s participatory exploration technology plan.  Additionally, the amendment would require NASA to employ a transparent bidding process to award any such contracts, pursuant to U.S. law.

Braley (IA)

#2

Directs NASA to prioritize any existing cooperatives with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that are related to the study of tornadoes and tornado force winds with the goal of determining the nation’s ability to predict tornado events.  The amendment would also require NASA to examine if there are other areas where NASA can work with NOAA in the area of tornado research.

DeFazio (OR)

#15

(REVISED) Requires CBO to update their report from 2004 on the budgetary analysis of the NASA’s Vision for the Nation's Space Exploration Program. This report is to be completed in 6 months.

Gingrey (GA)/Shadegg (AZ)/Blackburn (TN)/Hensarling (TX)/Bishop, Rob (UT)/Conaway (TX)

#5

Repeals section 526 of the Energy Independence and Income Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-140), which prohibits federal agencies from purchasing alternative or synthetic fuels unless the greenhouse gas emissions of such fuel are less than the emissions of conventional fuel produced from conventional petroleum sources.

Gingrey (GA)/Shadegg (AZ)/Bishop, Rob (UT)

#6

Provides waiver authority to the NASA Administrator (or designee) to section 526 of the Energy Independence Act of 2007 (procurement and acquisition of alternative fuels) if such a waiver is deemed necessary by the Administrator, in his/her sole discretion, to further the mission of NASA.

Gordon (TN)

#13

Includes a provision related to coordination with the FAA on sonic boom research.  It also replaces Secs. 305 and 306 with equivalent language from Secs. 903 and 905 respectively of the House-passed FAA Reauthorization, H.R. 2881.  It adds suborbital reusable launch vehicles to the list of suborbital science research platforms.  The amendment includes a sense of Congress on the value of NASA’s EarthKam and robotics competitions for inspiring students.  It also includes sense of Congress language urging NASA use entrepreneurial companies to conduct appropriate R&D and seek ways to ensure that firms that rely on fixed price proposals aren’t disadvantaged.  The amendment also includes NASA workforce-related provisions, including an extension of the RIF moratorium, a limit on the use of term positions in FY 2009, and a temporary continuation of coverage of health benefits.

Harman (CA)/Ehlers (MI)

#10

(REVISED) Expresses the sense of Congress that NASA should work with other government agencies and the aerospace industry to develop and implement policies to sustain and expand the aerospace industry workforce.

Hodes (NH)

#16

(REVISED) Establishes a scholarship program in honor of Christa McAulliffe, a teacher from Concord, New Hampshire who died in the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle disaster.  The scholarship would go to women pursuing degrees in mathematics, science, and engineering.

Jackson Lee (TX)

#8

(REVISED) Clarifies that the NASA Outreach and Technology Assistance Program will include small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses.  It would also give preference, in selection for the program, to socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and HUBZone small business concerns.

Lampson (TX)

#18

Exempts NASA from Section 526(a) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 if the contract does not specifically require the contractor to provide an alternative or synthetic fuel or fuel from a nonconventional source, the purpose of the contract is not to obtain an alternative or synthetic fuel or fuel from a nonconventional petroleum source, and the contract does not provide incentives for a refinery upgrade or expansion to allow a refinery to use or increase its use of fuel from a nonconventional petroleum source.

Larsen (WA)

#14

(WITHDRAWN) Requires the NASA Administrator to report to Congress with a strategy to develop an emergency joint-rescue capability among the American, Russian and Chinese human space vehicles and the International Space Station.

Rohrabacher (CA)

#12

Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. should seek to obtain cooperation from other nations in discovering and monitoring near-Earth asteroids.

Roskam (IL)

#1

Strikes Section 207, a plan for the Deep Space Climate Observatory, and adds a new Section 311 to direct the NASA administrator to work with other federal agencies in developing an initiative of research, development, and demonstration of an alternative fuel for commercial aviation.

Shadegg (AZ)

#9

Directs NASA to, not later than six months after enactment, establish a research program to lower energy prices, including the price of gasoline, using old and new technologies developed by NASA, with the highest priority placed on technologies that utilize hydrogen, solar energy, or would allow for safer, cleaner development of resources in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and the Outer Continental Shelf.

Velázquez (NY)

#11

Creates a pilot grant program allowing NASA to expand advanced research opportunities through minority-serving institutions.

Wu (OR)

#3

Encourages the United States to lead confidence building measures that advance the long-term initiative for international cooperation.

Wu (OR)

#4

Expresses the sense of Congress that NASA should not dilute, distort, suppress, or impede scientific research or the dissemination thereof.

Yarmuth (KY)

#17