HR 1508 · 114th Congress 2015–2017, ended

Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act of 2015

Fact sheet

Latest action · Jun 15, 2015 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 111.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedMar 19, 2015
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) Directs the President, acting through appropriate federal agencies, to:

  • facilitate the commercial exploration and utilization of space resources to meet national needs;
  • discourage government barriers to the development of economically viable, safe, and stable industries for the exploration and utilization of space resources in manners consistent with the existing international obligations of the United States; and
  • promote the right of U.S. commercial entities to explore outer space and utilize space resources, in accordance with such obligations, free from harmful interference, and to transfer or sell such resources.

Defines "space resource" as a natural resource of any kind found in place in outer space.

Directs the President to make recommendations to Congress for: (1) the allocation of responsibilities relating to the exploration and utilization of space resources among federal agencies, and (2) any authorities necessary to meet U.S. international obligations with respect to such exploration and resource utilization.

Declares that any asteroid resources obtained in outer space are the property of the entity that obtained them, which shall be entitled to all property rights to them, consistent with applicable federal law and existing international obligations.

States that a U.S. commercial space resource utilization entity:

  • shall avoid causing harmful interference in outer space, and
  • may bring a civil action in a U.S. district court for any action by another entity subject to U.S. jurisdiction causing harmful interference to its operations with respect to an asteroid resource utilization activity in outer space.

Cosponsors 8

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 19, 2015 to May 18, 2015, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-WADerek KilmerOriginalMar 19, 2015
R-ALBradley ByrneMar 23, 2015
R-TXBrian BabinMar 23, 2015
R-OKJim BridenstineMar 23, 2015
R-NYJohn KatkoMar 23, 2015
R-FLJohn L. MicaMar 23, 2015
R-ALMo BrooksApr 14, 2015
R-NYChris CollinsMay 18, 2015

Actions 6

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jun 15, 2015Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 111.
  2. Jun 15, 2015Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. H. Rept. 114-153.
  3. May 13, 2015Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  4. May 13, 2015Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 18 - 15.
  5. Mar 19, 2015Introduced in House

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 976Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act of 2015Identical billApr 16, 2015

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.

Text 2

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jun 15, 2015Reported in House
  2. Mar 19, 2015Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.