Sec. 701. Facilities and infrastructure
396 words·~2 min read·
/bill/113/hr/2616/ih/section-701·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— NASA must reverse the deteriorating condition of its facilities and infrastructure, as this condition is hampering the effectiveness and efficiency of research performed by both NASA and industry participants making use of NASA facilities, thus reducing the competitiveness of the United States aerospace industry; NASA has a role in providing laboratory capabilities that are not economically viable as commercial entities and thus are not available elsewhere; to ensure continued access to reliable and efficient world-class facilities by researchers, NASA should seek to establish strategic partnerships with other Federal agencies, academic institutions, and industry, as appropriate; and decisions on whether to dispose of, maintain, or modernize existing facilities must be made in the context of meeting future NASA and other Federal agencies’ laboratory needs.
The Administrator shall develop a plan that has the goal of positioning NASA to have the facilities, laboratories, tools, and approaches necessary to address future NASA requirements. Such plan shall identify— future NASA testing needs; a strategy for identifying facilities that are candidates for disposal, that is consistent with the national strategic direction set forth in— the National Space Policy; the National Aeronautics Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Infrastructure Plan; and NASA Authorization Acts; a strategy for the maintenance, repair, upgrading, and modernization of NASA’s laboratories, facilities, and equipment; criteria for prioritizing deferred maintenance tasks and also for upgrading or modernizing laboratories, facilities, and equipment; an assessment of modifications needed to maximize usage of facilities that offer unique and highly specialized benefits to the aerospace industry and the American public; and implementation steps, including a timeline, milestones, and an estimate of resources required for carrying out the plan.
Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit the plan to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. The Administrator shall establish a capital fund at each of NASA’s field centers for the modernization of facilities and laboratories. The Administrator shall ensure to the maximum extent practicable that all financial savings achieved by closing outdated or surplus facilities at a NASA field center shall be made available to that center’s capital fund for the purpose of modernizing the field center’s facilities and laboratories and for upgrading the infrastructure at the field center.