S.Amdt. 4687

SA 4687. Mr. MARTINEZ submitted, under authority of the order of the Senate of May 2, 2008, an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2881, to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 2008 through 2011, to improve aviation safety and capacity, to provide stable funding for the national aviation system, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. PLAN FOR THE EXPANSION OF SPACE TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT SERVICES.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) the space transportation industry of the United States has matured to the point that civilian and commercial launch requirements can appropriately be served by the private sector;

(2) the Federal Aviation Administration is the appropriate regulatory agency for ensuring the safety of space transportation support services;

(3) like other transportation modes developed before space transportation, space launch is becoming increasingly commercial and increasingly important as a strategic capability for the economic growth of the United States; and

(4) the Nation's space transportation capabilities would benefit from conformity with the Federal Aviation Administration's support systems for aviation management and infrastructure.

(b) Plan to Expand Space Transportation Support Services.--

(1) In general.--Not later than February 1, 2009, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee of the Federal Aviation Administration, shall develop and submit to Congress and the President a plan to expand space transportation support services to improve the international competitiveness of the space transportation providers and spaceports of the United States.

(2) Contents.--The plan required under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) A plan to develop a common civilian range safety system to support commercial and civilian launch and reentry operations at spaceport sites licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration, including such sites currently served by United States military ranges.

(B) A review of laws, regulations, and policies that may impede the development of a common civilian range system and the competitiveness of United States commercial launch providers and spaceports and any recommendations with respect to amending such laws, regulations, and policies.

(C) A plan for adapting existing aviation support systems to support space transportation, including the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, the Airport Improvement Program, aerospace workforce technical certifications, and the Air Transportation Centers of Excellence Program.

(D) An identification of technologies necessary to support space transportation.