text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``National Spaceport Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds that--
              (1) spaceport development is a national economic interest 
          that should be pursued as part of a national transportation 
          policy;
              (2) many nations around the world, including France, China, 
          Russia, Japan, Canada, and Australia, have embarked on 
          aggressive commercial space development programs;
              (3) the United States, once the leader in the commercial 
          space market, is in danger of falling behind in the 
          international commercial space market;
              (4) the Government must clearly demonstrate its commitment 
          to support commercial space activity in America, thereby 
          encouraging greater financial support from private industry;
              (5) the United States must develop a long-term, 
          comprehensive, and aggressive policy to successfully compete in 
          the international commercial space market, to return the United 
          States to its position of primary world supplier of launch 
          services; and
              (6) spaceport development is the key component in this 
          endeavor because it provides the final piece--launch 
          facilities--to the existing parts of the United States 
          commercial space market.
  
  SEC. 3. DEFINITION.
  
      For purposes of this Act, the term ``spaceport'' means a space 
  launch or recovery facility, or a supporting educational or research 
  facility providing space industry worker training or commercial 
  application research, designated by a State in an application approved 
  under section 5.
  
  SEC. 4. NATIONAL SPACEPORT OFFICE.
  
      (a) Establishment.--There is established within the Department of 
  Transportation a National Spaceport Office.
      (b) Staff.--The National Spaceport Office shall have a staff 
  consisting of a director, 4 regional supervisors, and not more than 5 
  additional support staff.
      (c) Duties.--The National Spaceport Office shall--
              (1) administer the application and assistance program under 
          section 5; and
              (2) establish appropriate procedures for--
                      (A) the competitive awarding of grants under 
                  section 5(b)(1); and
                      (B) the transfer of excess Federal property to 
                  spaceports under section 5(b)(3), while ensuring that 
                  the spaceport compensates the Federal Government for 
                  the Federal expenses of operating facilities in 
                  connection with property so transferred.
  SEC. 5. SPACEPORT ASSISTANCE.
  
      (a) Application.--A State or State-designated entity, including a 
  nonprofit organization, desiring assistance under this section shall 
  submit an application to the National Spaceport Office requesting 
  specifically the Federal assistance sought and setting forth a 
  comprehensive plan for spaceport development, including the educational 
  components of such development.
      (b) Assistance.--The National Spaceport Office shall approve 
  meritorious applications submitted under subsection (a) and provide to 
  the successful applicants assistance, including--
              (1) grants, to the extent of available funding under 
          section 9;
              (2) the use of excess Federal launch, recovery, launch 
          vehicle, and support assets, consistent with applicable 
          international agreements, for educational launches; and
              (3) excess Federal property, including research facilities, 
          by transfer.
  
  SEC. 6. TAX-EXEMPT BOND FINANCING FOR SPACEPORTS.
  
      (a) In General.--Subsection (a) of section 142 of the Internal 
  Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to exempt facility bonds) is amended by 
  striking ``or'' at the end of paragraph (11), by striking the period at 
  the end of paragraph (12) and inserting ``, or'', and by adding at the 
  end the following:
              ``(13) spaceports (as defined in section 3 of the National 
          Spaceport Act).''
      (b) Treatment Comparable To Airports.--
              (1) Subparagraph (A) of section 142(b)(1) of such Code is 
          amended by striking ``or (12)'' and inserting ``(12), or 
          (13)''.
              (2) Subsection (c) of section 142 of such Code is amended 
          by striking ``or (11)'' each place it appears and inserting 
          ``(11), or (13)''.
              (3) Paragraph (3) of section 146(g) of such Code is amended 
          by striking ``or (12)'' and all that follows and inserting 
          ``(12), or (13) of section 142(a), and''.
      (c) Treatment of Property Owned By Designated Tax-Exempt 
  Entities.--Paragraph (1) of section 142(b) of such Code is amended by 
  adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                      ``(C) Spaceport facilities owned by designated tax-
                  exempt entities.--For purposes of subparagraph (A), a 
                  spaceport shall be treated as owned by a governmental 
                  unit if it is owned by an entity which is exempt from 
                  tax under section 501(a) and which is designated by the 
                  State in which the spaceport is located to develop and 
                  operate the spaceport.''
      (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
  apply to obligations issued after the date of the enactment of this 
  Act.
  
  SEC. 7. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW.
  
      Except as otherwise provided in this Act, activities of spaceports 
  shall be subject to applicable provisions of chapter 701 of title 49, 
  United States Code, relating to commercial space transportation.
  
  SEC. 8. REGULATORY EXEMPTION.
  
      The activities of the National Spaceport Office and of spaceports 
  shall not be subject to regulation by the Federal Government except as 
  provided in--
              (1) this Act;
              (2) chapter 701 of title 49, United States Code; and
              (3) applicable laws relating to worker and workplace 
          safety.
  
  SEC. 9. ANNUAL REPORT.
  
      The director of the National Spaceport Office shall annually 
  transmit to the Congress a report on its activities under this Act.
  
  SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
  Transportation, out of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund established 
  under section 9502 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 
  9502), for carrying out this Act $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
  years 1996 through 2000.
  
  SEC. 11. TERMINATION OF NATIONAL SPACEPORT OFFICE.
  
      The National Spaceport Office shall terminate on October 1, 2000.
target: National Spaceport Act - Establishes in the Department of Transportation a National Spaceport Office to administer a grant program of State-run spaceports. 
  Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide tax-exempt bond financing for spaceports. 
  Authorizes appropriations. 
  Terminates the Office on October 1, 2000.
feat_title: National Spaceport Act