To extend the commercial space transportation liability regime.
Public Law 111-125 · H.R. 3819 · 111th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 28, 2009 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN-6)
Cosponsors (3): Rep. Ralph Hall, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Extends through calendar 2012 the commercial space transportation liability regime (under which the United States shall pay up to $1.5 billion, adjusted for inflation, in excess of the amount covered by liability insurance or demonstrated financial responsibility with respect to a third party claim against a commercial space launch or reentry licensee, transferee, contractor, subcontractor, or customer for death, bodily injury, or property damage or loss resulting from an activity carried out under the license).
Extends this guarantee to issued or transferred licenses for which the Secretary of Transportation receives a complete and valid application by December 31, 2012 (currently, by December 31, 2009).
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Dec 28, 2009Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-125.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 24, 2009FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 23, 2009FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Dec 22, 2009CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 249.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller without amendment. Without written report.
- Dec 17, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Oct 21, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Oct 20, 2009FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3819.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Gordon (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Oct 15, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Science and Technology.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.