InsideGov
Congress · Laws

To enact certain laws relating to national and commercial space programs as title 51, United States Code, "National and Commercial Space Programs".

Public Law 111-314 · H.R. 3237 · 111th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 18, 2010 · Science, Technology, Communications

Sponsor: Rep. John Conyers (D-MI-14)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Lamar Smith

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.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Enacts title 51 of the United States Code into positive law to be entitled "National and Commercial Space Programs." Makes conforming changes to existing law and repeals specified provisions of specified laws.

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.

Report a correction

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.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.

  1. Dec 18, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-314.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 9, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 3, 2010FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
  7. May 10, 2010CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 371.
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
  9. May 6, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  10. Jan 20, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  11. Jan 13, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  12. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  13. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3237.
  14. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  15. FloorFloor · Mr. Cohen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  16. Nov 2, 2009CalendarCalendar · Placed on the House Calendar, Calendar No. 127.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-325.
  18. Oct 21, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  20. Jul 16, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1818)
  22. 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.

Report a correction

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.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.