One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act
Public Law 116-275 · S. 1694 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 31, 2020 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)
Cosponsors (5): Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Sherrod Brown,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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.
One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act
This bill directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to
• add the recommendations described in the following clause as a condition or requirement to contracts, grants, agreements, partnerships or other arrangements pertaining to lunar activities carried out by, for, or in partnership with NASA;
• inform other relevant federal agencies of the recommendations; and
• encourage the use of best practices, consistent with the recommendations, by such agencies.
The recommendations described are
• NASA's Recommendations to Space-Faring Entities: How to Protect and Preserve the Historic and Scientific Value of U.S. Government Lunar Artifacts issued by NASA on July 20, 2011, and updated on October 28, 2011; and
• any successor recommendations, guidelines, best practices, or standards related to the principle of due regard and the limitation of harmful interference with Apollo landing site artifacts issued by NASA.
NASA may waive the conditions or requirements as it applies to an individual contract, grant, agreement, partnership or other arrangement pertaining to lunar activities carried out by, for, or in partnership with NASA so long as
• such waiver is accompanied by a finding from NASA that carrying out the first directed obligation of this bill would be unduly prohibitive to an activity or activities of legitimate and significant historical, archaeological, anthropological, scientific, or engineering value; and
• the finding is provided to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate no later than 30 days before the waiver takes effect.
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
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 3766Identical bill
One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act
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. 25 actions.
- Dec 31, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-275.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 21, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 20, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 19, 2020Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments to S. 1694 by Voice Vote.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendments to S. 1694 by Voice Vote.
- Dec 17, 2020FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
- Dec 16, 2020FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1694.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Horn, Kendra S. moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jan 6, 2020FloorFloor · By Senator Wicker from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 116-194.
- Jul 19, 2019FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concern…
- Jul 18, 2019FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jul 16, 2019CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 152.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
- Jul 10, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- May 23, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
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
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 927SenateSen. Gary PetersD-MI· offered Jul 18, 2019Agreed to
To modify the sense of Congress with respect to collaboration with other countries.
Jul 18, 2019: Amendment SA 927 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
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.