Congress · Laws

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act, 1983

Public Law 97-324 · H.R. 5890 · 97th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 15, 1982 · Science, Technology, Communications

Sponsor: Rep. Don Fuqua (D-FL-2)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 284 yea, 83 nay284–83
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.

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Summary

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

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act, 1983 - Title I: Authorizes appropriations to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for research and development, construction of facilities, and research and program management for FY 1983.

Permits appropriations for research and development to be used for any items of a capital nature (other than acquisition of land) which may be required at locations other than NASA installations for the performance of research and development contracts, and for grants to nonprofit institutions of higher education, or to nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is the conduct of scientific research, for purchase or construction of additional research facilities.

Requires the Administrator to notify the appropriate committees of Congress whenever the cost of a facility exceeds a specified amount. Permits funds appropriated for research and development or for construction of facilities to remain available without fiscal year limitation.

Permits the funds for construction of any of specified facilities: (1) in the discretion of the NASA Administrator, to be varied upward ten percent; or (2) following a report by the Administrator to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the circumstances of such action, to be varied upward 25 percent to meet unusual cost variations. Limits the total cost of all construction work to the total of the amounts specified.

Permits one-half of one percent of the funds appropriated for research and development to be transferred to the "Construction of facilities" appropriation. Authorizes the expenditure of such funds, together with an additional $10,000,000, to construct, expand, or modify laboratories and other installations. Requires the Administrator to notify the appropriate committees of Congress of the specific nature, cost, and reasons for such construction 30 days before expending funds. Permits each committee to provide the Administrator with a written waiver of such period.

Prohibits the expenditure of appropriations for deleted programs or programs in excess of the amount authorized, unless they have been presented to the appropriate committee for a period of 30 days.

Expresses the sense of Congress that consideration should be given to the geographical distribution of research funds.

Directs the Administrator to charge the Department of Defense for payloads placed in orbit by the Space Shuttle after FY 1984.

Requires the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure the performance of the requirements of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 during FY 1984. Requires the Director to reserve funds for the United States Fire Administration.

Title II: Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) plan for the management and operation of a civil land remote sensing satellite system transferred from NASA; (2) provide for user fees; and (3) plan for the transfer of such systems to the private sector. Directs the Secretary to conduct feasibility studies for such transfer and report to Congress on them by February 1, 1983.

Authorizes appropriations.

Prohibits the transfer of such systems to the private sectors until the appropriate committees of Congress are given 30 days notice of such action.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 97th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 284 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

284 yea83 nay65 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(170)

Rep. Bill ClayD-MO-1
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Tom HarkinD-IA-5
Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
Rep. George CrockettD-MI-13
Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
Rep. Mervyn DymallyD-CA-31
Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
Rep. Phillip BurtonD-CA-6
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-19
Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Harold FordD-TN-8
Rep. John SeiberlingD-OH-14
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-21
Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. William BrodheadD-MI-17
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. Harold WashingtonD-IL-1
Rep. Jonathan BinghamD-NY-22
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-12
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. James ShannonD-MA-5
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-11
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. William CoyneD-PA-14
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4
Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-14
Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. James HowardD-NJ-3
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. Robert EdgarD-PA-7
Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-7
Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. Albert GoreD-TN-4
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-15
Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
Rep. Barbara MikulskiD-MD-3
Rep. Raymond KogovsekD-CO-3
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. Donald BaileyD-PA-21
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
Rep. Charles PriceD-IL-23
Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-15
Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-27
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. James MattoxD-TX-5
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. Peter PeyserD-NY-23
Rep. John FaryD-IL-5
Rep. Joseph MinishD-NJ-11
Rep. Gillis LongD-LA-8
Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12
Rep. William RatchfordD-CT-5
Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-37
Rep. Leo ZeferettiD-NY-15
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Clement ZablockiD-WI-4
Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. David EvansD-IN-6
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-22
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
Rep. Jerry PattersonD-CA-38
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-36
Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
Rep. Stanley LundineD-NY-39
Rep. Robert ShamanskyD-OH-12
Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND
Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
Rep. Donald AlbostaD-MI-10
Rep. Wyche FowlerD-GA-5
Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
Rep. David BowenD-MS-2
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Tom DaschleD-SD-1
Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
Rep. Michael BarnesD-MD-8
Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
Rep. Berkley BedellD-IA-6
Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. Clarence LongD-MD-2
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Floyd FithianD-IN-2
Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. Ed JonesD-TN-7
Rep. Bo GinnD-GA-1
Rep. Butler DerrickD-SC-3
Rep. Abraham KazenD-TX-23
Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. Royden DysonD-MD-1
Rep. Daniel MicaD-FL-11
Rep. Kenneth HollandD-SC-5
Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-2
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-9
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-10
Rep. Jack BrinkleyD-GA-3
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. William PatmanD-TX-14
Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
Rep. Earl HuttoD-FL-1
Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
Rep. Richard WhiteD-TX-16
Rep. Ed JenkinsD-GA-9
Rep. Billy EvansD-GA-8
Rep. Elliott LevitasD-GA-4
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. Lawrence FountainD-NC-2
Rep. John BreauxD-LA-7
Rep. James SantiniD-NV
Rep. Thomas HuckabyD-LA-5
Rep. Ralph HallD-TX-4
Rep. Sam HallD-TX-1
Rep. Billy TauzinD-LA-3
Rep. Richard ShelbyD-AL-7
Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
Rep. Buddy RoemerD-LA-4

Republicans who voted yea(113)

Rep. Harold HollenbeckR-NJ-9
Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-18
Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-12
Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
Rep. Lawrence DeNardisR-CT-3
Rep. Margaret HecklerR-MA-10
Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Marc MarksR-PA-24
Rep. Charles DoughertyR-PA-4
Rep. Stewart McKinneyR-CT-4
Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-26
Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
Rep. Lyle WilliamsR-OH-19
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-25
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Eugene AtkinsonR-PA-25
Rep. Joel PritchardR-WA-1
Rep. Thomas RailsbackR-IL-19
Rep. Donald MitchellR-NY-31
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. Huey DeckardR-IN-8
Rep. James NelliganR-PA-11
Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-17
Rep. William WamplerR-VA-9
Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Harold SawyerR-MI-5
Rep. Millicent FenwickR-NJ-5
Rep. David EmeryR-ME-1
Rep. Donald ClausenR-CA-2
Rep. Thomas EvansR-DE
Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-17
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
Rep. John NapierR-SC-6
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-7
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
Rep. James QuillenR-TN-1
Rep. John RhodesR-AZ-1
Rep. John StantonR-OH-11
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. David MarriottR-UT-2
Rep. Guy Vander JagtR-MI-9
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. James CourterR-NJ-13
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. James CoyneR-PA-8
Rep. Paul TribleR-VA-1
Rep. George WhitehurstR-VA-2
Rep. Lynn MartinR-IL-16
Rep. Bobbi FiedlerR-CA-21
Rep. Don YoungR-AK
Rep. William CarneyR-NY-1
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. Skip BafalisR-FL-10
Rep. Clarence BrownR-OH-7
Rep. Edward WeberR-OH-9
Rep. George WortleyR-NY-32
Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
Rep. David MartinR-NY-30
Rep. Robin BeardR-TN-6
Rep. Robert McCloryR-IL-13
Rep. Cleveland BenedictR-WV-2
Rep. Larry WinnR-KS-3
Rep. Edwin BethuneR-AR-2
Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
Rep. Thomas EvansR-IA-3
Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-19
Rep. Carroll CampbellR-SC-4
Rep. Joseph SkeenR-NM-2
Rep. Robert LivingstonR-LA-1
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-1
Rep. William MooreR-LA-6
Rep. Ronald MarleneeR-MT-2
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Jack KempR-NY-38
Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
Rep. Clay ShawR-FL-12
Rep. John ErlenbornR-IL-14
Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
Rep. Thomas CorcoranR-IL-15
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-42
Rep. James RobinsonR-VA-7
Rep. Trent LottR-MS-5
Rep. Gregory CarmanR-NY-3
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. Eugene ChappieR-CA-1
Rep. John LeBoutillierR-NY-6
Rep. Robert DanielR-VA-4
Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
Rep. Bill ThomasR-CA-18
Rep. Kenneth KramerR-CO-5
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. William HendonR-NC-11
Rep. Mark SiljanderR-MI-4
Rep. Marjorie HoltR-MD-4
Rep. Robert DornanR-CA-27
Rep. Clint RobertsR-SD-2
Rep. Edward DerwinskiR-IL-4
Rep. Carlos MoorheadR-CA-22
Rep. Manley ButlerR-VA-6
Rep. Bill ArcherR-TX-7
Rep. Jack FieldsR-TX-8
Rep. Robert WalkerR-PA-16

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 719 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. 1 yea vote was cast by members of neither major party and is highlighted on the compass but not listed. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Science, Space, and Technology Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Space Subcommittee; Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee · Senate · discharged from, referred to

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 34 actions.

Oct 15, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-324.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Oct 5, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Oct 1, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 284 - 83 (Record Vote No: 390).House roll call 390
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 284 - 83 (Record Vote No: 390).House roll call 390
Sep 30, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
Sep 29, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 97-897 Filed in House.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 97-897 Filed in House.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate appointed conferees Tower; Ford by unanimous consent for consideration of Title V.
Sep 28, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference held.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conference held.
Sep 22, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Packwood; Schmitt; Goldwater; Cannon; Riegle.
FloorFloor · Senate insists on its amendments by Voice Vote.
Jun 22, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Fuqua, Flippo, Glickman, Nelson, Brown (CA), Winn, Goldwater, Hollenbeck, Stratton, Dickinson, Boland, Gore, Robinson.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments.
Jun 9, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 2604 with an amendment by Voice Vote.
CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
May 17, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
May 13, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 277 - 84 (Record Vote No: 78).House roll call 78
FloorFloor · House Agreed to Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
May 5, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Apr 28, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Mar 25, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Space Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Space Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee

Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.