National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act, 1984
Public Law 98-52 · H.R. 2065 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jul 15, 1983 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Rep. Don Fuqua (D-FL-2)
Cosponsors (14): Rep. Harold Volkmer, Rep. Manuel Luján,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
Title I: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act, 1984 - Authorizes appropriations to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for research and development, construction of facilities, and research and program management for FY 1984.
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" appropriations. Authorizes the expenditure of such funds, together with $10,000,000 of the funds appropriated for construction of facilities, 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, for programs in excess of the amount authorized, and for programs which have not been presented to the appropriate committee for a period of 30 days.
Expresses the sense of Congress that NASA should consider geographical distribution when distributing its research and development funds.
Amends the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 to prohibit the misuse of the agency's name and initials. Permits the Attorney General to initiate a civil proceeding to enjoin such misuse. Requires the transfer to NASA of three government-owned tracts of NASA used land and improvements at Ellington Air Force Base, Texas, without any transfer of funds.
Requires any decisions concerning the commercialization of same or all of the existing expendable launch vehicle technologies and associated facilities be presented to the appropriate congressional committees for 30 days unless each such committee transmits a written notice of no objection to the Administrator before the expiration of such period.
Title II: Prohibits the Secretary of Commerce from transferring the ownership or management of any civil land remote sensing space satellite system until a comprehensive plan for such a transfer is submitted to and enacted into law by Congress.
Authorizes appropriations for operating such satellite system during FY 1984.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.
- Jul 15, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-52.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 5, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 29, 1983Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 28, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 27, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Apr 27, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Apr 26, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · House Agreed to Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
- FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
- Apr 15, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Apr 12, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Mar 11, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.