S. 434 · Where this bill is now
In the House
Passed the Senate Aug 6, 2026. Received Aug 10, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryCreates advisory panel for commercial space industry
This bill requires the Office of Space Commerce to form a committee made up of experts from the commercial space industry. The committee would give advice and recommendations about nongovernmental space activities and how to grow a strong, innovative commercial space sector. It would also identify challenges facing U.S. space companies and review best practices for keeping the Moon and other celestial bodies from being harmed and protecting Earth from negative effects of materials coming from space.
How it affects you
This change doesn't directly affect everyday people's lives. It's mainly about creating a group of space industry experts to advise the government on how to support commercial space companies and address environmental concerns related to space activities. The committee would exist for ten years before it automatically ends.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Feb 5, 2025)
Space Commerce Advisory Committee Act
This bill requires the Office of Space Commerce to establish a Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee to provide information and recommendations on nongovernmental space activities and promoting a robust and innovative commercial space sector.
Among other duties, the committee is directed to identify challenges to the U.S. commercial space sector and to review best practices for commercial space entities with respect to avoiding harmful contamination of the Moon and other celestial bodies and adverse impacts to the Earth’s environment from extraterrestrial matter.
The committee must be comprised of representatives from varying fields with significant experience in the commercial space industry. The committee must terminate ten years after it is established.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 434
AN ACT
Space Commerce Advisory Committee Act
Sponsor: Sen. Gary C. Peters (D-MI) · Introduced Feb 5, 2025 · Science, Technology, Communications · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Aug 10, 2026: “Held at the desk.”