President Obama signed into law yesterday the FY2013 Intelligence Authorization Act (S. 3454) and the Space Exploration Sustainability Act (H.R. 6586).

Those are the last two space-related bills that we were tracking in the 112th Congress and our fact sheet has been updated accordingly.  Once the Public Law numbers are assigned, we will do a final update.  A new fact sheet for the 113th Congress will be created when there is relevant legislation to track.

Congress did not pass any of the regular FY2013 appropriations bills, instead passing a 6-month Continuing Resolution that funds the government through March 27, 2013.   As for other space-related legislation that was being considered in the final days of the 112th Congress that we reported on January 3, here is how it all turned out:

• American Taxpayer Relief Act (H.R. 8).  Public Law (P.L.) 112-240.  Among other things, delays automatic across-the-board spending cuts — the sequester — until March 1, 2013.
• FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4310).  P.L. 112-239.  Among other things, eases export controls on satellites.
• FY2013 Intelligence Authorization Act (S. 3454).  Signed by the President January 14, 2013; P.L. number not yet assigned.  The unclassified text does not directly address satellite programs conducted by the intelligence community, but the classified annex may.
• Space Exploration Sustainability Act (H.R. 6586). Signed by the President January 14, 2013; P.L. number not yet assigned.  Extends launch liability indemnification for one year, gives NASA relief from some provisions of the Iran, North Korea, Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA), expresses the sense of Congress that NASA not take money from SLS/Orion to pay for commercial crew and vice versa.
• Renaming Dryden Flight Research Center after Neil Armstrong (H.R. 6612). Passed House, but not Senate, so died at the end of the Congress.
• Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for relief of Hurricane Sandy victims (H.R. 1). Passed Senate, but not House, so died at the end of the Congress.  The House passed a different bill providing $9.6 billion to the National Flood Insurance Program.   The House is considering this week additional funds for the victims of Sandy.  Whatever passes will have to be considered anew in the Senate.
• Condemning North Korea’s Missile Launch (H. Con. Res. 145).  Passed House, but not Senate, so died at the end of the Congress.

Happy New Year!   Welcome to our first 2013 events of interest.    The following events may be of interest in the coming week.  After their marathon sessions last week as the 112th Congress ended and the 113th began, the House and Senate both are in recess this week.  The House returns for legislative business next Monday, the 14th; the Senate on the 21st for the inauguration.

During the Week

Three major conferences are taking place this week:

• the American Astronomical Society (AAS) winter meeting January 6-10 in Long Beach, CA where scientists present recent discoveries in astronomy and astrophysics and NASA holds “town hall” meetings to engage with that community.  The NASA town halls and press briefings are shown in the day-by-day list below.
• the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS’s) annual meeting in Austin, TX, also January 6-10.
• the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) annual Aerospace Sciences Meeting in Grapevine, TX (near Dallas), January 7-10.

Also of particular note for those interested in planetary science is the Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) meeting in Atlanta on Thursday-Friday, January 10-11.   In the most recent edition of the Planetary Exploration Newsletter, the chair and vice-chair of the DPS urge planetary science community members to listen to Jim Green’s presentation at 8:30 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) on January 10, which will be webcast.  Instructions on how to register for and listen to the webcast are on the OPAG website.   Green apparently will address recent community concerns about the planetary science budget, especially for research and analysis (R&A), although he obviously will not be able to talk about the FY2014 budget, since it has not yet been released.  There is enough uncertainty about the FY2013 budget in any case, with the sequester being delayed for two months, so the Damoclean sword continues to hang over the federal budget.

Sunday-Thursday, January 6-10

• American Astronomical Society Winter Meeting, Long Beach, CA (note NASA Town Hall meetings and press briefings on specific days below)
• American Meteorological Society annual meeting, Austin, TX

Monday-Thursday, January 7-10

• AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Grapevine, TX (near Dallas)

Monday, January 7

• NASA events at AAS meeting
  • Exoplanets Coming and Going Everywhere press briefing, 10:30 am Pacific Standard Time (PST)
  • Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) Gravitational Wave and X-Ray Astronomy Town Hall, 12:45 pm PST
  • The Hubble Ultra Deep Field Gets Deeper press briefing, 12:45 pm PST
  • A High Energy Astrophysics Extravaganza press briefing, 2:30 pm PST
  • Kepler Town Hall, 6:30 pm PST

Tuesday, January 8

• NASA events at AAS meeting
  •  NASA Town Hall, 12:45 pm PST
  • Journey to the Center of the Galaxy press briefing, 12:45 pm PST
  • Exoplanets from Dust Grains to Brown Dwarfs, 2:30 pm PST

Wednesday, January 9

• NASA events at AAS meeting
  • James Webb Space Telescope Town Hall, 12:45 pm PST
  • Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOPHIA) Town Hall, 12:45 pm PST
• NASA press briefing on commercial crew update, Kennedy Space Center, FL, 2:00 pm EST (watch on NASA TV)
• Space Deterrence and Crisis Stability, featuring Bruce MacDonald of the U.S. Institute of Peace, Stimson Center, Washington, DC, 3:00 pm EST

Thursday, January 10

• NASA event at AAS meeting
  • Galaxies in the Extreme press briefing, 12:45 pm PST

Thursday-Friday, January 10-11

• NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), Atlanta, GA

 

In these hectic last days of the 112th Congress — which will end by noon on Thursday when the 113th Congress begins — it can be tough to keep track of where legislation stands.   Here’s the status of key pending bills that could affect the space program as of 4:00 pm ET today, New Year’s Day 2013.

• American Taxpayer Relief Act (H.R. 8) — or more descriptively referred to as the fiscal cliff avoidance act since it not only deals with taxes but delays the sequester for two months.    Passed Senate at 2:00 am this morning.   Still must pass House.  If they change it — and rumors are that they plan to —  the bill will have to go back to the Senate.  If the House passes it with no changes, it must be signed by the President.   So the country did fall off the much-feared fiscal cliff and is still at the bottom waiting to see what happens next.
• FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4310) — Final version has passed the House and Senate.  It was presented to the President for his signature on December 30.   He’s expected to sign it.  Among other things, it eases export controls on satellites.
• FY2013 Intelligence Authorization Act (S. 3454) — Final version has passed the House and Senate.  The bill now must be presented to the President for signature, which is expected to happen.
• Extending Launch Liability Indemnification/INKSNA/Other Matters (H.R. 6586) — House passed its version, dealing only with indemnification, in November.  Senate passed its version in the wee hours this morning, completely replacing the House text.  The Senate version extends indemnification for only one year instead of two as in the House version.  The Senate version also deals with two issues not addressed in the House version:   extending the waiver for NASA from the Iran, North Korea, Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA) and a sense of Congress that NASA should not take money from SLS/Orion to pay for commercial crew or vice versa.   The bill now must return to the House for consideration.  
• Renaming Dryden Flight Research Center after Neil Armstrong (H.R. 6612) — Passed House last night; needs to be considered by Senate.
• Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Hurricane Sandy Relief (H.R. 1) —  Passed Senate December 28, needs to be considered by House.   Includes $15 million for NASA and about $500 millon for NOAA (but not necessarily for NOAA’s satellite programs).

The House is also considering a House Concurrent Resolution condemning North Korea’s missile launch (H. Con. Res. 145).  It was debated by the House yesterday, but the vote was postponed to today.  It would also need to pass the Senate.  Concurrent resolutions are not “legislative” because they do not become laws signed by the President.  Instead, they are expressions of opinion, fact, principle or purpose by the House and Senate.