Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Leaders Beyer and Babin Statement on House Passage of NASA Enhanced Use Lease Extension Act of 2021

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5746, the NASA Enhanced Use Leasing Extension Act of 2021. H.R. 5746 extends Enhanced Use Leasing (EUL) authority to NASA to effectively lease any underutilized, non-excess property owned by the Federal Government, and under NASA’s jurisdiction, to private sector entities, state and local governments, academic institutions, and other Federal agencies. Under its EUL authority, NASA may retain lease revenues and apply proceeds towards maintenance, capital revitalization, and improvements of NASA’s real property assets. This bill provides a clean 10-year extension of NASA EUL authority. H.R. 5746 has been led in the House by Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Chairman Don Beyer (D-VA) along with Ranking Member Brian Babin (R-TX).

 

“NASA’s leadership and success in expanding our knowledge through groundbreaking scientific discoveries and extending human presence deeper into space inspires our youth, advances our technological capacity, and strengthens our economy,” said Chairman Don Beyer (D-VA). “Enabling such an inspiring mission requires unique infrastructure and extensive property and facilities. We need to ensure that NASA has the tools and flexibilities to continue its successes for decades to come. Those tools include the ability to manage property that may no longer be actively or fully used by NASA. The bipartisan “NASA Enhanced Use Leasing Extension Act of 2021” ensures the benefits of EUL authority will continue for the next decade, and in so doing, provides stability to NASA and its EUL partners. I am very pleased we passed this bill in the House today and hope it will be swiftly passed by the Senate and sent to the President. We cannot afford to let this authority lapse and risk delays and disruption to the many new leases currently being processed at NASA.”

 

“Extending NASA’s Enhanced Use Leasing authority for ten years is smart, bipartisan policy,” said Ranking Member Babin (R-TX). “Enhanced Use Leasing saves taxpayer dollars, helps maintain critical NASA facilities, and provides support for our commercial space partners. Extending this authority for ten years will give NASA and its partners the flexibility and predictability to enter into longer term leases which will further reduce the burden on taxpayers and help the U.S. commercial space industry continue to compete and out-innovate the world. I’m looking forward to getting this passed into law.”

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Learn more about H.R. 5746 here.