51 U.S.C. § 50924 — Space launch and reentry licensing and permitting user fees

submitted 1 year ago by Pub. L. 119-21 to r/title-51-NATIONAL-AND-COMMERCIAL-SPACE-PROGRAMS · 362 words · no verdicts yet

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Starting in 2026, the Secretary of Transportation must charge a per-launch fee based on payload weight or a flat amount, whichever is lower, with both figures rising yearly. The money goes into a dedicated fund, 70% of it usable without further approval, to run the Office of Commercial Space Transportation.

(a) Fees. (1) In general. Starting in 2026, the Secretary of Transportation must charge a fee on every launch or reentry done under a section 50904 license or permit. The fee equals whichever is smaller: a set amount per pound of payload weight (listed in paragraph (2)), or a flat dollar amount (listed in paragraph (3)). The money goes into the account created by subsection (b). (2) Per-pound amount. The per-pound fee is: $0.25 in 2026; $0.35 in 2027; $0.50 in 2028; $0.60 in 2029; $0.75 in 2030; $1.00 in 2031; $1.25 in 2032; $1.50 in 2033. Starting in 2034, take the previous year's amount and increase it by the percentage the consumer price index (all-urban, all-items) went up that year. (3) Flat amount. The flat fee is: $30,000 in 2026; $40,000 in 2027; $50,000 in 2028; $75,000 in 2029; $100,000 in 2030; $125,000 in 2031; $170,000 in 2032; $200,000 in 2033. Starting in 2034, take the previous year's amount and increase it the same way, using the consumer price index. (b) Office of Commercial Space Transportation Launch and Reentry Licensing and Permitting Fund. The law creates a separate Treasury account called the "Office of Commercial Space Transportation Launch and Reentry Licensing and Permitting Fund." It pays for expenses of the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation and helps carry out section 630(b) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. 70 percent of the money deposited into this fund is available for those purposes automatically — no extra appropriation is needed, and it doesn't expire at the end of a fiscal year.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a)Fees.—

(1)In general.—

The Secretary of Transportation shall impose a fee, which shall be deposited in the account established under subsection (b), on each launch or reentry carried out under a license or permit issued under section 50904 during 2026 or a subsequent year, in an amount equal to the lesser of—

(A)

the amount specified in paragraph (2) for the year involved per pound of the weight of the payload; or

(B)

the amount specified in paragraph (3) for the year involved.

(2)Paragraph (2) specified amount.—

The amount specified in this paragraph is—

(A)

for 2026, $0.25;

(B)

for 2027, $0.35;

(C)

for 2028, $0.50;

(D)

for 2029, $0.60;

(E)

for 2030, $0.75;

(F)

for 2031, $1;

(G)

for 2032, $1.25;

(H)

for 2033, $1.50; and

(I)

for 2034 and each subsequent year, the amount specified in this paragraph for the previous year increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (all items; United States city average) over the previous year.

(3)Paragraph (3) specified amount.—

The amount specified in this paragraph is—

(A)

for 2026, $30,000;

(B)

for 2027, $40,000;

(C)

for 2028, $50,000;

(D)

for 2029, $75,000;

(E)

for 2030, $100,000;

(F)

for 2031, $125,000;

(G)

for 2032, $170,000;

(H)

for 2033, $200,000; and

(I)

(b)Office of Commercial Space Transportation Launch and Reentry Licensing and Permitting Fund.—

There is established in the Treasury of the United States a separate account, which shall be known as the “Office of Commercial Space Transportation Launch and Reentry Licensing and Permitting Fund”, for the purposes of expenses of the Office of Commercial Space Transportation of the Federal Aviation Administration and to carry out section 630(b) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. 70 percent of the amounts deposited into the fund shall be available for such purposes and shall be available without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation.

Source credit: (Added Pub. L. 119–21, title IV, § 40004(a), July 4, 2025, 139 Stat. 132.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

2025Enacted · Pub. L. 119-21 · 139 Stat. 132

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 119-21 on 2025-07-04.

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