S. 3979

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3979 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3979

To provide expanded cooperation by the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
with Taiwan, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 4, 2026

Mr. Schmitt (for himself, Ms. Duckworth, and Mr. Bennet) introduced the 
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To provide expanded cooperation by the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
with Taiwan, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Taiwan and American Space Assistance 
Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. SPACE COOPERATION WITH TAIWAN.

(a) Requirement.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration, with the concurrence of the Secretary of 
State and in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce (acting 
through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration), may seek to engage Taiwan relating to expanding 
cooperation regarding civilian space activities.
(b) Cooperation Efforts.--In seeking to expand cooperation 
regarding civilian space activities between the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, and Taiwan under subsection (a), the Administrator of 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Administrator 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with the 
concurrence of the Secretary of State, may carry out efforts to 
identify and pursue space exploration, space applications, and science 
initiatives in areas of mutual benefit, consistent with the Taiwan 
Relations Act of 1979 and applicable export regulations, and taking all 
appropriate measures to protect sensitive information, intellectual 
property, trade secrets, and economic interests of the United States, 
in the following areas:
(1) Satellite programs, space exploration programs, and 
atmospheric and weather programs.
(2) Personnel exchanges of employees of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration with the Taiwan Space Agency.
(3) Activities of mutual benefit related to commercial 
space and atmospheric and weather technology and services.
(c) Report.--
(1) Requirement.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for five 
years, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, and the Secretary of State, shall 
jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
report on the implementation of this section.
(2) Contents.--The report under paragraph (1) shall include 
the following:
(A) A description of the activities conducted 
between the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration with Taiwan.
(B) An identification of any challenges that need 
to be addressed to expand such cooperation.
(C) An overview of efforts undertaken pursuant to 
this section.
(D) Any other matter the Administrator of the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, and the Secretary of State consider 
relevant.
(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; 
and
(2) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
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