# 119-hr-7273: NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026 119-hr-7273, NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36] (R-TX); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7273 - As of: 2026-09-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-7273 - Congress: 119 - Title: NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026 - Status: in_committee - Introduced: 2026-01-30 - Sponsor: Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36] (R-TX) - Cosponsors: 3 - Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-09-12 ## Summary **Authorizes $24.4 billion for NASA in FY2026.** The bill would continue the Moon‑to‑Mars / Artemis architecture while pushing greater commercialization of low‑Earth orbit and the ISS, expanding Earth‑observation and wildland fire programs, and changing workforce and procurement rules. - NASA workers: creates a Public‑Private Talent Program with temporary assignments lasting up to 3 years total and capped at 2% of the civil servant workforce. Assignments include ethics safeguards and a post‑assignment service obligation equal to twice the assignment length. - Commercial space industry: requires U.S. commercial providers for human‑rated lunar landers and favors not fewer than two providers when feasible. It also directs NASA to buy commercial Earth observation data through a new acquisition program and to prefer U.S. launch and reentry services where practical. - Scientists and emergency managers: establishes FireSense to improve wildfire prediction, detection, and recovery with annual reporting for five years, and creates a Planetary Defense Coordination Office while directing studies on Landsat and commercial data continuity. *Would authorize $24.4 billion for NASA in FY2026, creating a potential increase in federal spending if Congress provides the appropriation.* ## Cosponsors (3) - Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2026-01-30T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Haridopolos, Mike [R-FL-8] (R-FL), 2026-01-30T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4] (D-NC), 2026-01-30T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - NASA funding for FY2026: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would authorize $24.4 billion for NASA for fiscal year 2026. The bill lists amounts by account, for example Exploration $7.783 billion; Science $7.25 billion; Space Operations $4.175 billion; Safety, Security, and Mission Services $3.0 billion; Aeronautics $935 million; Space T… - Moon-to-Mars safety and planning: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would push NASA to keep Moon‑to‑Mars program continuity and human‑flight safety. It would require NASA to seek U.S. commercial human‑rated lunar landers and to try to obtain at least two providers when money allows. NASA would have to get advanced spacesuits from U.S. companies… - Stronger planetary defense for asteroids: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require NASA to maintain a Planetary Defense Coordination Office to survey, track, and characterize near‑Earth objects 140 meters or larger, to issue warnings, study mitigation options, and help government planning for potential impacts. The office's work is intended to p… - NASA wildfire tools and data: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would direct NASA to use the Wildland Fire Commission's recommendations in its Earth science work. NASA would enhance collection, analysis, and sharing of satellite and remote sensing data for wildland fires. The agency would support research to improve fire prediction, detecti… - Mars sample return planning: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would direct NASA to lead a Mars Sample Return program subject to appropriations and to send Congress an implementation plan and timeline within 180 days. The plan must include mission design, architecture, and realistic cost and schedule estimates, and the program would procee… - Government buying of private Earth data: benefit, medium. If enacted, NASA's Earth Science Division would set up a program to buy and share commercial Earth remote sensing imagery, and to prefer U.S. vendors when practical. NASA must not buy data on terms that block publication or reuse, and it may set end‑use licenses to permit wide outside use. The bill… - U.S. launch requirement for LEO: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require NASA to include a term in future agreements for U.S. private low‑Earth orbit platforms that tasks use United States commercially provided launch and reentry services. The rule would apply to agreements made under the commercial LEO development authority. It is mea… - NASA Earth data for farmers: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would direct NASA to keep working with other federal agencies to share water, soil, vegetation, land‑use, and other Earth data with U.S. agricultural producers. This would include using NASA water data to help irrigation and providing tools for disease and weather planning. It… - Protect contractors when access denied: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would confirm that contracting officers can change NASA contract schedules when contractor workers cannot access NASA facilities. They could delay or skip work, reschedule tasks, or consider equitable cost adjustments. This change would apply once the bill is enacted. - New research planning and institute options: benefit, low. If enacted, NASA and the Commerce Department would report within 180 days on options for a Space Resources Institute and whether a virtual or physical institute is best. The bill would authorize a lunar discovery program in NASA's Science Mission Directorate and permit other federal agencies to tra… - New Space Grant funding shares: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would change how Space Grant money is split each year. At least 85% of funds would go to eligible consortia, split equally among the 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands would each get one‑fifth of a consortium share. Up to 10% could pay administrati… - New tech reviews and commercial testing: benefit, low. If enacted, NASA would contract an independent review of cryogenic valve technology and report results within 18 months (subject to appropriations). The bill would also authorize a commercial hypersonics testing program with a plan in 60 days, an initial report in 80 days, and annual reports therea… - Limits on China space collaborations: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would bar using funds in this Act for bilateral activities with the People's Republic of China or PRC companies, and would bar hosting official PRC visitors at NASA facilities, unless NASA, OSTP, or the National Space Council certify after FBI consultation there is no security… - Wildfire sensing and UAS procurement rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would create "FireSense" to develop and deploy NASA remote sensing, modeling, and decision tools to improve wildland‑fire prediction, detection, response, and recovery. NASA must coordinate with federal, state, local, and Tribal partners and report annually for five years. The… - NASA workforce and training changes: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would create a Public‑Private Talent Program to allow temporary assignments between NASA and private companies for 3 months to 2 years (generally), with aggregate caps (no more than 2% of civil servants at once) and a post‑assignment service obligation equal to twice the assign… - Large astrophysics cost and tech rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, NASA could create a Great Observatories Mission and Technology Maturation program to mature concepts and technologies for future large astrophysics missions. The bill would require that maturation costs be counted in life‑cycle cost estimates. The bill also shifts independent life‑cycle… - Commercial LEO and ISS transition: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would let NASA enter anchor‑tenancy and other agreements to help develop private low‑Earth‑orbit platforms and allow U.S. companies to run nongovernmental human missions on the ISS under NASA rules. NASA must give Congress an independent market survey and legal compliance justi… ## Related bills - 119-hr-5089: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 - 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act - 119-hr-879: Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025 - 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025 - 119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act - 119-hres-166: Expressing support for the Iranian people's desires for a democratic, secular, and nonnuclear Republic of Iran, and condemning the Iranian regime's terrorism,… ## Sources - [119-hr-7273 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7273) ## Related - [119-hr-5089: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5089) - [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102) - [119-hr-879: Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-879) - [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909) - [119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6644) - [119-hres-166: Expressing support for the Iranian people's desires for a democratic, secular,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-166) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7273 (as of 2026-09-12).