Title 51, National and Commercial Space ProgramsRelease 119-110

§30103 Budgets

Title 51 › Subtitle III — Administrative Provisions › CHAPTER 301 — APPROPRIATIONS, BUDGETS, AND ACCOUNTING › § 30103

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President must send Congress the Administration’s proposed budget and include documents that show budgets by program: nine program areas including space operations (like the International Space Station and space shuttle), exploration, aeronautics, space science, Earth science, microgravity science, education, safety oversight, and public relations. The papers must also show budgets for technology transfer, the Integrated Enterprise Management Program by element, the Independent Technical Authority total and by center, the total and administrative amounts for the prize program under section 20144, and comparable figures for at least the 2 previous fiscal years for each item. If asked by the House Committee on Science and Technology or the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Administration must give details on general and administrative and service pool costs (totals, amounts by center/headquarters/directorate, and major activities) and on unobligated or unexpended funds by account: amounts carried from the prior fiscal year into the current year, amounts expected to be carried from the current year into the next, and amounts expected to remain at the end of the fiscal year being presented. The Administration must also include in its annual budget justification, at minimum, the actual, current, proposed, and estimated budgets for the next 5 fiscal years by directorate, theme, program, project, and activity; plans for facility construction; headquarters budgets by office (including travel and civil service staffing with counts of Senior Executive Service, noncareer, detailee, and contract staff). Within 14 days of sending the budget to Congress, an extra volume must go to the Appropriations Committees with center-level versions of the same 5-year budget data, facility plans, civil service full‑time equivalent positions per center, and uncovered capacity FTEs per location. The proposal must also show budgets by object class and include enough written explanation for each program, project, and activity and any departures from prior baselines. Each annual budget request must include an estimate of gross receipts and how funds collected under section 20145 will be used.

Full Legal Text

Title 51, §30103

National and Commercial Space Programs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Categories.—
The proposed budget for the Administration submitted by the President for each fiscal year shall be accompanied by documents showing—
(1)by program—
(A)the budget for space operations, including the International Space Station and the space shuttle;
(B)the budget for exploration systems;
(C)the budget for aeronautics;
(D)the budget for space science;
(E)the budget for Earth science;
(F)the budget for microgravity science;
(G)the budget for education;
(H)the budget for safety oversight; and
(I)the budget for public relations;
(2)the budget for technology transfer programs;
(3)the budget for the Integrated Enterprise Management Program, by individual element;
(4)the budget for the Independent Technical Authority, both total and by center;
(5)the total budget for the prize program under section 20144 of this title, and the administrative budget for that program; and
(6)the comparable figures for at least the 2 previous fiscal years for each item in the proposed budget.
(b)Additional Budget Information Upon Request by Committees.—
The Administration shall make available, upon request from the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives or the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate—
(1)information on corporate and center general and administrative costs and service pool costs, including—
(A)the total amount of funds being allocated for those purposes for any fiscal year for which the President has submitted an annual budget request to Congress;
(B)the amount of funds being allocated for those purposes for each center, for headquarters, and for each directorate; and
(C)the major activities included in each cost category; and
(2)the figures on the amount of unobligated funds and unexpended funds, by appropriations account—
(A)that remained at the end of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the budget is being presented that were carried over into the fiscal year in which the budget is being presented;
(B)that are estimated will remain at the end of the fiscal year in which the budget is being presented that are proposed to be carried over into the fiscal year for which the budget is being presented; and
(C)that are estimated will remain at the end of the fiscal year for which the budget is being presented.
(c)Information in Annual Budget Justification.—
The Administration shall provide, at a minimum, the following information in its annual budget justification:
(1)The actual, current, proposed funding level, and estimated budgets for the next 5 fiscal years by directorate, theme, program, project and activity within each appropriations account.
(2)The proposed programmatic and non-programmatic construction of facilities.
(3)The budget for headquarters including—
(A)the budget by office, and any division thereof, for the actual, current, proposed funding level, and estimated budgets for the next 5 fiscal years;
(B)the travel budget for each office, and any division thereof, for the actual, current, and proposed funding level; and
(C)the civil service full time equivalent assignments per headquarters office, and any division thereof, including the number of Senior Executive Service, noncareer, detailee, and contract personnel per office.
(4)Within 14 days of the submission of the budget to Congress an accompanying volume shall be provided to the Committees on Appropriations containing the following information for each center, facility managed by any center, and federally funded research and development center operated on behalf of the Administration:
(A)The actual, current, proposed funding level, and estimated budgets for the next 5 fiscal years by directorate, theme, program, project, and activity.
(B)The proposed programmatic and non-programmatic construction of facilities.
(C)The number of civil service full time equivalent positions per center for each identified fiscal year.
(D)The number of civil service full time equivalent positions considered to be uncovered capacity at each location for each identified fiscal year.
(5)The proposed budget as designated by object class for each directorate, theme, and program.
(6)Sufficient narrative shall be provided to explain the request for each program, project, and activity, and an explanation for any deviation to previously adopted baselines for all justification materials provided to the Committees.
(d)Estimate of Gross Receipts and Proposed Use of Funds Related to Lease of Property.—
Each annual budget request shall include an annual estimate of gross receipts and collections and proposed use of all funds collected pursuant to section 20145 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 30103(a)42 U.S.C. 16611(h)(1).Pub. L. 109–155, title I, § 101(h)(1), (i), Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2903. 30103(b)42 U.S.C. 16611(i). 30103(c)42 U.S.C. 16611b.Pub. L. 110–161, div. B, title III, (7th par. under heading “Administrative Provisions”, at 121 Stat. 1919), Dec. 26, 2007, 121 Stat. 1919. 30103(d)42 U.S.C. 16611b note.Pub. L. 111–8, div. B, title III, (3d proviso in par. under heading “Cross Agency Support”, at 123 Stat. 589), Mar. 11, 2009, 123 Stat. 589. In subsection (a)(5), the source law’s reference to “section 104” of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–155, 119 Stat. 2910) is translated as “section 20144” of title 51. section 104 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 amended the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (Public Law 85–568, 72 Stat. 426) by inserting a new section 314, which is restated as section 20144 of title 51. In subsection (b), in the matter before paragraph (1), the words “Committee on Science and Technology” are substituted for “Committee on Science” on authority of Rule X(1)(o) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, adopted by House Resolution No. 6 (110th Congress, January 5, 2007). In subsection (c), in the matter before paragraph (1), the words “For fiscal year 2009 and hereafter” are omitted as unnecessary.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Science and Technology of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Jan. 5, 2011. Estimates of Receipts and Collections and Proposed Use of Funds From Leases of Non-Excess Property Pub. L. 119–74, div. A, title III, Jan. 23, 2026, 140 Stat. 43, provided in part: “That each annual budget request shall include an annual estimate of gross receipts and collections and proposed use of all funds collected pursuant to section 20145 of title 51, United States Code.” Similar provisions were contained in the following prior appropriation acts: Pub. L. 118–42, div. C, title III, Mar. 9, 2024, 138 Stat. 160. Pub. L. 117–328, div. B, title III, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 4548. Pub. L. 117–103, div. B, title III, Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 137. Pub. L. 116–260, div. B, title III, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 1270. Pub. L. 116–93, div. B, title III, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2418. Pub. L. 116–6, div. C, title III, Feb. 15, 2019, 133 Stat. 123. Pub. L. 115–141, div. B, title III, Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 431. Pub. L. 115–31, div. B, title III, May 5, 2017, 131 Stat. 214. Pub. L. 114–113, div. B, title III, Dec. 18, 2015, 129 Stat. 2318. Pub. L. 113–235, div. B, title III, Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2203. Pub. L. 113–76, div. B, title III, Jan. 17, 2014, 128 Stat. 72. Pub. L. 113–6, div. B, title III, Mar. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 263. Pub. L. 112–55, div. B, title III, Nov. 18, 2011, 125 Stat. 625. Pub. L. 111–117, div. B, title III, Dec. 16, 2009, 123 Stat. 3144. Transmission of Budget Estimates Pub. L. 102–588, title II, § 210, Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5115, provided that: “The Administrator [of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration] shall, at the time of submission of the President’s annual budget, transmit to the Congress— “(1) a five-year budget detailing the estimated development costs for each individual program under the jurisdiction of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for which development costs are expected to exceed $200,000,000; and “(2) an estimate of the life-cycle costs associated with each such program.” Similar provisions were contained in the following prior appropriation authorization act: Pub. L. 102–195, § 11, Dec. 9, 1991, 105 Stat. 1612.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

51 U.S.C. § 30103

Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110