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Title 51, National and Commercial Space ProgramsRelease 119-110

§40501 Biomedical Research Joint Working Group

Title 51 › Subtitle IV — Aeronautics and Space Research and Education › CHAPTER 405 — BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IN SPACE › § 40501

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The NASA Administrator and the NIH Director must set up a joint working group to coordinate biomedical research where microgravity might help us better understand or treat diseases. The group must plan joint research programs and have equal members from NASA and NIH, including people chosen from NIH councils and from the NASA Advisory Council. The working group must hold a yearly symposium on this research, sponsored by both agencies, and must send Congress an annual report on its progress.

Full Legal Text

Title 51, §40501

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

(a)Establishment.—
The Administrator and the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall jointly establish a working group to coordinate biomedical research activities in areas where a microgravity environment may contribute to significant progress in the understanding and treatment of diseases and other medical conditions. The joint working group shall formulate joint and complementary programs in such areas of research.
(b)Membership.—
The joint working group shall include equal representation from the Administration and the National Institutes of Health, and shall include representation from National Institutes of Health councils, as selected by the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advisory Council.
(c)Annual Biomedical Research Symposia.—
The joint working group shall organize annual symposia on biomedical research described in subsection (a) under the joint sponsorship of the Administration and the National Institutes of Health.
(d)Annual Reporting Requirement.—
The joint working group shall report annually to Congress on its progress in carrying out this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4050142 U.S.C. 2487a.Pub. L. 102–588, title VI, § 602, Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5130.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Findings Pub. L. 102–588, title VI, § 601, Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5130, provided that: “The Congress finds that— “(1) the space program can make significant contributions to selected areas of health-related research and should be an integral part of the Nation’s health research and development program; “(2) the continuing development of trained scientists and engineers is essential to carrying out an effective and sustained program of biomedical research in space and on the ground; “(3) the establishment and maintenance of an electronically accessible archive of data on space-related biomedical research is essential to advancement of the field; “(4) cooperation with the republics of the former Soviet Union, including use of former Soviet orbital facilities, offers the potential for greatly enhanced biomedical research activities and progress; and “(5) the establishment and maintenance of an international telemedicine consultation satellite capability to support emergency medical service provision can provide an important aid to disaster relief efforts.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

51 U.S.C. § 40501

Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110