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S 1694 116th Congress Senate Science, Technology, Communications Archaeology and anthropology Historic sites and heritage areas Historical and cultural resources Licensing and registrations Research administration and funding Space flight and exploration Spacecraft and satellites User charges and fees

One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act

Introduced: May 23, 2019 Introduced by: Peters, Gary C. Democratic · Michigan See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 27 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 31, 2020
Signed by President.
Dec 31, 2020
Became Public Law No: 116-275.
Dec 21, 2020
Presented to President.
Dec 20, 2020
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Dec 19, 2020
Senate agreed to the House amendments to S. 1694 by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S7850)
Dec 19, 2020
Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendments to S. 1694 by Voice Vote.
Dec 17, 2020
Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
Dec 16, 2020
Ms. Horn, Kendra S. moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Dec 16, 2020
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Dec 16, 2020
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Dec 16, 2020
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7219-7220)
Dec 16, 2020
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H7219-7220)
Dec 16, 2020
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1694.
Dec 16, 2020
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7219-7222)
Jan 6, 2020
By Senator Wicker from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 116-194.
Jul 19, 2019
Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jul 19, 2019
Received in the House.
Jul 18, 2019
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Jul 18, 2019
Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote. (text: CR S4935)
Jul 18, 2019
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.(text: CR S4935)
Jul 18, 2019
The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S4934)
Jul 18, 2019
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S4934-4935)
Jul 16, 2019
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 152.
Jul 16, 2019
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
Jul 10, 2019
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
May 23, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
May 23, 2019
Introduced in Senate
 Amendments to this bill 1

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

1 agreed to

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
SAMDT 927 Peters, Gary C. To modify the sense of Congress with respect to collaboration with other countries. Agreed to Jul 18, 2019
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act

This bill directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to

  • add the recommendations described in the following clause as a condition or requirement to contracts, grants, agreements, partnerships or other arrangements pertaining to lunar activities carried out by, for, or in partnership with NASA;
  • inform other relevant federal agencies of the recommendations; and
  • encourage the use of best practices, consistent with the recommendations, by such agencies.

The recommendations described are

  • NASA's Recommendations to Space-Faring Entities: How to Protect and Preserve the Historic and Scientific Value of U.S. Government Lunar Artifacts issued by NASA on July 20, 2011, and updated on October 28, 2011; and
  • any successor recommendations, guidelines, best practices, or standards related to the principle of due regard and the limitation of harmful interference with Apollo landing site artifacts issued by NASA.

NASA may waive the conditions or requirements as it applies to an individual contract, grant, agreement, partnership or other arrangement pertaining to lunar activities carried out by, for, or in partnership with NASA so long as

  • such waiver is accompanied by a finding from NASA that carrying out the first directed obligation of this bill would be unduly prohibitive to an activity or activities of legitimate and significant historical, archaeological, anthropological, scientific, or engineering value; and
  • the finding is provided to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate no later than 30 days before the waiver takes effect.
What's happening now December 31, 2020

Became Public Law No: 116-275.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Committees of jurisdiction 3
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1694: One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-1694/
MLA
"S. 1694: One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-1694/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1694, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-1694/.
Markdown link
[S. 1694: One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-1694/)
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