Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 11, 2025
Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025
This bill establishes a Space National Guard as the reserve component of the U.S. Space Force, specifically in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and Ohio. The Space National Guard consists of specified units of the Air National Guard and must use existing facilities, infrastructure, and installations.
Source last updated: Jan 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Read the proposal in plain language
AI-generated · Source-checked by AI · Nov 7, 2026
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-11 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
What it would do
The proposed Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025 would create a Space National Guard in seven states as a reserve component of the Space Force. It would transfer existing National Guard space staff and specified units, restrict additional personnel, and require use of existing facilities. Defense officials would generally have one year after enactment to implement the changes.
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This Act may be cited as the Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025.
The staff assigned to space operations in the National Guard Bureau, and the units specified in subparagraph (B), shall be transferred to the Space National Guard.
The Space National Guard shall make use of the facilities, infrastructure, and installations being for space operations by the Air National Guard on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act.
Except as specifically provided by this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall implement this Act and the amendments made by this Act not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
The proposed Space National Guard would be part of the organized state military forces in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and Ohio. It would require federal recognition and would be organized, armed, and equipped wholly or partly at federal expense.
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There is established a Space National Guard that is part of the organized militia of the States specified in paragraph (3), active and inactive, that— (A) is a space force; (B) is trained, and has its officers appointed, under the sixteenth clause of section 8, article I of the Constitution; (C) is organized, armed, and equipped wholly or partly at Federal expense; and (D) is federally recognized.
The National Guard Bureau's Director of Space Operations would become Director of the Space National Guard, hold the rank of brigadier general, and report to the Director of the Air National Guard.
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The Director of Space Operations for the National Guard Bureau shall be transferred to the Space National Guard and be known as the Director of the Space National Guard. (B) Rank The Director of the Space National Guard shall carry the rank of Brigadier General and shall report to the Director of the Air National Guard.
The bill would transfer the National Guard Bureau's space operations staff and 14 listed Air National Guard units to the Space National Guard. The list includes warning, operations, electromagnetic warfare, intelligence, communications, training, and command and control units.
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The staff assigned to space operations in the National Guard Bureau, and the units specified in subparagraph (B), shall be transferred to the Space National Guard.
(i) 213th Space Warning Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard. (ii) 148th Space Operations Squadron, California Air National Guard. (iii) 216th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, California Air National Guard. (iv) 234th Intelligence Squadron, California Air National Guard. (v) 137th Space Warning Squadron, Colorado Air National Guard. (vi) 138th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, Colorado Air National Guard. (vii) 233d Space Group, Colorado Air National Guard. (viii) 233d Space Communications Squadron, Colorado Air National Guard. (ix) 233d Space Group, Det-1 (Combat Training Detachment) Colorado Air National Guard. (x) 114th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, Florida Air National Guard. (xi) 150th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard. (xii) 109th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard. (xiii) 126th Intelligence Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard. (xiv) 222nd Command and Control Squadron, New York Air National Guard.
Only personnel covered by the director and space operations transfers could be assigned or allocated to the Space National Guard. Apart from those transfers, states could not receive additional personnel, including general officers or staff, to administer or operate it.
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There shall be no personnel assigned or allocated to the Space National Guard other than the personnel provided for by paragraphs (1) and (2).
Except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2), no State shall receive any additional personnel, to include any general officer or staff, to assist with the administration and operation of the Space National Guard
Each unit would be organized under the Assistant Adjutant General for the Air Force in the state where the unit was located the day before enactment.
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Each Space National Guard unit shall be organized under the Assistant Adjutant General for the Air Force in the State in which the unit is located on the day before the enactment of this Act.
The Space National Guard would use the Air National Guard's existing space operations facilities, infrastructure, and installations, measured as of the day before enactment. Subject to that existing-facilities provision, the bill would prohibit constructing or modifying additional facilities, infrastructure, or installations to accommodate it.
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The Space National Guard shall make use of the facilities, infrastructure, and installations being for space operations by the Air National Guard on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act.
Except as provided by subsection (a), no additional facility, infrastructure, or installation shall be constructed or modified to accommodate the Space National Guard.
Unless the bill specifically provided otherwise, the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of the National Guard Bureau would have to implement its provisions and statutory amendments within one year after enactment.
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Except as specifically provided by this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall implement this Act and the amendments made by this Act not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
The Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of the Space Force, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau would jointly brief congressional defense committees within 90 days after enactment and annually thereafter for five years.
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Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of the Space Force, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall jointly provide to the congressional defense committees (as defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code) a briefing on the status of the implementation of the Space National Guard pursuant to this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
The briefings would cover missions, operations, activities, personnel needs and status, and budget and funding needs and status. The officials could jointly choose other implementation and operations matters to include to keep Congress informed.
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The briefing required by paragraph (1) shall address— (A) the current missions, operations and activities, personnel requirements and status, and budget and funding requirements and status of the Space National Guard; and (B) such other matters with respect to the implementation and operation of the Space National Guard as the Secretary and the Chiefs jointly determine appropriate to keep Congress fully and currently informed on the status of the implementation of the Space National Guard.
Section 5 would add definitions of the Space National Guard and Space National Guard of the United States to titles 10 and 32 of the United States Code. The latter term would mean the Space Force reserve component whose members also belong to the Space National Guard. Related amendments would add references to these organizations in existing statutory definitions and the reserve-component list.
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(6) The term Space National Guard means that part of the organized militia of the States specified in section 2(a)(3) of the Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025, active and inactive, that— (A) is a space force; (B) is trained, and has its officers appointed under the sixteenth clause of section 8, article I of the Constitution; (C) is organized, armed, and equipped wholly or partly at Federal expense; and (D) is federally recognized. (7) The term Space National Guard of the United States means the reserve component of the Space Force all of whose members are members of the Space National Guard.
(8) The term Space National Guard means that part of the organized militia of the States specified in section 2(a)(3) of the Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025, active and inactive, that— (A) is a space force; (B) is trained, and has its officers appointed under the sixteenth clause of section 8, article I of the Constitution; (C) is organized, armed, and equipped wholly or partly at Federal expense; and (D) is federally recognized. (9) The term Space National Guard of the United States means the reserve component of the Space Force all of whose members are members of the Space National Guard.
in section 10101— (i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting the following before the colon; and (ii) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (8) The Space National Guard of the United States.
The proposed federal reserve component would consist of federally recognized Space National Guard units and organizations, plus Space National Guard members who are also Space Force reservists. The Space National Guard would be a component of the Space Force while in United States service.
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The Space National Guard of the United States is the reserve component of the Space Force that consists of— (1) federally recognized units and organizations of the Space National Guard; and (2) members of the Space National Guard who are also Reserves of the Space Force.
When not on active duty, members of the Space National Guard of the United States would be administered, armed, equipped, and trained in their status as Space National Guard members.
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When not on active duty, members of the Space National Guard of the United States shall be administered, armed, equipped, and trained in their status as members of the Space National Guard.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated January 10, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Armed Services on March 11, 2025.
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Source snapshot updated 2026-01-10T06:48:25Z.
2025-03-11: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
2025-03-11: Introduced in House
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-11. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No provision unrelated to the bill's main subject was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the absence of riders in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending allocation for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; it does not resolve formal earmark status in materials outside the bundle.
Other targeted benefits
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential benefit, special exemption, or carve-out beyond the proposal's organizational scope and routine administration was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not cover other versions or accompanying materials.
What this analysis cannot establish
The supplied full text is the introduced House version dated March 11, 2025. Its provisions are proposals. The supplied actions snapshot does not establish later advancement, amendment, or enactment; missing actions do not prove that none occurred.
Section 5 amends existing statutes without reproducing their full context. The bundle supports the stated textual changes but does not establish every consequence for existing military authorities, duties, or benefits.
Section 3(a) contains the incomplete phrase “being for space operations.” Its apparent reference is to existing Air National Guard space operations facilities, but the wording leaves uncertainty about the precise scope of that requirement and the related construction exception.
The bill supplies no dollar appropriation or cost estimate. Personnel and facility restrictions alone do not establish the proposal's total cost or savings.
Implementation deadlines depend on enactment, so the supplied evidence does not establish calendar deadlines. The five-year briefing period is not a termination date for the Space National Guard; the supplied text contains no express sunset for the organization.
No member earmark requests, disclosures, committee reports, or conference materials are supplied. The review cannot establish formal earmark status or amendment attachment history beyond the introduced text.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jan 10, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI