PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Nov 18, 2004
Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 - Amends Federal law concerning commercial space transportation to make such law applicable to space flight crews and space flight participants.
Instructs the Secretary to ensure that only one license or permit is required from the Department of Transportation to conduct activities involving crew or space flight participants.
Prohibits the Secretary from granting waivers that would permit launches without a license or permit if humans will be aboard.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Allows the holder of a license or a permit to launch and reenter crews and space flight participants, but only as specified.
Authorizes the Secretary to issue regulations requiring space flight participants to undergo physical examination prior to launch or reentry.
Authorizes the Secretary to issue safety regulations governing launch vehicle design or operation.
Provides for the issuance of experimental permits (including permits for reusable suborbital rockets) allowing for an unlimited number of launches.
Permits suspension of licenses under which a previous launch or reentry resulted in serious or fatal injuries.
Requires crew and space flight participants to execute reciprocal waivers of claims with licensees and permitees and the Federal government.
Makes liability indemnification program requirements inapplicable to space flight participants.
Requires the Secretary to arrange for a study of the liability risk sharing regime for commercial space transportation which assesses how the current system could be eliminated.
Requires the Secretary to arrange for a report analyzing safety issues related to launching humans into space.
People & committees
Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK] · R–OK
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11498)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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