Space launch and reentry licensing and permitting user fees

51 U.S.C. § 50924

• Title: 51 — National and Commercial Space Programs
• Chapter: 509 — COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH ACTIVITIES

Text

(a) Fees.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary of Transportation shall impose a fee, which shall be deposited in the account established under subsection (b), on each launch or reentry carried out under a license or permit issued under section 50904 during 2026 or a subsequent year, in an amount equal to the lesser of—
(A) the amount specified in paragraph (2) for the year involved per pound of the weight of the payload; or
(B) the amount specified in paragraph (3) for the year involved.
(2) Paragraph (2) specified amount.—The amount specified in this paragraph is—
(A) for 2026, $0.25;
(B) for 2027, $0.35;
(C) for 2028, $0.50;
(D) for 2029, $0.60;
(E) for 2030, $0.75;
(F) for 2031, $1;
(G) for 2032, $1.25;
(H) for 2033, $1.50; and
(I) for 2034 and each subsequent year, the amount specified in this paragraph for the previous year increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (all items; United States city average) over the previous year.
(3) Paragraph (3) specified amount.—The amount specified in this paragraph is—
(A) for 2026, $30,000;
(B) for 2027, $40,000;
(C) for 2028, $50,000;
(D) for 2029, $75,000;
(E) for 2030, $100,000;
(F) for 2031, $125,000;
(G) for 2032, $170,000;
(H) for 2033, $200,000; and
(I) for 2034 and each subsequent year, the amount specified in this paragraph for the previous year increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (all items; United States city average) over the previous year.
(b) Office of Commercial Space Transportation Launch and Reentry Licensing and Permitting Fund.—There is established in the Treasury of the United States a separate account, which shall be known as the "Office of Commercial Space Transportation Launch and Reentry Licensing and Permitting Fund", for the purposes of expenses of the Office of Commercial Space Transportation of the Federal Aviation Administration and to carry out section 630(b) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. 70 percent of the amounts deposited into the fund shall be available for such purposes and shall be available without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation.

History

(Added Pub. L. 119–21, title IV, §40004(a), July 4, 2025, 139 Stat. 132.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

References in Text
Section 630(b) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, referred to in subsec. (b), is section 630(b) of Pub. L. 118–63, May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1245, which relates to funds for developing technology for space launch and reentry reintegration and is not classified to the Code.

Editorial Notes

Amendments
2010—Pub. L. 111–314, §4(d)(2), (4), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440, 3441, transferred analysis for chapter 703 of Title 49, Transportation, and renumbered as analysis for chapter 511 of this title and renumbered items 70301 to 70305 as 51101 to 51105, respectively.