[FPSPACE] Apollo Exploration Award Act of 2000

[JamesOberg@aol.com]

Apollo Exploration Award Act of 2000 (Engrossed in House )

                                         106th CONGRESS 2d Session
H. R. 2572
AN ACT
To direct the Administrator of NASA to design and present an award to the
Apollo astronauts. 

HR 2572 EH 

                                         106th CONGRESS

                                            2d Session

                                            H. R. 2572

                                            AN ACT

To direct the Administrator of NASA to design and present an award to the
Apollo astronauts. 

     Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress
     assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the `Apollo Exploration Award Act of 2000'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

     Congress makes the following findings:

          (1) On July 20, 1969, Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. `Buzz' Aldrin
Jr., became the first humans to set foot on
          another celestial body, during the Apollo 11 mission, accompanied
in lunar orbit by Michael Collins.

          (2) Between 1969 and 1972, ten other Americans courageously
completed the first human exploration of the
          lunar surface, accompanied by five command module pilots:

               (A) Apollo 12--Charles J. `Pete' Conrad Jr., Alan L. Bean,
and Richard F. Gordon Jr.

               (B) Apollo 14--Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, and
Stuart A. Roosa.

               (C) Apollo 15--David R. Scott, James B. Irwin, and Alfred M.
Worden.

               (D) Apollo 16--John W. Young, Charles M. Duke Jr., and Thomas
K. Mattingly II.

               (E) Apollo 17--Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and
Harrison H. Schmitt.

          (3) In April 1970, James A. Lovell Jr., John L. Swigert Jr., and
Fred W. Haise Jr., valiantly made a safe return
          from the Moon on the Apollo 13 mission, after their command module
was disabled by an explosion.

          (4) The enormous successes of the Apollo lunar landing missions
were only possible due to the pioneering work
          of the previous Apollo missions, which performed critical testing
of the spacecraft and methods, and conducted
          the first human travel to the Moon:

               (A) Apollo 7--Walter M. Schirra Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R.
Walter Cunningham.

               (B) Apollo 8--Frank Borman, James A. Lovell Jr., and William
A. Anders.

               (C) Apollo 9--James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell
L. Schweickart.

               (D) Apollo 10--Thomas P. Stafford, John W. Young, and Eugene
A. Cernan.

          (5) In January 1967, astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H.
White, and Roger B. Chaffee lost their lives in a
          tragic fire in the command module while testing the spacecraft
which would have carried them on the first manned
          Apollo mission.

          (6) Since the time of the Apollo program, the program's astronauts
have promoted space exploration and human
          endeavor by sharing their experiences with the American people and
the world, stimulating the imagination and the
          belief that any goal can be achieved.

          (7) Sadly, astronauts John L. Swigert Jr., Donn F. Eisele, Ronald
E. Evans, James B. Irwin, Stuart A. Roosa,
          Alan B. Shepard Jr., and Charles J. `Pete' Conrad Jr., have died
since completing their missions.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

     It is the sense of the Congress that the American people should provide
a fitting and tangible tribute to each of the
     astronauts of the Apollo program, to recognize and commemorate their
bravery, substantial scientific and technical
     accomplishments, and unique contributions to American and world
history.

SEC. 4. APOLLO EXPLORATION AWARD.

     (a) IN GENERAL- The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (hereafter in this Act
     referred to as the `Administrator') shall design and present an
appropriate award, to be named the `Apollo Exploration
     Award', commemorating the accomplishments of the astronauts who flew in
the Apollo program.

     (b) DESIGN- The Administrator shall ensure that the Apollo Exploration
Award shall have the following characteristics:

          (1) A lunar rock sample shall be the central feature of the award.

          (2) The design of the award shall permit free access to and
removal of the lunar sample by the award recipient.

     (c) PRESENTATION- The Administrator shall present one award created
under this Act to each of the following
     Apollo astronauts, or if such person is deceased, to his closest living
family member or heir (as determined by the
     Administrator):

          (1) Buzz Aldrin (formerly known as Edwin E. Aldrin Jr.) of Apollo
11.

          (2) William A. Anders of Apollo 8.

          (3) Neil A. Armstrong of Apollo 11.

          (4) Alan L. Bean of Apollo 12.

          (5) Frank Borman of Apollo 8.

          (6) Eugene A. Cernan of Apollo 10 and Apollo 17.

          (7) Roger B. Chafee of Apollo 1.

          (8) Michael Collins of Apollo 11.

          (9) Charles J. `Pete' Conrad Jr. of Apollo 12.

          (10) R. Walter Cunningham of Apollo 7.

          (11) Charles M. Duke Jr. of Apollo 16.

          (12) Donn F. Eisele of Apollo 7.

          (13) Ronald E. Evans of Apollo 17.

          (14) Richard F. Gordon Jr. of Apollo 12.

          (15) Virgil I. Grissom of Apollo 1.

          (16) Fred W. Haise Jr. of Apollo 13.

          (17) James B. Irwin of Apollo 15.

          (18) James A. Lovell Jr. of Apollo 8 and Apollo 13.

          (19) Thomas K. Mattingly II of Apollo 16.

          (20) James A. McDivitt of Apollo 9.

          (21) Edgar D. Mitchell of Apollo 14.

          (22) Stuart A. Roosa of Apollo 14.

          (23) Walter M. Schirra Jr. of Apollo 7.

          (24) Harrison H. Schmitt of Apollo 17.

          (25) Russell L. Schweickart of Apollo 9.

          (26) David R. Scott of Apollo 9 and Apollo 15.

          (27) Alan B. Shepard Jr. of Apollo 14.

          (28) Thomas P. Stafford of Apollo 10.

          (29) John L. Swigert Jr. of Apollo 13.

          (30) Edward H. White of Apollo 1.

          (31) Alfred M. Worden of Apollo 15.

          (32) John W. Young of Apollo 10 and Apollo 16.

SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON PROFIT.

     No person may use an award presented under this Act for monetary gain
or profit.

SEC. 6. TRANSFER OF AWARD.

     (a) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, ownership
interest in an award presented under this Act
     may not be--

          (1) sold, traded, bartered, or exchanged for anything of value; or

          (2) otherwise transferred, other than to a family member of the
original recipient of the award or by inheritance.

     (b) EXCEPTION FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY- The prohibition in subsection (a)
does not apply to a transfer to a museum
     or nonprofit organization for the purpose of public display.

     (c) REVERSION- Ownership of an award presented under this Act reverts
to the Administrator if--

          (1) no person inherits the award after the death of its owner; or

          (2) the award is not being displayed publicly under subsection
(b).

SEC. 7. RECALL OF LUNAR MATERIAL.

     (a) IN GENERAL- The Administrator may recall a lunar sample contained
in an award presented under this Act if the
     Administrator determines that the particular lunar sample is required
for scientific purposes.

     (b) PROMPT RETURN- The Administrator shall promptly return a lunar
sample recalled under subsection (a) to its
     owner when such sample is no longer required for scientific purposes.

     (c) REPLACEMENT- The Administrator may replace a lunar sample recalled
under subsection (a) with a substantially
     equivalent lunar sample if the Administrator determines that such
recalled lunar sample will not be promptly returned in its
     entirety and without substantial degradation.

Passed the House of Representatives September 26, 2000. 

Attest: 

Clerk.