	Introduction and Background

Legislation is pending in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to provide variouspersonnel flexibilities to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). (5)
H.R. (8)
In the Senate, Senator George Voinovich introduced S. 610 , the NASA Workforce Flexibility Act of 2003, on March 13, 2003, and it was referred to the Senate Committee onGovernmental Affairs. On April 29, 2003, Representative Tom Davis introduced H.R. 1836 , the Civil Service and National Security Personnel Improvement Act, and it was referred to the HouseCommittees on Armed Services, Government Reform, Science, and Ways and Means. (14) Title III,Subtitle B of the bill includes provisions on personnel flexibilities for NASA which are similar tothose in S. 610 , as introduced. H.R. (16)
This report compares H.R. 1085 , (17) as reported to the House, and S. 610 , as passed by the Senate, with current law. Both bills would create a new Chapter 98 in Title5 (Government Organization and Management) of the United States Code to provide enhancedflexibilities for human resources management at NASA. 1085 and S. 610 would, among other provisions, provide more remunerative amounts of, and greater flexibility in administering, recruitment, relocation, andretention bonuses; permit term appointments up to six years; and authorize pay up to the VicePresident's salary (currently, $201,600 in January 2004 until enactment of the omnibusappropriations bill, then expected to be $203,000) for critically needed scientific, technical,professional, or administrative personnel. Unlike S. 610, H.R. 1085 would allowa personnel management demonstration project at NASA to cover up to 8,000 employees, rather thanthe up to 5,000 employees permitted under current law. Both bills ( H.R. 1085 , Section 9814; S. 610 , Section 9813) also would allow the Administrator of NASA to place limited term and limited emergency appointees incareer-reserved positions in the Senior Executive Service (SES).
Various personnel flexibilities would be provided to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under legislation currently pending in both the House of Representativesand the Senate. H.R. 1085 , the NASA Flexibility Act of 2003, was introduced byRepresentative Sherwood Boehlert on March 5, 2003. S. 610 , the NASA FlexibilityAct of 2003, was introduced by Senator George Voinovich on March 13, 2003. H.R. 1836 , the Civil Service and National Security Personnel Improvement Act, introduced byRepresentative Tom Davis on April 29, 2003, includes, in Title III, Subtitle B, provisions similar tothose in S. 610, as introduced.
This report compares H.R. 1085 , as reported to the House, and S. 610 , as passed by the Senate, with current law. (See CRS Report RL31924 for H.R. 1836 .)Both bills would provide enhanced flexibilities for human resources management at NASA bycreating a new Chapter 98 on NASA in Title 5 of the United States Code .
H.R. 1085 and S. 610 , among other provisions, would provide more remunerative amounts of, and greater flexibility in administering, recruitment, relocation, andretention bonuses; permit term appointments of up to six years; and authorize pay up to the VicePresident's salary for critically needed scientific, technical, professional, or administrative personnel. Both bills also would allow the Administrator of NASA to place limited term and limited emergencyappointees in career-reserved positions in the Senior Executive Service. Career-reserved positionsare required by statute to be filled by career appointees. Unlike, S. 610, H.R.1085 would allow a personnel management demonstration project at NASA to cover upto 8,000 employees, rather than the up to 5,000 employees permitted under current law.
This report will be updated as legislative actions occur.