H.R. 5174 — To make revisions in title 51, United States Code, as necessary to keep the title current, and to make technical amendments to improve the United States Code.

This section states the purposes of the Act—to revise Title 51, United States Code (i.e., statutes related to national and commercial space programs), as necessary to keep it current and to make technical amendments to improve the code—and provides that the restatement of existing law does not change its meaning or effect. It further establishes a rule of construction directing courts to interpret wording changes as clarifications only, with or without accompanying revision notes.

This section revises Title 51, United States Code (governing national and commercial space programs), as follows: (1) amends the title table of contents by revising chapter headings and numbering for chapters 301 (to "Funding"), 315 (to "Facilities and Infrastructure"), 409 (to "Aeronautics and Space Technology"), 701 (to "Use of Space Launch System or Alternatives"); striking items for chapters 513 and 515 and inserting new items for chapters 513 ("Space Resource Commercial Exploration and Utilization"), 515 ("Office of Spaceports"), and 517 ("Development and Use of Commercial Cargo and Crew Transportation Capabilities"); and inserting items for new chapters 715 ("Human Space Flight and Exploration") and 717 ("Advancing Human Space Exploration"); (2) revises section 20144 to eliminate the restriction that NASA may award prizes only in conformity with the section (effective January 4, 2011) and to update a reference from the "Committee on Science and Technology" to the "Committee on Science, Space, and Technology"; (3) revises section 20145 by redesignating subsections (f) through (h) as (g) through (i); inserting new subsection (f) requiring proceeds from leases to be deposited in NASA's Construction and Environmental Compliance and Restoration appropriations account and available for five years to the extent provided in appropriations Acts; and updating a date reference in redesignated subsection (h) to August 9, 2022 (from the enactment date of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2022); (4) revises section 20303 by updating a statutory citation in subsection (c), redesignating subsection (d) as (e), and inserting new subsection (d) directing the NASA Administrator to evaluate and expand agency contributions to interagency science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education efforts to enhance technological excellence and global competitiveness, with identification of such efforts required in annual reports under redesignated subsection (e); and (5) revises chapter 301 by changing the chapter heading to "Funding," amending the chapter table of contents to establish subchapters I (General Provisions, sections 30101-30105) and II (Budget Provisions, sections 30121-30123), redesignating section 30103 (Budgets) as section 30121 and transferring it, redesignating section 30104 (Baselines and cost controls) as section 30103, inserting subchapter headings, updating multiple references in section 30103 from the "Committee on Science and Technology" to the "Committee on Science, Space, and Technology," and inserting new sections 30104 (Reports on estimated costs for certain programs) and 30105 (Annual report on program cost and control).

This section makes technical amendments to Titles 5, 28, 31, 36, 42, and 51, United States Code, by (1) updating cross-references from the repealed Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq., including section 5602) and various NASA authorization acts (e.g., Public Laws 108-375, 107-74, 111-422, 115-10, and 117-167, formerly codified at 42 U.S.C. 18302 et seq.) to their equivalents in Title 51 (e.g., 51 U.S.C. 60101, 70911, 71501, 71521, and 71522); (2) correcting tables of contents in Titles 28 (chapter 123), 36 (chapters 23 and 307); and (3) redesignating section 1932 (relating to revocation of earned release credit) as section 1933 in Title 28.

This section establishes transitional and savings provisions for restated provisions of title 51, United States Code (i.e., national and commercial space programs), enacted by section 3 of this Act, which replace source provisions enacted on or before April 10, 2025. It provides that (1) laws enacted after April 10, 2025, amending or repealing a source provision are deemed to amend or repeal the corresponding restated provision, and such laws supersede any inconsistency; (2) restated provisions are deemed enacted on the original date of the source provision; (3) references to restated or source provisions (including in regulations, orders, or other laws) are deemed to refer to the corresponding provision; (4) regulations, orders, and administrative actions under a source provision continue in effect under the corresponding restated provision; and (5) actions taken or offenses committed under a source provision are deemed taken or committed under the corresponding restated provision. (Thus, the recodification has no substantive legal effect and ensures uninterrupted continuity of space law authorities, regulations, and proceedings.)

This section repeals specified provisions from 11 public laws relating to NASA organization, programs, authorizations, and activities (e.g., findings and policy statements in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010; sense-of-Congress provisions in the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017; STEM education initiatives in the INSPIRE Women Act and Women in Aerospace Education Act), primarily codified as notes to 42 U.S.C. §§18301 et seq., 51 U.S.C. §§20101 et seq., and 31 U.S.C. §1105, except with respect to rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, or proceedings that were begun before the date of enactment. (Thus, these repeals eliminate expired or redundant statutory language without affecting ongoing NASA operations funded through annual appropriations.)