S. 963 — Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025

This section establishes the Space National Guard as a federally recognized space force and the reserve component of the U.S. Space Force (i.e., the sixth armed service, established in 2019 to organize, train, and equip forces for space operations) within the organized militia of seven states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and Ohio). The Space National Guard comprises (1) the Director of Space Operations for the National Guard Bureau, transferred and redesignated as Director of the Space National Guard (Brigadier General, reporting to the Director of the Air National Guard); and (2) space operations staff from the National Guard Bureau and 14 specified Air National Guard units engaged in space warning, electromagnetic warfare, intelligence, communications, and command-and-control missions (e.g., 213th Space Warning Squadron, Alaska ANG; 137th Space Warning Squadron, Colorado ANG). This section prohibits assigning or allocating any additional personnel to the Space National Guard beyond those transferred, requires units to be organized under each state's existing Assistant Adjutant General for Air Force, and bars states from receiving additional personnel, general officers, or staff for Space National Guard administration or operations. (Thus, the Space National Guard operates with existing Air National Guard space assets and leadership in a dual state-federal role.)

This section requires the Space National Guard to use facilities, infrastructure, and installations constructed before the date of enactment and prohibits the construction or modification of any additional facilities, infrastructure, or installations to accommodate the Space National Guard.

This section directs the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to implement this Act and its amendments not later than one year after enactment (except as specifically provided). It also requires the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of the Space Force, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau to jointly brief the congressional defense committees within 90 days of enactment and annually thereafter for five years on Space National Guard implementation status, including (1) missions, operations, activities, personnel requirements and status, and budget and funding requirements and status; and (2) other matters as determined appropriate.

This section amends definitions in sections 101 of Titles 10 and 32, United States Code, to include the Space National Guard (i.e., federally recognized organized militia units functioning as a space force of specified states, trained and equipped under the Constitution and at federal expense) and the Space National Guard of the United States (i.e., the federal reserve component of the Space Force consisting of Space National Guard members) within the National Guard construct. Specifically, it (1) expands the term "National Guard" to encompass the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, and Space National Guard; (2) expands the term "Territory" (for laws relating to the National Guard and related forces) to apply to the Space National Guard of the United States; (3) adds parallel definitions for Space National Guard and Space National Guard of the United States, mirroring those for Army and Air National Guard; and (4) makes conforming changes to references to Air National Guard units and forces. The section also (1) adds the Space National Guard of the United States to the list of reserve components in 10 U.S.C. §10101 and (2) adds new sections to chapter 1003 of title 10 (10 U.S.C. §§10115-10117) providing that the Space National Guard of the United States consists of federally recognized Space National Guard units and members, constitutes a component of the Space Force while in federal service, and is administered, armed, equipped, and trained as Space National Guard when not on active duty. (Thus, these changes conform Titles 10 and 32 to the establishment of a Space National Guard with a dual state-federal role akin to the Army and Air National Guard.)