One of the best ways to foster innovation is to share ideas and talent. That’s exactly what a recently introduced bipartisan piece of legislation is designed to do.
The legislation, called the NASA Talent Exchange Program Act, will assign NASA employees to temporary industry posts while welcoming industry professionals into NASA for short term positions. “The new legislation will establish the Public Private Talent Exchange Program (PPTE) within NASA to help partnership opportunities between government and aerospace businesses,” according to a press release from the office of Congresswoman Emilia Sykes.
The bipartisan bill (H.R.6771 and S.3488) was introduced last month by U.S. Representatives Emilia Sykes (D-OH) and Max Miller (R-OH) along with U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Marco Rubio (R-FL).
“The road back to the moon and to Mars runs directly through Ohio – that’s why I’m proud to introduce this important legislation with Rep. Max Miller, Sen. Sherrod Brown, and Sen. Marco Rubio,” said Rep. Sykes. “Our bill will allow NASA to better fulfill its missions by authorizing a public-private talent exchange program, through which NASA and private industry professionals will have the chance to exchange technical expertise and operational best practices, ensuring that America’s space and aerospace industry remains the best and most innovative in the world.”
Senator Rubio added, “From Apollo to Artemis, space exploration is fueled by NASA’s ingenuity and the dynamism of its private sector partners. The partnerships lower costs and are crucial to maintaining American leadership in space. I am proud to introduce the NASA Talent Exchange Program Act to continue cultivating vital partnerships to unlock the potential of American innovation.”
The Exchange Program is modeled after a similar initiative that the Department of Defense has operated since 2018. That program allowed the Department of Defense to forge partnerships with private sector companies and swap business practices for the betterment of both parties.
The House version of the bill has been referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. The Senate bill has been sent to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.