ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives today passed House Bill 734, the Georgia Spaceflight Act (GSA), sponsored by State Representative Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine) by a vote of 164-8. The bill would define procedures for spaceflight activity in Georgia.
“I am grateful to my colleagues who voted to bring much needed high-tech jobs to our state,” said Rep. Spencer. “Camden County, as well as the state of Georgia, is on its way to making history again. Today’s passage of HB 734 sends a huge message to the commercial space industry that Georgia is now in the commercial space race.”
The GSA is modeled after the Texas law, Limited Liability for Space Flight Activities, and defines procedures for spaceflight activity. The bill limits a willing space flight participant’s ability to sue for damages related to spaceflight activities for which the participant must give informed consent. Additionally, the GSA does not protect against injuries suffered by non-consenting third parties. This language is the foundation of the bill and introduces an industry standard that is used in all other “space friendly” states.
The GSA has garnered the endorsements from multiple outside groups and individuals, including the Commercial Spaceflight Federation and former United States Speaker of the House, the Honorable Newt Gingrich. In a letter to the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Wendell Willard, Eric W. Stallmer, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation wrote:
“As the commercial space industry continues to grow from its current base of $330 Billion per year, Georgia has an opportunity to position itself as an attractive hub for the industry’s future business activities and operations, bringing significant economic and inspirational benefits to the citizens of Georgia. With this growth there is need for additional launch capacity on the East Coast of the United States that is not a government-centric launch site, and southeast Georgia is probably the last and best place to site such an installation.
From his letter of support, former Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote:
“House Bill 734, the GSFA seeks to add protections that are necessary for this nascent industry to succeed. The potential for Georgia to become part of the $300 billion dollar annual global commercial space industry would be one of the most significant economic development projects in our beloved state’s history. By passing H.B. 734, Georgia will be writing its own destiny.”
“With the passage of the Georgia Space Flight Act, the state is on its way to re-branding Georgia’s coast to become Georgia’s Space Coast by making Interstate 95 Georgia’s High-Tech Corridor, and through it, the state of Georgia and Camden County will be well positioned to capitalize on the global $304 billion space industry,” said Rep. Spencer.
HB 734 will now go to the Senate for consideration.
For more information on HB 734, please click here.