On September 21, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved S. 3346, the NASA Transition Authorization Act.
Summary and Outlook: S. 3346 provides a one-year authorization of $19.508 billion for NASA for FY2017, including a cut to the Science Mission Directorate. The American Astronomical Society provides a detailed summary and breakdown of the bill. Given the fact that the House passed its own NASA reauthorization bill in February 2015, it is unexpected that any NASA reauthorization legislation will be conferenced and passed by Congress in the limited time left this year.