Clarke County Tribune

Hyde-Smith Joins Rubio On A Two-Year Renewal Of NASA Property Lease Program

By PRESS RELEASE – SENATOR CINDY HYDE-SMITH

Reauthorization Would Benefit Stennis Space Center Reputation as a ‘Federal City’ 

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today joined U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and others in introducing legislation to renew an expiring National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) property lease program for two years.

The two-year extension of the NASA Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) program would allow Stennis Space Center and other NASA facilities to continue to lease underutilized properties. Current EUL authorization ends Dec. 31, 2021, but the new legislation would extend the program through Dec. 31, 2023.

“The Stennis Space Center earned its ‘Federal City’ title because of its ability to use EUL to attract other federal and state agencies, academic and private-sector organizations, tech-based companies and others,” Hyde-Smith said. “Extending this program would allow Stennis and other NASA centers to better plan for use of properties to support its mission and our economy.”

The EUL authority allows NASA centers to reach agreements with private sector entities, state and local governments, academic institutions, and other federal agencies to lease of non-excess but underutilized NASA properties. Revenue generated from the lease agreements support NASA mission and capital improvements.

Others cosponsoring the NASA Enhanced Use Leasing Extension Act of 2021 (S.3303) include Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).