A bill to require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to designate national high-energy astrophysics hubs.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4044 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4044 To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to designate national high-energy astrophysics hubs. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 10, 2026 Mr. Markey (for himself and Ms. Warren) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to designate national high-energy astrophysics hubs. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Support for Astrophysical Observatories and National High-Energy Astrophysics Hubs Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORIES AND NATIONAL HIGH- ENERGY ASTROPHYSICS HUBS. (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that-- (1) the United States should maintain its global leadership in high-energy astrophysics; (2) in order to maintain such leadership, the United States should support X-ray flagship missions based on the recommendations of the most recent and future decadal Surveys in Astronomy and Astrophysics issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; (3) the workforce associated with high-energy astrophysics constitutes a national strategic asset that will be critical to the development and eventual operation of any such flagship mission; and (4) proactive steps should be taken to ensure that the capabilities of current high-energy astrophysics facilities continue to serve the scientific, educational, and commercial interests of the United States long beyond the durat