National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008/Title X

TITLE X--REVITALIZATION OF NASA INSTITUTIONAL CAPABILITIES

SEC. 1001. REVIEW OF INFORMATION SECURITY CONTROLS.

(a) Report on Controls- Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall transmit to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a review of information security controls that protect NASA's information technology resources and information from inadvertent or deliberate misuse, fraudulent use, disclosure, modification, or destruction. The review shall focus on networks servicing NASA's mission directorates. In assessing these controls, the review shall evaluate--

(1) the network's ability to limit, detect, and monitor access to resources and information, thereby safeguarding and protecting them from unauthorized access;

(2) the physical access to network resources; and

(3) the extent to which sensitive research and mission data is encrypted.

(b) Restricted Report on Intrusions- Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, and in conjunction with the report described in subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall transmit to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a restricted report detailing results of vulnerability assessments conducted by the Government Accountability Office on NASA's network resources. Intrusion attempts during such vulnerability assessments shall be divulged to NASA senior management prior to their application. The report shall put vulnerability assessment results in the context of unauthorized accesses or attempts during the prior two years and the corrective actions, recent or ongoing, that NASA has implemented in conjunction with other Federal authorities to prevent such intrusions.

SEC. 1002. MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADE OF CENTER FACILITIES.

(a) In General- In order to sustain healthy Centers that are capable of carrying out NASA's missions, the Administrator shall ensure that adequate maintenance and upgrading of those Center facilities is performed on a regular basis.

(b) Review- The Administrator shall determine and prioritize the maintenance and upgrade backlog at each of NASA's Centers and associated facilities, and shall develop a strategy and budget plan to reduce that maintenance and upgrade backlog by 50 percent over the next five years.

(c) Report- The Administrator shall deliver a report to Congress on the results of the activities undertaken in subsection (b) concurrently with the delivery of the fiscal year 2011 budget request.

SEC. 1003. ASSESSMENT OF NASA LABORATORY CAPABILITIES.

(a) In General- NASA's laboratories are a critical component of NASA's research capabilities, and the Administrator shall ensure that those laboratories remain productive.

(b) Review- The Administrator shall enter into an arrangement for an independent external review of NASA's laboratories, including laboratory equipment, facilities, and support services, to determine whether they are equipped and maintained at a level adequate to support NASA's research activities. The assessment shall also include an assessment of the relative quality of NASA's in-house laboratory equipment and facilities compared to comparable laboratories elsewhere. The results of the review shall be provided to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 1004. STUDY AND REPORT ON PROJECT ASSIGNMENT AND WORK ALLOCATION OF FIELD CENTERS.

(a) Study-

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall complete a study of all field centers of NASA, including the Michoud Assembly Facility.

(2) MATTERS STUDIED- The study required by paragraph (1) shall include the mission and future roles and responsibilities of the field centers, including the Michoud Assembly Facility, described in paragraph (1).

(b) Report-

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the study required by subsection (a)(1).

(2) CONTENT- The report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) A comprehensive analysis of the work allocation of all field centers of NASA, including the Michoud Assembly Facility.

(B) A description of the program and project roles, functions, and activities assigned to each field center, including the Michoud Assembly Facility.

(C) Details on how field centers, including the Michoud Assembly Facility, are selected and designated for lead and support role work assignments (including program and contract management assignments).