NASA Talent Exchange Program Act

Summary

Creates a NASA public-private talent exchange that lets NASA temporarily detail its civil servants to private sector employers and bring private-sector employees into NASA under written agreements and rules set by the NASA Administrator. Assignments are limited in length, subject to ethics and legal safeguards, capped at no more than 2% of NASA’s civil servant workforce at any time, and require annual reports to Congress plus a Government Accountability Office review within three years.

• Creates a bilateral talent exchange allowing temporary details between NASA and private-sector employers under written agreements.
• Assignments last between 3 months and 2 years and may be renewed so no individual serves more than 3 years total.
• NASA employees remain federal employees and must return service equal to twice the assignment length; breaking agreements can create debt obligations.
• Private employees remain paid by their employer, cannot access employer trade secrets or perform inherently governmental functions, and may not be used to skirt workforce or contracting limits.
• No more than 2% of NASA’s civil servant workforce may participate at any one time.
• The Administrator must create implementing policies, ensure statutory and ethics compliance, and certify assignments won’t harm mission capability.
• Annual reports to the authorizing committees are required, and the Comptroller General must review program implementation within three years.
• Liabilities for assignment expenses can be waived under criteria set by the Administrator, but are otherwise treated as debts.