---
kind: "section"
citation: "51 U.S.C. § 20114"
title: "51"
title_heading: "National and Commercial Space Programs"
number: "20114"
heading: "Administration and Department of Defense coordination"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/51/20114"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — General Program and Policy Provisions"
  - "Chapter 201 — National Aeronautics and Space Program"
  - "Subchapter II — Coordination of Aeronautical and Space Activities"
---

# §20114. Administration and Department of Defense coordination

- (a) **Advise and Consult.—** The [Administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1) and the Department of Defense, through the President, shall advise and consult with each other on all matters within their respective jurisdictions related to [aeronautical and space activities](/usc/51/20103.md?p=1) and shall keep each other fully and currently informed with respect to such activities.
- (b) **Referral to the President.—** If the Secretary of Defense concludes that any request, action, proposed action, or failure to act on the part of the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) is adverse to the responsibilities of the Department of Defense, or the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) concludes that any request, action, proposed action, or failure to act on the part of the Department of Defense is adverse to the responsibilities of the [Administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1), and the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) and the Secretary of Defense are unable to reach an agreement with respect to the matter, either the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) or the Secretary of Defense may refer the matter to the President for a decision (which shall be final).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3336.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 20114(a) | 42 U.S.C. 2474(b). | Pub. L. 85–568, title II, § 204(b), (c), July 29, 1958, 72 Stat. 431. |
| 20114(b) | 42 U.S.C. 2474(c). |  |

In subsection (a), the words “through the President” are substituted for “through the Liaison Committee” because the Civilian-Military Liaison Committee, which was established by section 204(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (42 U.S.C. 2474(a)), was abolished and its functions, together with the functions of its chairman and other officers, were transferred to the President by sections 1(e) and 3(a) of Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1965 (5 App. U.S.C.).

In subsection (b), the words “as provided in section 201 (e)”, which appeared at the end of the subsection, are omitted as obsolete. Section 201 of Public Law 85–568, which was classified to former section 2471 of title 42 (last appearing in the 1970 edition of the United States Code), established the National Aeronautics and Space Council, with the functions of the Council specified in section 201(e). Those functions included advising the President “as he may request” with respect to promoting cooperation and resolving differences among agencies of the United States engaged in aeronautical and space activities. The words are obsolete because section 3(a)(4) of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1973 (5 App. U.S.C.), abolished the National Aeronautics and Space Council, including the office of Executive Secretary of the Council, together with its functions.