Maverick Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Maverick Act authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to convey three surplus F-14D Tomcat aircraft to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission in Huntsville, Alabama without payment. The aircraft are excess to Navy operational needs and must lack combat capability.
The transfer is a conditional deed of gift. The Navy does not have to repair the aircraft, procure additional parts, or provide support beyond the bill's terms. The Commission must pay conveyance, compliance, operation, and maintenance costs; comply with FAA requirements; obtain Navy approval before transferring possession or ownership; and accept reversion to the United States if it violates key conditions.
Who Benefits and How
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission, museum visitors, aviation heritage nonprofits, Huntsville tourism businesses, and naval aviation education programs benefit from receiving aircraft that can be restored, displayed, or used in airshows and commemorative events. The Navy benefits by disposing of surplus aircraft while preserving control conditions and avoiding transfer costs.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission must pay all conveyance, compliance, operation, maintenance, and spare-part replenishment costs. The Commission must also comply with FAA maintenance limits, export-control laws, sanctions rules, and Navy transfer restrictions. The Secretary of the Navy must execute and monitor the deed conditions but is shielded from repair, support, and liability obligations.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes transfer of three surplus F-14D Tomcat aircraft to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission.
- Requires a conditional deed of gift and no payment to the United States.
- Requires the aircraft to have no combat or munitions-launch capability.
- Allows transfer of manuals and limited excess spare parts under specified conditions.
- Allows agreements with qualified nonprofits for restoration, public display, airshows, and commemorative events.
- Requires FAA compliance and Navy approval before any later transfer.
- Shifts conveyance, compliance, operation, and maintenance costs to the Commission.
- Shields the United States from liability for non-U.S. use after conveyance.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Authorizes the Navy to convey three surplus F-14D Tomcat aircraft to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission under a conditional no-cost deed of gift with cost, FAA, reversion, liability, and export-control conditions.
Key Policy Areas
Defense, Museums, Aviation
Primary Purpose
Authorizes the Navy to convey three surplus F-14D Tomcat aircraft to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission under a conditional no-cost deed of gift with cost, FAA, reversion, liability, and export-control conditions.
Policy Domains
Whole bill
Identified Gains
- U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission
- Museum visitors
- Aviation heritage nonprofits
- Huntsville tourism businesses
- Naval aviation education programs
- Navy surplus property managers
Identified Costs
- U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission
- Secretary of the Navy
- FAA safety officials
- Restoration nonprofits
- Commission maintenance contractors
Sponsors
Tim Sheehy
R-MT | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
Passed SenateHeld at the desk.
Received in the House.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Senate Committee on Armed Services discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by …
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR …
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S2075)
Mr. Sheehy (for himself and Mr. Kelly) introduced the following …
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission, U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission maintenance budget
Positive-direction: U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission
Negative-direction: U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission maintenance budget
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary"
- → Secretary of the Navy
- "commission"
- → U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission
- "administrator"
- → FAA Administrator
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology