NASA Talent Exchange Program Act

This bill amends title 51, United States Code, to establish a public-private talent program for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This program authorizes the Administrator to arrange temporary assignments of employees between NASA and private sector entities, with durations ranging from three months to two years, renewable up to a total of three years. Each assignment requires a written agreement among NASA, the private entity, and the employee, detailing terms and conditions. For NASA employees, this includes a service obligation equal to twice the assignment length upon completion, and a provision making employees liable for assignment expenses if the agreement is breached without good reason. The agreements also prohibit the improper use of predecisional or draft deliberative information for the private entity's benefit. Key safeguards are in place to ensure ethical conduct and prevent conflicts of interest. Private sector employees assigned to NASA continue to receive pay from their original employer but are subject to federal ethics and liability laws. They are explicitly prohibited from accessing trade secrets of their private employer or performing inherently governmental functions . The bill also limits participation to no more than two percent of NASA's civil servant workforce at any given time and requires NASA to implement a system for identifying and managing conflicts of interest. The Administrator must establish policies and procedures for the program, considering how assignments can meet NASA's training needs and leverage private sector expertise, such as in cybersecurity. Furthermore, the bill mandates annual reports from NASA to Congress detailing program implementation, including participant numbers, benefits, challenges, and resource allocation. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is also required to submit a comprehensive report after three years, assessing the program's adherence to best practices, compliance with ethics rules, and overall contribution to NASA's missions.