WASHINGTON (States News Service) -- The U.S. House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a $28.8 billion, two-year spending plan that limits further U.S. costs for the International Space Station (ISS) and seeks to reform the much-maligned station partnership with Russia.

Lawmakers passed the bill 399 to 17, providing a blueprint for congressional spending on space in the next two fiscal years. The bill offers $14.2 billion in 2001 and $14.6 billion in 2002 and increases funding for space science and aeronautics.

The vote marked the first passage since 1992 of a NASA authorization bill -- a financial outline that often changes dramatically in the annual struggle to pass the federal budget for various government agencies.

Boosting NASA funding was "especially the right thing to do now that we balanced the federal budget and we're in for a surplus for the next several years," said Rep. Ralph Hall (D-Texas).

The measure, which funds NASA at $309 million above President Clinton's request, contained several provisions aimed at limiting the space agency's reliance on Russia. Moscow's cash problems have been blamed for a costly, two-year delay in ISS construction.

Language in the bill requires NASA to spend no more than $25 billion building the space station and $17.7 billion for launch costs of space shuttles to haul pieces and equipment there.

The cost cap, pushed heavily by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and other lawmakers critical of Russia's shortfalls, does not apply to money spent on operating costs when the station is completed. The ISS is expected to be finished in 2006 and operate for a decade beyond that.

However, Tim Peterson, an aide to the House panel that controls NASA's budget, called the cost cap "simply a feel-good type thing" that isn't expected to affect the station's assembly schedule.

House Science Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) said such a cap was necessary because the U.S. government has lost $5 billion in cost savings due to delays by the Russians.

The bill also contains key provisions to make the U.S.-Russian collaboration on ISS more "equitable," Sensenbrenner said. It urges NASA to renegotiate international agreements so that the degree of future participation on science projects on the ISS is linked to how much a country spent on helping build the station.

"Simply put, the [NASA] administrator would have to seek to reduce Russia's utilization rights until such time as Russia meets all its obligations to the International Space Station," Sensenbrenner said.

Another provision asks NASA to look for cost reductions on operating the station to make up for "additional burdens" incurred by the U.S. because of Russia's problems, said Jeff Lungren, a House Science Committee spokesman. The bill also asks the White House to take a stronger role in negotiating work with Russia on the ISS.

"Hopefully, by bringing higher level political attention to the problem, we can solve it," Sensenbrenner said.

The bill also bars any federal participation in building an inflatable space module -- a politically unpopular proposal known as Transhab -- to replace station components. A private contractor could build Transhab if it was proven to be useful, however. The technology has been criticized by some as being unsafe and costly.

Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas) said he opposed blocking government funds for Transhab but the final bill passed with the provision intact.

Although NASA has taken severe criticism for its back-to-back Mars mission failures, the agency would get a 2.5 percent -- or $19 million -- increase in science, aeronautics and technology under the spending plan.

"We realized that if we're going to be a successful player in space, that success will come with some failures," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-California), "We see failures as a reason to learn and to benefit."

Meanwhile, a Senate panel has approved $13.8 billion for NASA's budget for the next fiscal year, which starts October 1.

The Senate bill, which now must be reconciled with the House version, cuts human spaceflight spending by $99 million below what President Clinton requested. The Senate offered $5.9 billion for that area.

Senators said Wednesday that they hope to increase NASA's funding for next year during the budget negotiations between the House and Senate.