ASCEND Act
Officially: “ASCEND Act” Read the full text
What it does
Read it in plain language
1Short title
This section would give the Act a short title: the Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act, also called the ASCEND Act.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act or the ASCEND Act .
2Commercial satellite data
This section states several congressional findings and then adds a new commercial satellite data program to title 51 of the United States Code, along with a reporting requirement and a clerical update. In its findings, Congress states that existing law (section 60501 of title 51) sets a goal for NASA's Earth Science program to pursue Earth observations, research, and applications activities to better understand the Earth, how it supports life, and how human activities affect the Earth's ability to support life in the future. Congress also states that existing law (section 50115 of title 51) says NASA's Administrator shall, to the extent possible while satisfying NASA's scientific or educational requirements, and where appropriate those of other federal agencies and scientific researchers, acquire space-based and airborne commercial Earth remote sensing data, services, distribution, and applications from a commercial provider where doing so is cost effective. Congress further states that NASA created the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Pilot Program in 2019 to identify, validate, and acquire from commercial sources data supporting Earth science research and application goals, and that NASA's Administrator has determined that pilot program to be a success based on a 2020 evaluation report, has set up a formal process for evaluating and onboarding new commercial vendors in the pilot program, has increased the number of commercial vendors and data products available through it, and has expanded procurement arrangements with commercial vendors to broaden access to commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery for federally funded researchers. This section would add a new section 60307 to chapter 603 of title 51, United States Code, creating a commercial satellite data acquisition program. Under the new section, NASA's Administrator would be required to establish, within the Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate, a program to acquire and disseminate cost-effective and appropriate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in order to satisfy NASA's scientific, operational, and educational requirements, and where appropriate those of other federal agencies and scientific researchers, so as to augment or complement Earth observations gathered by NASA, other United States government agencies, and international partners. The terms and conditions of data and imagery acquired under the program could not prevent publication of the commercial data or imagery for scientific purposes, or publication of information that is derived from, incorporates, or enhances a vendor's original commercial data or imagery. In carrying out the program, the Administrator would be authorized to procure commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery from commercial vendors to advance scientific research and applications, and to establish or modify end-use license terms and conditions to allow the widest possible use of the procured data and imagery by people other than NASA-funded users, consistent with the program's goals. To the maximum extent practicable, the commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery covered by the program would have to be procured from United States vendors. Not later than 180 days after this section becomes law, and annually after that, the Administrator would have to submit a report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. The initial report would have to list all agreements providing commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery to NASA as of the date of the report, and each later report would have to list all such agreements that provided data and imagery to NASA during that report's reporting period. Each report would also have to describe the end-use license terms and conditions for each vendor, describe how each agreement is advancing scientific research and applications, including priorities recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine decadal surveys, and state whether the Administrator has entered into an agreement with a commercial vendor or a federal agency that permits use of the data and imagery by federal government employees, contractors, or non-federal users. Finally, this section would update the table of contents for chapter 603 of title 51 to list the new section 60307 as Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.
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2. Commercial satellite data (a) Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Section 60501 of title 51, United States Code, states that the goal for the Earth Science program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in this section as NASA ) shall be to pursue a program of Earth observations, research, and applications activities to better understand the Earth, how it supports life, and how human activities affect its ability to do so in the future. (2) Section 50115 of title 51, United States Code, states that the Administrator of NASA shall, to the extent possible and while satisfying the scientific or educational requirements of NASA, and where appropriate, of other Federal agencies and scientific researchers, acquire, where cost effective, space-based and airborne commercial Earth remote sensing data, services, distribution, and applications from a commercial provider. (3) The Administrator of NASA established the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Pilot Program in 2019 to identify, validate, and acquire from commercial sources data that support the Earth science research and application goals. (4) The Administrator of NASA has— (A) determined that the pilot program described in paragraph (3) has been a success, as described in the final evaluation entitled Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Program Pilot Evaluation Report issued in 2020; (B) established a formal process for evaluating and onboarding new commercial vendors in such pilot program; (C) increased the number of commercial vendors and commercial data products available through such pilot program; and (D) expanded procurement arrangements with commercial vendors to broaden user access to provide commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery to federally funded researchers. (b) Commercial satellite data acquisition program (1) In general Chapter 603 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 60307. Commercial satellite data acquisition program (a) In general The Administrator shall establish within the Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate a program to acquire and disseminate cost-effective and appropriate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and educational requirements of the Administration, and where appropriate, of other Federal agencies and scientific researchers to augment or complement the suite of Earth observations acquired by the Administration, other United States Government agencies, and international partners. (b) Data publication and transparency The terms and conditions of commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery acquisitions under the program described in subsection (a) shall not prevent— (1) the publication of commercial data or imagery for scientific purposes; or (2) the publication of information that is derived from, incorporates, or enhances the original commercial data or imagery of a vendor. (c) Authorization In carrying out the program under this section, the Administrator may— (1) procure commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery from commercial vendors to advance scientific research and applications in accordance with subsection (a); and (2) establish or modify end-use license terms and conditions to allow for the widest-possible use of procured commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery by individuals other than NASA-funded users, consistent with the goals of the program. (d) United states vendors Commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery referred to in subsections (a) and (c) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be procured from United States vendors. (c) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report that includes the following information regarding the agreements, vendors, license terms, and uses of commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery under this section: (1) (A) In the case of the initial report, a list of all agreements that are providing commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery to NASA as of the date of the report. (B) For each subsequent report, a list of all agreements that have provided commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery to NASA during the reporting period. (2) A description of the end-use license terms and conditions for each such vendor. (3) A description of the manner in which each such agreement is advancing scientific research and applications, including priorities recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine decadal surveys. (4) Information specifying whether the Administrator has entered into an agreement with a commercial vendor or a Federal agency that permits the use of data and imagery by Federal Government employees, contractors, or non-Federal users. . (d) Clerical amendment The table of contents for chapter 603 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item: 60307. Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program. .
Where it is
In the House.