HR 6970 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize a comprehensive program of nationwide access to Federal remote sensing data, to promote its use for education, workforce training and development, applied research, and to support Federal, State, tribal, and local government programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

September 18, 2008CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. REGULA (for himself and Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural ResourcesCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize a comprehensive program of nationwide access to Federal remote sensing data, to promote its use for education, workforce training and development, applied research, and to support Federal, State, tribal, and local government programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘AmericaView Authorization Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) When Federal remote sensing data is available in a cost-effective and timely manner, State and local governments and educational institutions are able to develop new scientific, educational, and practical applications for the data and to adopt new tools for applied research, education, and training, as evidenced by the success of the United States Geological Survey pilot projects, OhioView and Gateway to Earth.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Increased access to remote sensing data through State data archives benefits user communities that have traditionally struggled to afford the data as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) Educators train college students for technology careers in remote sensing and train teachers that remote sensing data can enhance student learning in elementary and secondary education.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) Historically black colleges and universities partner with StateView universities to enhance learning and training opportunities for its students.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) Native Americans provide training and education in the use and application of remote sensing data for Native American students and developing satellite-based applications for managing reservation resources.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Universities and State and local government agencies use remote sensing data to support practical purposes, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) monitoring the health of national lands and forests;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) monitoring crop progress, assessing damage, and predicting crop yield;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) assisting with transportation and land-use planning in the urban areas of the Nation;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) predicting and assisting with the management of human disease outbreaks; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) assessing and managing natural disasters.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) The AmericaView program is uniquely positioned to help each State address remote sensing data infrastructure issues and to expand the use and benefits of remote sensing data to each State.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

As used in this Act:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) AMERICAVIEW PROGRAM- The term ‘AmericaView program’ means the national AmericaView program of the USGS, comprised of the AmericaView project and AmericaView.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) AMERICAVIEW PROJECT- The term ‘AmericaView project’ means the USGS data archive, development, maintenance, and product distribution program conducted at the EROS Data Center.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) AMERICAVIEW- The term ‘AmericaView’ means the national nonprofit collaboration of StateView participants cooperating with the EROS Data Center to achieve the purposes of the AmericaView program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION- The term ‘educational institution’ means any public or private elementary or secondary school, vocational school, correspondence school, business school, college (including a junior college and teachers’ college) normal school, professional school, university, or scientific or technical institution, or any other institution that furnishes education.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) EROS DATA CENTER- The term ‘EROS Data Center’ means the data management, systems development, and research field center of the USGS.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) NATIONAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE- The term ‘national spatial data infrastructure’ means the technology, policies, standards, and human resources necessary to acquire, process, store, distribute, and improve utilization of geospatial data for the Nation, established by Executive Order 12906, dated April 11, 1994 (‘Coordinating Geographic Data Acquisition and Access: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure’).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) REMOTE SENSING DATA- The term ‘remote sensing data’ means all information acquired from above the surface of the Earth by satellite or airplane.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) SECRETARY- The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the USGS.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) STATE- The term ‘State’ means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(10) STATEVIEW- The term ‘StateView’ means the AmericaView program of an individual State, comprised of educational institutions and State and local governments.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(11) USGS- The term ‘USGS’ means the United States Geological Survey.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. AMERICAVIEW PROGRAM.

(a) In General- The Secretary shall maintain a nationwide program to advance the availability, timely distribution, and widespread use of remote sensing data and technology in each State.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Purposes- The purposes of the AmericaView program are to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) increase accessibility and expand the use of remote sensing data in a standard, easy-to-use format to Federal, State, local and tribal governments, communities, educational institutions, and the commercial sector;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) assist each State in establishing the infrastructure necessary to archive and distribute remote sensing data;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) ensure that the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive of the USGS and State remote sensing data archives support and comply with other Federal programs related to national data infrastructure, homeland security, and national defense; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) provide remote sensing data to the national spatial data infrastructure.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Activities-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) AMERICAVIEW PROJECT- The Secretary, through the AmericaView project, shall support the remote sensing data research and educational programs of each State by cooperating with the States to identify new remote sensing data needs and infrastructure and to define, consolidate, and maintain its data requirements.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) AMERICAVIEW- The Secretary, through the AmericaView program, shall maintain AmericaView in each State to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) share and cooperate in the development of a freely and publicly accessible remote sensing data archive and distribution infrastructure;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) cooperate with the AmericaView project to develop nationally consistent standards for remote sensing data archives in the State;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) expand the number of remote sensing data courses taught at educational institutions, and provide training, remote sensing data, and teaching tools to educators;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) expand remote sensing data research at research educational institutions;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) expand the knowledge and use of remote sensing data and data products in the current workforce through outreach programs, workshops, and other training opportunities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) build partnerships with local governments to identify unique research and development needs and foster remote sensing pilot projects;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) promote cooperation and sharing of expertise about remote sensing data among the participating State and within each participating State; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(H) enable the States to provide remote sensing data to the EROS Data Center.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) GRANTS- The Secretary shall annually award grants to sustain and develop StateView programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) FEDERAL PARTNER ADVISORY COMMITTEE-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall maintain an advisory committee to advise the Director of the USGS about the AmericaView program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) MEMBERSHIP AND APPOINTMENT- The committee shall consist of a representative from AmericaView, the USGS, the Department of Agriculture, and a representative of such other agencies as the Director may designate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2014.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink