S 1078 IS

To authorize a comprehensive national cooperative geospatial imagery mapping program through the United States Geological Survey, to promote use of the program for education, workforce training and development, and applied research, and to support Federal, State, tribal, and local government programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

May 19, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. JOHNSON (for himself and Mr. VOINOVICH) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize a comprehensive national cooperative geospatial imagery mapping program through the United States Geological Survey, to promote use of the program for education, workforce training and development, and 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 Geospatial Imagery Mapping Program Act’. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) when Federal geospatial imagery 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-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) the success of the United States Geological Survey (referred to in this Act as the ‘USGS’) cooperative pilot projects OhioView and Gateway to the Earth; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) the 35 member StateView programs cooperating in the AmericaView program; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) increased access to geospatial imagery for research and educational purposes, made available through the USGS and from State-level archives linked to StateView program support, benefits user communities that have traditionally struggled to afford the data because it enables-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) educators to train-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) students at institutions of higher education for technology careers in remote sensing; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) teachers for use of remote sensing data to enhance student learning in elementary and secondary education; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) historically black colleges and universities to partner with StateView program universities to enhance learning and training opportunities for students; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) Native Americans to provide training and education regarding-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) the use and application of remote sensing data for Native American students; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) developing satellite-based applications for managing reservation resources; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) institutions of higher education and State and local government agencies use geospatial imagery to support practical mapping and monitoring purposes, including-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) monitoring the health of Federal and State land and forests; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) understanding ecosystems and predicting ecosystem change; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) mapping hydrologic systems and assessing water quality; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) monitoring crop productivity, assessing damage, and predicting crop yield; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) assisting with transportation and land-use planning in the urban areas of the United States; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) predicting and assisting with the management of human and wildlife disease outbreaks; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) mapping natural hazards and assessing risk; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) the AmericaView program is uniquely positioned to help each State develop applications and skills necessary-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) to effectively apply geospatial imagery for multiple State-focused mapping purposes; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) to expand the use and benefits of geospatial imagery for research and operational purposes within each State. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act: CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





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





(2) AMERICAVIEW PROGRAM- The term ‘AmericaView program’ means the national remote sensing education, outreach, and research program of the USGS established under section 4(a), comprised of-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) the AmericaView project; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) AmericaView. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





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





(4) EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION- The term ‘educational institution’ means-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) any public or private elementary or secondary school, vocational school, correspondence school, business school, institution of higher education (including a junior college or teachers’ college), normal school, professional school, or scientific or technical institution; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) any other institution that provides an educational program. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) GEOSPATIAL IMAGERY- The term ‘geospatial imagery’ means all information acquired from above the surface of the Earth by satellite or airplane. 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 use of geospatial data for the United States established by Executive Order 12906 (59 Fed. Reg. 17671 (April 13, 1994)). CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





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





(8) STATE- The term ‘State’ means-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) each of the several States of the United States; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) the District of Columbia; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) Guam; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) American Samoa; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) the United States Virgin Islands. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





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

SEC. 4. AMERICAVIEW PROGRAM.

(a) In General- The Secretary shall establish and maintain a national remote sensing education, outreach, and research program within the USGS to advance the availability, timely distribution, and widespread use of geospatial imagery for education, research, assessment, and monitoring purposes in each State, consistent with the August 2007 recommendations of the Future of Land Imaging Interagency Working Group of the National Science and Technology Council. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





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





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





(2) to assist each StateView program in establishing the cooperative infrastructure necessary to increase access to geospatial imagery for research and educational purposes. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Activities- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) AMERICAVIEW PROJECT- The Secretary, acting through the AmericaView project, shall support the geospatial imagery mapping research and educational programs of each State by cooperating with States-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) to identify new geospatial imagery mapping needs and infrastructure and to define, consolidate; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) to maintain the data requirements of the AmericaView project. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





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





(A) to share and cooperate in the development of geospatial imagery mapping applications, education, and training infrastructure in each State; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) to cooperate with the AmericaView project to develop nationally consistent standards for geospatial imagery mapping in each State; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





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





(D) to expand geospatial imagery mapping research at research educational institutions; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) to expand the knowledge and use of geospatial imagery and map products in the current workforce through outreach programs, workshops, and other training opportunities; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) to build partnerships with local governments to identify unique research and development needs and geospatial imagery mapping pilot projects; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) to promote cooperation and sharing of expertise regarding geospatial imagery among participating States and within each participating State; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(H) to enable the States to provide geospatial imagery to the USGS. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) GRANTS- The Secretary annually shall provide 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 regarding the AmericaView program. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) MEMBERSHIP AND APPOINTMENT- The advisory committee under subparagraph (A) shall be composed of-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) at least 1 representative of each of-- CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(I) AmericaView; CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(II) the USGS; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(III) the Department of Agriculture; and CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) representatives of such other agencies as the Secretary may designate. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink