Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992

Summary

Land Remote-Sensing Policy Act of 1992 - Title I: Declaration of Findings, Purposes, and Policies - Declares U.S. policy regarding remote sensing data, including: (1) preserving the right to acquire and disseminate unenhanced data; (2) perpetuating existing open skies and nondiscriminatory access policies; (3) retaining in the Federal Government remote sensing functions that are essentially a public service; and (4) maintaining a permanent, comprehensive data archive. Title II: Operation and Data Dissemination of Landsat System - Makes the Secretary of Commerce responsible for: (1) completing and launching Landsat 6; (2) arranging for the operation of Landsats 4 and 5 until Landsat 6 is operational; and (3) changing Federal contracts that would prevent full implementation of this Act. Makes the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Secretary of Defense jointly responsible for the operation of the Landsat system after Landsat 6 is operational. Directs the Administrator and the Secretary of Defense to implement a data dissemination policy that: (1) makes Landsat data available to scientists at costs that do not exceed the marginal cost of filling a specific user request; (2) considers the reasonable and legitimate requirements of all segments of the data user community; and (3) provides data to the Secretary of the Interior for permanent preservation. Requires honoring and renewal of existing agreements between the Federal Government and nations that operate foreign ground stations to provide data to those stations. Title III: Licensing of Private Remote Sensing Space Systems - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to license private parties to operate private remote sensing space systems. Prohibits operating such systems without a license. Sets forth license conditions, including operating the system so as to promote national security and implement U.S. international obligations and making data available to all users on a nondiscriminatory basis. Allows a private party to apply for a license to operate a private remote sensing space system which uses, on a space-available basis, a civilian Federal Government satellite or vehicle as a platform. Terminates the authority of this title if no private party has been licensed and continued in operation by December 31, 1999. Title IV: Research and Development - Directs the Administrator to continue to enhance NASA's programs of remote sensing research and development. Authorizes and encourages the Administrator, the Secretaries of Agriculture, the Interior, Defense, and Energy, and other Federal agencies to take certain remote sensing research and development actions. Title V: General Provisions - Requires any unenhanced data generated by the Landsat system or by any system operator under provisions of this Act to be made available to all users on a nondiscriminatory basis. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide for long-term storage, maintenance, and upgrading of a basic, global, land remote sensing data set. Allows unenhanced data distributed by any private system operator to be sold on the condition that the data not be reproduced or disseminated by the purchaser. Requires that radio spectra presently allocated to Government use be made available for nongovernmental use by commercial systems licenses under this Act. Makes, with regard to this Act: (1) the Secretary of Defense responsible for national security concerns; and (2) the Secretary of State responsible for international obligations and policies. Authorizes and encourages Federal agencies to provide remote data, technology, and training to developing nations as a component of programs of international aid. Title VI: Prohibition of Commercialization of Weather Satellites - Prohibits the President and any other official of the Federal Government from making any effort to commercialize or in any way dismantle any portion of the weather satellite systems operated by the Department of Commerce, regardless of future changed circumstances.

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4 official files

• Reported to Senate (text)

  Reported to Senate · EN

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• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN

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• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 30 September 1992

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 27 February 1992

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