To encourage the development and integrated use by the public and private sectors of remote sensing and other geospatial information, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Remote Sensing Applications Act of 
2004''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) although urban land use planning, growth management, 
        and other functions of State, local, regional, and tribal 
        agencies are rightfully within their jurisdiction, the Federal 
        Government can and should play an important role in the 
        development and demonstration of innovative techniques to 
        improve comprehensive land use planning and growth management;
            (2) the United States is making a major investment in 
        acquiring remote sensing and other geospatial information from 
        both governmental and commercial sources;
            (3) while much of the data is being acquired for scientific 
        and national security purposes, it also can have important 
        applications to help meet societal goals;
            (4) it has already been demonstrated that Landsat data and 
        other earth observation data can be of enormous assistance to 
        Federal, State, local, regional, and tribal agencies for urban 
        land use planning, coastal zone management, natural and 
        cultural resource management, and disaster monitoring;
            (5) remote sensing, coupled with the emergence of 
        geographic information systems and satellite-based positioning 
        information, offers the capability of developing important new 
        applications of integrated sets of geospatial information to 
        address societal needs;
            (6) the full range of applications of remote sensing and 
        other forms of geospatial information to meeting public sector 
        requirements has not been adequately explored or exploited;
            (7) the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992, 
        Presidential Decision Directive 23 of 1994, and the Commercial 
        Space Act of 1998 all support and promote the development of 
        United States commercial remote sensing capabilities;
            (8) many State, local, regional, tribal, and Federal 
        agencies are unaware of the utility of remote sensing and other 
        geospatial information for meeting their needs, even when 
        research has demonstrated the potential applications of that 
        information;
            (9) even when aware of the utility of remote sensing and 
        geospatial technologies in the area of wildland fire management 
        to detect and monitor a wildland fire in real-time from the 
        early stages of fire growth, many State, local, regional, and 
tribal agencies are hampered by a lack of overall strategy guiding 
interagency management of resources and technology, according to a 
September 2003 Government Accounting Office report;
            (10) remote sensing and other geospatial information, 
        especially when used in a coordinated approach, can be 
        particularly useful to State, local, regional, and tribal 
        agencies in the area of urban planning, especially in their 
        efforts to plan for and manage the impacts of growth, 
        development, and sprawl, as well as in wildland fire management 
        and environmental impact and disaster relief planning and 
        management;
            (11) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in 
        coordination with other agencies, can play a unique role in 
        demonstrating how data acquired for scientific purposes, when 
        combined with other data sources and processing capabilities, 
        can be applied to assist State, local, regional, and tribal 
        agencies and the private sector in decisionmaking in such areas 
        as agriculture, weather forecasting, and forest management; and
            (12) in addition, the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration, in conjunction with other agencies, can play a 
        unique role in stimulating the development of the remote 
        sensing and other geospatial information sector through pilot 
        projects to demonstrate the value of integrating governmental 
        and commercial remote sensing data with geographic information 
        systems and satellite-based positioning data to provide useful 
        applications products.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
        the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
            (2) the term ``geospatial information'' means knowledge of 
        the nature and distribution of physical and cultural features 
        on the landscape based on analysis of data from airborne or 
        spaceborne platforms or other types and sources of data; and
            (3) the term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 101(a) of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).

SEC. 4. PILOT PROJECTS TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC SECTOR APPLICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish a program of 
grants for competitively awarded pilot projects to explore the 
integrated use of sources of remote sensing and other geospatial 
information to address State, local, regional, and tribal agency needs.
    (b) Preferred Projects.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Administrator shall give preference to projects that--
            (1) make use of existing public or commercial data sets;
            (2) integrate multiple sources of geospatial information, 
        such as geographic information system data, satellite-provided 
        positioning data, and remotely sensed data, in innovative ways;
            (3) include funds or in-kind contributions from non-Federal 
        sources;
            (4) involve the participation of commercial entities that 
        process raw or lightly processed data, often merging that data 
        with other geospatial information, to create data products that 
        have significant value added to the original data; and
            (5) taken together demonstrate as diverse a set of public 
        sector applications as possible.
    (c) Opportunities.--In carrying out this section, the Administrator 
shall seek opportunities to assist--
            (1) in the development of commercial applications 
        potentially available from the remote sensing industry;
            (2) State, local, regional, and tribal agencies in applying 
        remote sensing and other geospatial information technologies 
        for growth management; and
            (3) State, local, regional, and tribal agencies in 
        obtaining and utilizing satellite, aviation, and sensor 
        capabilities for wildland fire detection, analysis, and 
        observation.
    (d) Duration.--Assistance for a pilot project under subsection (a) 
shall be provided for a period not to exceed 3 years.
    (e) Report.--Each recipient of a grant under subsection (a) shall 
transmit a report to the Administrator on the results of the pilot 
project within 180 days of the completion of that project.
    (f) Workshop.--Each recipient of a grant under subsection (a) 
shall, not later than 180 days after the completion of the pilot 
project, conduct at least one workshop for potential users to 
disseminate the lessons learned from the pilot project as widely as 
feasible.
    (g) Regulations.--The Administrator shall issue regulations 
establishing application, selection, and implementation procedures for 
pilot projects, and guidelines for reports and workshops required by 
this section.

SEC. 5. PROGRAM EVALUATION.

    (a) Advisory Committee.--The Administrator shall establish an 
advisory committee, consisting of individuals with appropriate 
expertise in State, local, regional, and tribal agencies, the 
university research community, and the remote sensing and other 
geospatial information industry, to monitor the program established 
under section 4. The advisory committee shall consult with the Federal 
Geographic Data Committee and other appropriate industry 
representatives and organizations. Notwithstanding section 14 of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, the advisory committee established 
under this subsection shall remain in effect until the termination of 
the program under section 4.
    (b) Effectiveness Evaluation.--Not later than December 31, 2008, 
the Administrator shall transmit to the Congress an evaluation of the 
effectiveness of the program established under section 4 in exploring 
and promoting the integrated use of sources of remote sensing and other 
geospatial information to address State, local, regional, and tribal 
agency needs. Such evaluation shall have been conducted by an 
independent entity.

SEC. 6. DATA AVAILABILITY.

    The Administrator shall ensure that the results of each of the 
pilot projects completed under section 4 shall be retrievable through 
an electronic, Internet-accessible database.

SEC. 7. EDUCATION.

    The Administrator shall establish an educational outreach program 
to increase awareness at institutions of higher education and State, 
local, regional, and tribal agencies of the potential applications of 
remote sensing and other geospatial information.

SEC. 8. COST SENSITIVITY STUDY.

    The Administrator shall conduct a study of the effect of remote 
sensing imagery costs on potential State, local, regional, and tribal 
agency applications. The study shall identify applications that are 
likely to be most affected by reductions in the cost of remote sensing 
imagery. Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Administrator shall transmit to the Congress the results of 
the study conducted under this section.

SEC. 9. REPORT.

    Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall submit to 
Congress a report on how agencies are implementing the recommendations 
contained in the September 2003 General Accounting Office report 
entitled ``Geospatial Information: Technologies Hold Promise for 
Wildland Fire Management, but Challenges Remain''.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 
$15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2009 to carry out 
this Act.




                                                 

Summary: Remote Sensing Applications Act of 2004 - Directs the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to establish a program of grants for pilot projects to explore the integrated use of sources of remote sensing and other geospatial information to address State, local, regional, and tribal agency needs. Requires the Administrator, in awarding grants, to give preference to specified types of projects. Requires the Administrator to seek opportunities to assist: (1) in the development of commercial applications potentially available from the remote sensing industry. (2) State, local, regional, and tribal agencies in applying remote sensing and geospatial information technologies for growth management. And (3) such agencies in obtaining and utilizing satellite, aviation, and sensor capabilities for wildland fire detection, analysis, and observation. Limits the provision of assistance for a project to three years. Requires each grant recipient to: (1) report project results to the Administrator. And (2) conduct at least one workshop for potential users to disseminate the lessons learned from the project. Requires the Administrator to establish an advisory committee to monitor the program. Instructs the advisory committee to consult with the Federal Geographic Data Committee and other industry representatives and organizations. Requires the Administrator to transmit to Congress an independent evaluation of program effectiveness. Directs the Administrator to ensure that project results are retrievable through an Internet-accessible database. Requires the Administrator to establish an educational outreach program to increase awareness at institutions of higher education and State, local, regional, and tribal agencies of the potential applications of remote sensing and geospatial information. Requires the Administrator to study and transmit results to Congress on the effect of remote sensing imagery costs on potential State, local, regional, and tribal agency applications. Requires such study to identify applications that are likely to be most affected by reductions in the cost of remote sensing imagery. Directs NASA to submit a report to Congress on how agencies are implementing recommendations contained in the General Accounting Office report entitled Geospatial Information: Technologies Hold Promise for Wildland Fire Management, but Challenges Remain . Authorizes appropriations.