(4) recommendations and opportunities for the 
Federal Government to mitigate potential tradeoffs 
or impacts identified under paragraph (3) or to oth-
erwise facilitate private sector data-buys or service 
procurements. 
SEC. 605. PRIVATE EARTH OBSERVATION DATA. 
(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 702 of the National Aer-
onautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 
2010 (42 U.S.C. 18371) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Director of OSTP’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of OSTP’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In updating the civil Earth 
observation strategic implementation plan pursuant to 
subsection (a), the Director of OSTP shall consider com-
mercial Earth observation data, as appropriate, that can 
be purchased or accessed by the Federal Government to 
meet Earth observation requirements.’’. 
(b) GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE RE-
PORT.—Not later than 12 months after the release of the 
next civil Earth observation strategic implementation plan 
update under section 702(a) of the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 
U.S.C. 18371(a)), the Comptroller General shall report to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:36 Jan 30, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7273.IH
H7273
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
the appropriate committees of Congress an assessment of 
the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Pol-
icy’s implementation of section 702(b) of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act 
of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18371(b)), as amended. 
SEC. 606. COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) Section 60501 of title 51, United States 
Code, states that the goal for the Earth Science pro-
gram of NASA shall be to pursue a program of 
Earth observations, research, and applications activi-
ties to better understand the Earth, how it supports 
life, and how human activities affect its ability to do 
so in the future. 
(2) Section 50115 of title 51, United States 
Code, states that the Administrator of NASA shall, 
to the extent possible and while satisfying the sci-
entific or educational requirements of NASA, and 
where appropriate, of other Federal agencies and 
scientific researchers, acquire, where cost effective, 
space-based and airborne commercial Earth remote 
sensing data, services, distribution, and applications 
from a commercial provider. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:36 Jan 30, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00070
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7273.IH
H7273
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(3) The Administrator of NASA established the 
Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Pilot Pro-
gram in 2017 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 de-
scribed in paragraph (3) has been a success, as 
described in the final evaluation entitled ‘‘Com-
mercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Program 
Pilot Evaluation Report’’ issued in 2020; 
(B) established a formal process for evalu-
ating 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 research-
ers. 
(b) COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA ACQUISITION 
PROGRAM.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:36 Jan 30, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00071
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7273.IH
H7273
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 603 of title 51, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 60307. Commercial satellite data acquisition pro-
gram 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall estab-
lish within the Earth Science Division of the Science Mis-
sion Directorate a program to acquire and disseminate 
cost-effective and appropriate commercial Earth remote 
sensing data and imagery in order to satisfy the scientific, 
operational, and educational requirements of the Adminis-
tration, and where appropriate, of other Federal agencies 
and scientific researchers to augment or complement the 
suite of Earth observations acquired by the Administra-
tion, other United States Government agencies, and inter-
national partners. 
‘‘(b) DATA PUBLICATION AND TRANSPARENCY.—The 
terms and conditions of commercial Earth remote sensing 
data and imagery acquisitions under the program de-
scribed in subsection (a) shall not prevent— 
‘‘(1) the publication of commercial data or im-
agery for scientific purposes; or 
‘‘(2) the publication of information that is de-
rived from, incorporates, or enhances the original 
commercial data or imagery of a vendor. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:36 Jan 30, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00072
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7273.IH
H7273
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION.—In carrying out the program 
under this section, the Administrator may— 
‘‘(1) procure the commercial Earth remote 
sensing data and imagery from commercial vendors 
to advance scientific research and applications in ac-
cordance 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 sub-
sections (a) and (c) shall, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, be procured from United States vendors. 
‘‘(e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section and annually there-
after, 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 fol-
lowing information regarding the agreements, vendors, li-
cense terms, and uses of commercial Earth remote sensing 
data and imagery under this section: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:36 Jan 30, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7273.IH
H7273
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB