IB 
Union Calendar No. 175 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2489 
[Report No. 111–309] 
To authorize a comprehensive national cooperative geospatial imagery map-
ping 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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 19, 2009 
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN (for herself and Mr. LATOURETTE) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
OCTOBER 21, 2009 
Additional sponsor: Mr. SARBANES 
OCTOBER 21, 2009 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 19, 2009] 
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A BILL 
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 ap-
plied research, and to support Federal, State, tribal, 
and local government programs. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Land Remote 
Sensing Outreach Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means the 
National Land Remote Sensing Outreach Program es-
tablished in section 3. 
(2) 
EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTION.—The 
term 
‘‘educational institution’’ means any public or pri-
vate elementary or secondary school, or any institu-
tion of vocational, professional, or higher education 
(including a junior college or teachers’ college). 
(3) 
GEOSPATIAL
IMAGERY.—The 
term 
‘‘geospatial imagery’’— 
(A) means satellite land remote sensing 
image data registered to map or other spatial co-
ordinates derived from features on the ground; 
and 
(B) includes a wide range of graphical 
products that convey information about natural 
phenomena and human activities occurring on 
Earth’s surface. 
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(4) IMAGE
DATA.—The term ‘‘image data’’ 
means the raw, unprocessed form of data captured 
from a sensing instrument. 
(5) LAND REMOTE SENSING.—The term ‘‘land 
remote sensing’’ means image data of land, coastal 
areas, or islands and reefs acquired from above the 
surface of the Earth by instruments on satellite plat-
forms. 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means— 
(A) each of the several States of the United 
States; 
(B) the District of Columbia; 
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 
(D) Guam; 
(E) American Samoa; 
(F) the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands; and 
(G) the United States Virgin Islands. 
(8) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ has 
the same meaning given that term in section 4(e) of 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assist-
ance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)). 
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SEC. 3. NATIONAL LAND REMOTE SENSING OUTREACH PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and 
maintain a national land remote sensing outreach program 
within the U.S. Geological Survey to advance the avail-
ability, timely distribution, and widespread use of 
geospatial imagery for education, research, assessment, and 
monitoring purposes in each State and the lands of an In-
dian tribe. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the program are— 
(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 govern-
ments, communities, educational institutions, and the 
commercial sector; and 
(2) to assist each participating State and Indian 
tribe in establishing the cooperative infrastructure 
necessary to increase access to geospatial imagery for 
research and educational purposes. 
(c) ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) NATIONAL
LAND
REMOTE
SENSING
OUT-
REACH PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall— 
(A) support geospatial imagery sharing, ap-
plied research, and educational programs of each 
participating State and Indian tribe; 
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(B) identify new geospatial imagery needs 
and infrastructure; 
(C) share and cooperate in the development 
of geospatial imagery applications, education, 
and training infrastructure in each partici-
pating State and the lands of an Indian tribe; 
(D) cooperate with participating States and 
Indian tribes to encourage the expansion of 
geospatial imagery mapping courses taught at 
appropriate educational institutions; 
(E) encourage expansion of geospatial im-
agery research at appropriate educational insti-
tutions; 
(F) encourage expansion of the knowledge 
and use of geospatial imagery products in the 
workforce through outreach programs, workshops, 
and other training opportunities; 
(G) encourage participating States and In-
dian tribes to build partnerships with local gov-
ernments to identify unique research and devel-
opment needs and geospatial imagery applica-
tion pilot programs; 
(H) promote cooperation and sharing of ex-
pertise regarding geospatial imagery applica-
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tions among participating States and Indian 
tribes; and 
(I) provide a mechanism to enable the 
States and Indian tribes to transfer geospatial 
imagery and applications to the U.S. Geological 
Survey as appropriate. 
(2) GRANTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is author-
ized to provide grants to qualified educational 
institutions, or to State, local, and tribal govern-
ments, or to consortia of these entities, on a com-
petitive basis to— 
(i) advance the interest of the Federal 
Government in promoting the use of im-
agery by educational institutions, States, 
localities, and Indian tribes; and 
(ii) achieve the purposes of the Pro-
gram described in section 3(b). 
(B) MATCHING FUNDS.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of 
the cost of each program for which a grant 
is made under this Act may not exceed 75 
percent of the total cost of the program. 
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(ii) NON-FEDERAL CONTRIBUTION.—In 
providing the non-Federal contribution re-
quired under this paragraph, a grantee— 
(I) shall provide for such share 
through a payment in cash or in kind, 
fairly evaluated, including facilities, 
equipment, technology, or services; and 
(II) may provide for such share 
through State sources or local sources, 
including private funds or donated 
services. 
(iii) WAIVER.—The Secretary may 
waive the requirements of subparagraph 
(B), in whole or in part, with respect to 
any program if the Secretary determines 
that the grantee has made a good faith ef-
fort to obtain the non-Federal contribution 
at the local level but is unable to do so. 
(3) FEDERAL PARTNER ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish and maintain a committee to advise the 
Director of the U.S. Geological Survey regarding 
the Program. 
(B) MEMBERSHIP AND APPOINTMENT.—The 
advisory committee under subparagraph (A) 
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shall be chaired by the U.S. Geological Survey 
and composed of such representatives of Federal 
and State agencies, tribal governments, and edu-
cational institutions as the Secretary may des-
ignate. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary $10,000,000 to carry out this Act for each of fiscal 
years 2010 through 2019. 
SEC. 5. SUNSET DATE. 
This Act is repealed on the date that is 10 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to authorize 
a national cooperative geospatial imagery program 
through the United States Geological Survey to promote 
use of remote sensing data.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 175 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2489 
[Report No. 111–309] 
A BILL 
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 govern-
ment programs. 
OCTOBER 21, 2009 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed 
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