119-s1437

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1437 Reported in Senate

    (RS) ]

<DOC>

 Calendar No. 173
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1437

 [Report No. 119-68]

 To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
 Administration to establish a program to identify, evaluate, acquire, 
 and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in 
 order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and educational 
 requirements of the Administration, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 April 10, 2025

Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
 Science, and Transportation

 September 29, 2025

 Reported by Mr. Cruz, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
 in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
 Administration to establish a program to identify, evaluate, acquire, 
 and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in 
 order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and educational 
 requirements of the Administration, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Accessing Satellite 
Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act'' or the ``ASCEND 
Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>

SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA.</DELETED>

<DELETED>

    (a) 

=== Findings ===
-Congress makes the following 
findings:</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (1) Section 60501 of title 51, United States Code, 
 states that the goal for the Earth Science program of the 
 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in 
 this section as ``NASA'') shall be to pursue a program of Earth 
 observations, research, and applications activities to better 
 understand the Earth, how it supports life, and how human 
 activities affect its ability to do so in the future.</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (2) Section 50115 of title 51, United States Code, 
 states that the Administrator of NASA shall, to the extent 
 possible and while satisfying the scientific 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.</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (3) The Administrator of NASA established the 
 Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Pilot Program in 2019 to 
 identify, validate, and acquire from commercial sources data 
 that support the Earth science research and application 
 goals.</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (4) The Administrator of NASA has--</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
        (A) determined that the pilot program 
 described in paragraph

    (3) has been a success, as 
 described in the final evaluation entitled ``Commercial 
 SmallSat Data Acquisition Program Pilot Evaluation 
 Report'' issued in 2020;</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
        (B) established a formal process for 
 evaluating and onboarding new commercial vendors in 
 such pilot program;</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
            (C) increased the number of commercial 
 vendors and commercial data products available through 
 such pilot program; and</DELETED>
 <DELETED>
            (D) expanded procurement arrangements with 
 commercial vendors to broaden user access to provide 
 Earth remote sensing data and imagery to federally 
 funded researchers.</DELETED>
<DELETED>

    (b) Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.--
</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (1) In general.--Chapter 603 of title 51, United 
 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
 following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``

Sec. 60307. Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition 
 Program</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish 
within the Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate a 
program to acquire and disseminate commercial Earth observation data 
and imagery in order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and 
educational requirements of the Administration, and where appropriate, 
of other Federal agencies and scientific researchers.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``

    (b) Data Publication and Transparency.--The terms and 
conditions of commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery 
acquisitions under the program described in subsection

    (a) shall not 
prevent--</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``

    (1) the publication of commercial data or 
 imagery for scientific purposes; or</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``

    (2) the publication of information that is 
 derived from, incorporates, or enhances the original commercial 
 data or imagery of a vendor.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``
            (c) Authorization.--</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``

    (1) In general.--In carrying out the program 
 under this section, the Administrator may--</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``
        (A) procure commercial Earth remote 
 sensing data and imagery from commercial vendors to 
 advance scientific research and applications for the 
 purpose set forth in subsection

    (a) ; and</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``
        (B) 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.</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``

    (2) Acquisition from united states vendors.--The 
 commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery procured under 
 this subsection shall be procured, to the maximum extent 
 practicable, from United States vendors.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``
            (d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, 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 
following:</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``

    (1)
        (A) In the case of the initial report, a list 
 of all vendors that are providing commercial Earth remote 
 sensing data and imagery to NASA as of the date of the 
 report.</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``
        (B) For each subsequent report, a list of all 
 vendors that have provided commercial Earth remote sensing data 
 and imagery to NASA during the reporting period.</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``

    (2) A description of the end-use license terms 
 and conditions for each such vendor.</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``

    (3) A description of the manner in which each 
 such vendor is advancing scientific research and applications, 
 including priorities recommended by the National Academies of 
 Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine decadal surveys.</DELETED>
 <DELETED> ``

    (4) Information specifying whether the 
 Administrator has entered into an agreement with a commercial 
 vendor or a Federal agency that permits the use of data and 
 imagery by Federal Government employees, contractors, or non-
 Federal users.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``

    (e) Definition of United States Vendor.--In this 
section, the term `United States vendor' means a commercial or 
nonprofit entity incorporated in the United States.''.</DELETED>
 <DELETED>

    (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents for 
 chapter 603 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by 
 adding at the end the following new item:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``60307. Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.''.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Accessing Satellite Capabilities to 
Enable New Discoveries Act'' or the ``ASCEND Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA.

    (a) 

=== Findings ===
-Congress makes the following findings:

    (1) Section 60501 of title 51, United States Code, states 
 that the goal for the Earth Science program of the National 
 Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in this 
 section as ``NASA'') shall be to pursue a program of Earth 
 observations, research, and applications activities 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 scientific 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.

    (3) After the completion of the Private-Sector Small 
 Constellation Satellite Data Product Pilot launch in 2017, the 
 Administrator of NASA established the Commercial SmallSat Data 
 Acquisition Pilot Program in 2019 to identify, evaluate, 
 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 described in 
 paragraph

    (3) has been a success, as described in the 
 final evaluation entitled ``Commercial SmallSat Data 
 Acquisition Program Pilot Evaluation Report'' issued in 
 2020;
        (B) established a formal process for evaluating 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 
 Earth remote sensing data and imagery to federally 
 funded researchers.

    (b) Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.--

    (1) In general.--Chapter 603 of title 51, United States 
 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``

Sec. 60307. Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program
 ``

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish within the 
Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate a program, to 
be known as the `Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program', to 
cost-effectively acquire and disseminate commercial Earth observation 
data and imagery in order to complement the scientific, operational, 
and educational requirements of the Administration, and where 
appropriate, of other Federal agencies and scientific researchers.
 ``

    (b) Data Publication and Accessibility.--The terms and conditions 
of commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery acquisitions under 
the program described in subsection

    (a) shall not prevent--
 ``

    (1) the publication of commercial data or imagery in 
 academic or scientific articles, papers, or other similar 
 publications for scientific purposes; or
 ``

    (2) the publication, in academic or scientific articles, 
 papers, or other similar publications, of information that is 
 derived from, incorporates, or enhances the original commercial 
 data or imagery of a vendor.
 ``
            (c) Authorization.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--In carrying out the program under this 
 section, the Administrator may--
 ``
        (A) procure commercial Earth remote sensing data 
 and imagery from commercial vendors to advance 
 scientific research and applications for the purpose 
 set forth in subsection

    (a) ; and
 ``
        (B) 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.
 ``

    (2) Acquisition from united states vendors.--The 
 commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery procured under 
 this subsection shall be procured, to the maximum extent 
 practicable, from United States vendors.
 ``
            (d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, 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 following:
 ``

    (1)
        (A) In the case of the initial report, a list of all 
 vendors that are providing commercial Earth remote sensing data 
 and imagery to NASA as of the date of the report.
 ``
        (B) For each subsequent report, a list of all vendors 
 that have provided commercial Earth remote sensing data and 
 imagery to NASA during the reporting period.
 ``

    (2) A description of the end-use license terms and 
 conditions for each such vendor.
 ``

    (3) A description of the manner in which each such vendor 
 is advancing scientific research and applications, including 
 priorities recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, 
 Engineering, and Medicine decadal surveys.
 ``

    (4) Information specifying whether the Administrator has 
 entered into an agreement with a commercial vendor or a Federal 
 agency that permits the use of data and imagery by Federal 
 Government employees, contractors, or non-Federal users.
 ``

    (e) Definition of United States Vendor.--In this section, the 
term `United States vendor' means a commercial or nonprofit entity 
incorporated in the United States.''.

    (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents for chapter 
 603 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
 the end the following new item:

``60307. Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.''.
 Calendar No. 173

119th CONGRESS

 1st Session

 S. 1437

 [Report No. 119-68]

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
 Administration to establish a program to identify, evaluate, acquire, 
 and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in 
 order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and educational 
 requirements of the Administration, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 September 29, 2025

 Reported with an amendment