§ 5615. — Data policy for Landsat 7.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC5615]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 82--LAND REMOTE SENSING POLICY
SUBCHAPTER I--LANDSAT
Sec. 5615. Data policy for Landsat 7
(a) Landsat 7 data policy
The Landsat Program Management, in consultation with other
appropriate United States Government agencies, shall develop a data
policy for Landsat 7 which should--
(1) ensure that unenhanced data are available to all users at
the cost of fulfilling user requests;
(2) ensure timely and dependable delivery of unenhanced data to
the full spectrum of civilian, national security, commercial, and
foreign users and the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data
Archive;
(3) ensure that the United States retains ownership of all
unenhanced data generated by Landsat 7;
(4) support the development of the commercial market for remote
sensing data;
(5) ensure that the provision of commercial value-added services
based on remote sensing data remains exclusively the function of the
private sector; and
(6) to the extent possible, ensure that the data distribution
system for Landsat 7 is compatible with the Earth Observing System
Data and Information System.
(b) Additional data policy considerations
In addition, the data policy for Landsat 7 may provide for--
(1) United States private sector entities to operate ground
receiving stations in the United States for Landsat 7 data;
(2) other means for direct access by private sector entities to
unenhanced data from Landsat 7; and
(3) the United States Government to charge a per image fee,
license fee, or other such fee to entities operating ground
receiving stations or distributing Landsat 7 data.
(c) Landsat 7 Data Policy Plan
Not later than July 15, 1994, the Landsat Program Management shall
develop and submit to Congress a report that contains a Landsat 7 Data
Policy Plan. This plan shall define the roles and responsibilities of
the various public and private sector entities that would be involved in
the acquisition, processing, distribution, and archiving of Landsat 7
data and in operations of the Landsat 7 spacecraft.
(d) Reports
Not later than 12 months after submission of the Landsat 7 Data
Policy Plan, required by subsection (c) of this section, and annually
thereafter until the launch of Landsat 7, the Landsat Program
Management, in consultation with representatives of appropriate United
States Government agencies, shall prepare and submit a report to the
Congress which--
(1) provides justification for the Landsat 7 data policy in
terms of the civilian, national security, commercial, and foreign
policy needs of the United States; and
(2) provides justification for any elements of the Landsat 7
data policy which are not consistent with the provisions of
subsection (a) of this section.
(Pub. L. 102-555, title I, Sec. 105, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 4170.)
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 5613 of this title.
