51 U.S.C. § 60501: Goal

The goal for the Administration’s Earth Science program 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. In pursuit of this goal, the Administration’s Earth Science program shall ensure that securing practical benefits for society will be an important measure of its success in addition to securing new knowledge about the Earth system and climate change. In further pursuit of this goal, the Administration shall, together with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other relevant agencies, provide United States leadership in developing and carrying out a cooperative international Earth observations-based research program. the Earth science and applications program of the [National Aeronautics and Space] Administration provides increasingly valuable data for natural resource management, agriculture, forestry, food security, air quality monitoring, and many other application areas; and the scientific discovery and economic growth of the United States; and supporting the health and safety of the people of the United States and the citizens of the world. Congress reaffirms the goal for the Administration’s Earth science and applications program set forth in section 60501 of title 51 , United States Code, which states: ‘The goal for the Administration’s Earth Science program 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. In pursuit of this goal, the Administration’s Earth Science program shall ensure that securing practical benefits for society will be an important measure of its success in addition to securing new knowledge about the Earth system and climate change. In further pursuit of this goal, the Administration shall, together with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other relevant agencies, provide United States leadership in developing and carrying out a cooperative international Earth observations-based research program.’.[sic] the science priorities described in such survey; the execution of the series of existing or previously planned observations (commonly known as the ‘program of record’); and the development of a range of missions of all classes, including opportunities for principal investigator-led, competitively selected missions. aerosols; cloud convection and precipitation; mass change; surface biology and geology; surface deformation and change; and other observation areas designated as high-priority by such decadal survey; and to achieve the goal of the Earth Science Program set forth in section 60501 of title 51 , United States Code. The Administrator shall arrange for the conduct of a survey of the use of NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] Earth observation data by States, Tribal organizations, and territories. Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Aug. 9, 2022 ], the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress [Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives] the results of the survey conducted under paragraph (1). maintain a comprehensive, strategic Climate Architecture Plan for Earth Observations and Applications from Space that describes an integrated and balanced program of Earth science and applications observations to advance science, policy, and applications and societal benefits; and update such plan every 5 years so as to align with the release of the decadal surveys in Earth science and applications from space and the mid-decade assessments of the National Academics of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [probably should be “National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine”].” to provide a comprehensive view of vegetation conditions; to assess and model agricultural carbon sequestration; and to encourage the development of commercial products, as appropriate. The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall use regional earth science application centers to conduct applications research under this section. the mapping of carbon-sequestering land use and land cover; the monitoring of changes in land cover and management; new approaches for the remote sensing of soil carbon; and region-scale carbon sequestration estimation. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 of funds authorized by section 102 [ 114 Stat. 1581 ] for fiscal years 2001 through 2002.”