[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 197 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 197

 To encourage the use of remote sensing to promote better agricultural 
                    management in the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 1995

  Mr. Smith  of Michigan (for himself and Mr. Ehlers) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture and, 
     in addition, to the Committee on Science, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To encourage the use of remote sensing to promote better agricultural 
                    management in the United States.

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

SECTION 1. REMOTE SENSING FOR AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) the use of remote sensing data is potentially a 
        valuable resource to anticipate potential food, feed, and fiber 
        shortages or excesses, and to provide this information to the 
        agricultural community in time to assist farmers with planting 
        decisions;
            (2) remote sensing data can be useful to predict impending 
        famine problems and forest infestations in time to allow 
        remedial action;
            (3) remote sensing data can inform the agricultural 
        community as to the condition of crops and the land which 
        sustains those crops;
            (4) remote sensing data can be useful to allow farmers to 
        apply pesticides, nutrients, and water, among other inputs, the 
        farmlands in the exact amounts necessary to maximize crop 
        yield, thereby reducing agricultural costs and minimizing 
        potential harm to the environment;
            (5) remote sensing data can be valuable, when received on a 
        timely basis, in determining the needs of additional plantings 
        of a particular crop or a substitute crop; and
            (6) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 
        using the expertise of the Earth Observations Commercialization 
        Applications Program, and the Department of Agriculture should 
        work in tandem to aid farmers to obtain data conducive to sound 
        agricultural management and greater crop yields.
    (b) Information Development.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the 
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 
maximizing private funding and involvement, shall provide farmers and 
other interested persons with timely information, through remote 
sensing, on crop conditions, fertilization and irrigation needs, pest 
infiltration, soil conditions, projected food, feed, and fiber 
production, and any other information available through remote sensing.
    (c) Enhanced Remote Sensing Program.--
            (1) The Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator of 
        the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall jointly 
        evaluate the need for a radar imaging platform that could 
        enhance United States remote sensing capability by providing 
        information and data relating to agricultural resources, and 
        which may have other commercial and research applications.
            (2) In the event that there is a finding of need for a 
        platform as set forth in subsection (1), the Secretary of 
        Agriculture and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 
        and Space Administration shall jointly develop a proposal, 
        which maximizes private funding and involvement in the launch 
        and operation of such platform, and in the management and 
        dissemination of the data from such platform. The Secretary and 
        the Administrator shall jointly submit the proposal, within 
        thirty days of its development, to the House Committee on 
        Agriculture, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
        and Forestry, the House Committee on Science, and the Senate 
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
    (d) Training.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator 
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall jointly 
develop a proposal to inform farmers and other prospective users 
concerning the use and availability of remote sensing data.
    (e) Sunset.--The provisions of this Act shall expire five years 
after the date of its enactment.
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