TITLE II—EARTH SCIENCE
SEC. 201. GOAL. The goal for NASA'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, NASA'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, NASA shall, together with NOAA and other relevant agencies, provide United States leadership in developing and carrying out a cooperative international Earth observations-based research program.
SEC. 202. GOVERNANCE OF UNITED STATES EARTH OBSERVATIONS ACTIVITIES. (a) Study— The Director of OSTP shall consult with NASA, NOAA, and other relevant agencies with an interest in Earth observations and enter into an arrangement with the National Academies for a study to determine the most appropriate governance structure for United States Earth Observations programs in order to meet evolving United States Earth information needs and facilitate United States participation in global Earth Observations initiatives. (b) Report— The Director shall transmit the study to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and shall provide OSTP's plan for implementing the study's recommendations not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 203. DECADAL SURVEY MISSIONS. (a) In General— The missions recommended in the National Academies' decadal survey `Earth Science and Applications from Space' provide the basis for a compelling and relevant program of research and applications, and the Administrator should work to establish an international cooperative effort to pursue those missions. (b) Plan— The Administrator shall consult with all agencies referenced in the survey as responsible for spacecraft missions and prepare a plan for submission to Congress not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act that shall describe how NASA intends to implement the missions recommended for NASA to conduct as described in subsection (a), whether by means of dedicated NASA missions, multi-agency missions, international cooperative missions, data sharing, or commercial data buys, or by means of long-term technology development to determine whether specific missions would be executable at a reasonable cost and within a reasonable schedule.
SEC. 204. TRANSITIONING EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH INTO OPERATIONAL SERVICES. (a) Sense of Congress— It is the sense of the Congress that experimental NASA sensors and missions that have the potential to benefit society if transitioned into operational monitoring systems be transitioned into operational status whenever possible. (b) Interagency Process— The Director of OSTP, in consultation with the Administrator, the Administrator of NOAA, and other relevant stakeholders, shall develop a process to transition, when appropriate, NASA Earth science and space weather missions or sensors into operational status. The process shall include coordination of annual agency budget requests as required to execute the transitions. (c) Responsible Agency Official— The Administrator and the Administrator of NOAA shall each designate an agency official who shall have the responsibility for and authority to lead NASA's and NOAA's transition activities and interagency coordination. (d) Plan— For each mission or sensor that is determined to be appropriate for transition under subsection (b), NASA and NOAA shall transmit to Congress a joint plan for conducting the transition. The plan shall include the strategy, milestones, and budget required to execute the transition. The transition plan shall be transmitted to Congress not later than 60 days after the successful completion of the mission or sensor critical design review.