DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PROPOSED REPORT ON H.R. 5155 -- LAND REMOTE SENSING COMMERCIALIZATION ACT OF 1984 -- AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE ON APRIL 9, 1984.

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP05T02051R000200270004-6
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
21
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
November 28, 2011
Sequence Number: 
4
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
April 19, 1984
Content Type: 
MEMO
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP05T02051R000200270004-6.pdf833.99 KB
Body: 
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 STAT Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Washington. D.C. 20230 Hc'ncrable JG^es H. Scheuer Chairman, Subcommittee on Natural. Resc:urces, Agriculture Research and the Environment U.S. =o?-,se of Representatives r:ashington, D. C. 20515 Dear :r.- Chairman: This will respond to your request for the views of this ' Department on legislation currently pending before your Committee - "sTo establish a system to promote the use of land remote-sensing satellite data, and for other purposes." Although your request was in regard to H.R. 4836, a bill then under consideration by the Subcommittee, our response will be in reference to H.R. 5155, a bill subsequently introduced. Our response--is on behalf of the Admin.' stration, and incorm porates the views of all other interes..zd agencies. The goal of H.R. 5155''is to provide for the orderly transi- tion of United States civil land remote sensing activities from the public sector to the private sector in a manner which preserves both continuity of land remote sensing data and the technological leadership-of the United States in the civil land remote sensing field. Title I- of the bill provides for the marketing, by a govern- ment contractor, of data generated by the present (Landsat) system. Under the terms of title II, the government would retain ownership of the Landsat system and all data generated.. by it, while the contractor would be entitled to a portion of the revenue from sales of the data. Under title II,-.the covern:nent may contract for the operation of-.the system as 'Well, If the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary) determines u at t e purposes of the Act will be served thereby. e --= of the bill provides for the Secretary to contract v;_th a --rivate sector party for the provision of the capabil- ty c_ cro^uc'_ng remote sensing data in certain quantities and at a certain minimum level of quality for a period of six year!. The contract may provide for a payment by the Secretary Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 to cover the capital costs of achieving such a capability, bit may not provide for any guaranteed data purchases by the cov eren All data generated by the contract operator must be available for sale on a nondiscriminatory basis. Title iV of the bill grants to the Secretary authority to _ssze '?_censes for the operation of remote sensing systems. tle V of the bill provides for a continuing federal role ;n _ sea=ch: and development in the field of remote sensing.. c= the bill states federal policy regarding nondis- ;._natc=-v dissemination of data" provides for archiving of data by'tae Secretary, and contains a number of miscellaneous :.rot isions. The Ac,=nistrat; on supports H.R._ 5155, with certain technical changes, as. an appropriate framework for achieving the commercialization of civil land remote sensing from space as soon as ressible, while maintaining the U.S. lead-in land rer.ote sensing, with the private sector making the major financial investment. ^e Department is now in the process of carrying out what we believe to be the most thorough and exhaustive effort to date to deter-..pine the "next steps" in the Landsat program that most. facilitate the transfer of land remote sensing operations to the private sector. We have issued a .Request For Proposals ("P, FP") for deployment of a follow-on system and the transfer of the current system to the private sector. Seven responses have been received and are being evaluated by a Source Evaluation Board established for this purpose.: The Board expects to submit recommendations to the Secretary in June, 1924. the vies: of the Administration., it would be extremely _n=crtunate if the work cf the Board and the respondents to were to be discarded or repeated. This would result s _icant and costly delays in the commercialization =rocess. Therefore, our principal concerns lie with. any =ov =ions of the bill which may or would invalidate: the RFP. _- addit on,'it is essential that agency missions currently- __- cr dependent rcn remote sensinc not be adversely ..:e _ec:s_at .-~a_ concerns a__ set =ort1 as follows. Additional _-ca,_ c: .meats are en closed. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 . Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Recui=ed Marketing. Section 2.01(a) of the bill may require the Secretary to contract for the marketing of data generated by the current Landsat system. The 7,d nistration is not opposed in principle to the concept of pr---le-sector marketing of Landsat data, and the RFP e-ccu=aced bidders to take over the operation of the Landsat system and the -marketing of data generated by the system. cw e:er, there was no requirement in the RFP that a bidder do se. Thus, if the successful bidder in the RFP process does nde=take to market the data, an additional procurement action .-ay be required for the marketing component. T :e Aaninistration is opposed to section 201 (a) as currently drafted since it could pose a danger to the execution of a contract awarded as a result of the RFP process. Because the RAP did not require that respondents bid on the marketing of L andsat data, companies that were interested primarily in the marketing component likely chose not to submit a proposal. If title II were enacted in its present form, these companies -- as well as unsuccessful bidders -- may seek to invalidate the-'results of the RFP on the ground that it did not fully compl y. with the requirements of title II. Such efforts could delav~ i^pleme; tation of the title III contract. A delay in implementation would in turn assure significant gaps. in the data stream upon the demise of Landsat a result to be avoided at all costs. The Adrinistration.is thus opposed to the apparent require- ment of section 201(a) that a marketing procurement be undertaken. We would support a provision which grants the Secretary discretion in determining whether to carry out such a procurement. We would also support alternative provisions (1) recuiring further marketing efforts if, upon conclusion of the P.FP process, it becomes apparent that such effort would be in the national interest, or (2) permitting the combination of the two procurements by the Secretary in a anr_Y_ ccnsistent with. that adopted by the RFP. Term of the Title III Contract. Section 302 of the bill :.=ovides that the contract* entered into by the Secretary cancer Title III shall reasonably assure the provision of sensing data for a period of six years, terminating c- ` yea a=te= the expiration of this six-year period. ie t:.e length of the contract :will 'depend on a number of terms and conditions, it is our opinion that the six-year ==r. cc ccntempla ted by the bill may be overly restrictive . A Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 more likely period for successful conversion to full commer- cial c-eration would be approximately eight years rather than six. The eight-year period would not include the time prior to the launch of the first commercial satellite, which is. likely to be two-to-four years. Thus, while the term of the contract described in Title III should be negotiable rather being set for a prescribed period of time, we would _efer the outer limit to be at least eight years rather than Six. Lte to Landsat Data. Section 202:(a) of the bill provides .a z t -Ie to any and all data generated by the Laridsat s?: ster. shall re-main with the government, while providing that the Title iI contractor be entitled to revenues from the sale of copies of data from the system: The RFP offered bidders the cpportunity to-bid on. the entire current Landsat system, including both the space and ground segments. If a bidder were to propose assumption of.both ownership and operation of the system, acceptance of this proposal would apparently be prohibited by the legislation as currently s=a=ted. The recuirement that the government retain title may also create copyright problems, inasmuch as the marketing contractor will undoubtedly insist on the right to restrict redistribution and sale by data purchasers. r. - We therefore suggest that the bill permit a transfer of title upon a determination by the Secretary that this would be in the national interest. If this recommendation is not adopted, we strongly suggest the addition of appropriate copyright provisions. Capitalization Costs. Section 302(b)(4) of the bill provides that the contract entered into by the Secretary under Title III of the bill may provide for a payment by the Secretary to cover a portion of the capital cost of providing remote sens_n capability. This payment may also be made in install- :-._: is cased on progress over the life of the contract. there will be costs associated with developing the capability recuired by the Title III contract, -ae are not ca_su=_cac t_*.at a capital payment (or payments, as the case- ,..- b_; = s t e crly acceptable financial arrangement. It may. financial vehicles, such as loans or loan =ee may be more advantageous to the government. The t =_., ;,,_d therefore permit the Secretary greater discretion `_cp; ng the _ i *+ancial structure of the contract. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 - 5 .- Guaranteed data purchases. Section 3102 (b) (6) of the bill prohibits guaranteed data purchases by the federal government. while the RFP made it clear that the government would not enter into an exclusive data purchase arrangement with any contractor, and would not necessarily agree to a proposal requiring guaranteed purchases, it is nevertheless the view of the Administration that this restriction is not in:the interests of the government. It may be that some minimal 1e-:e? of guaranteed purchases may recommend itself as an cpb=c,pr_ate means of commpensating a contractor over the life c= the contract. if so, we do not wish to preclude adoption cf such- a contract term. Rebates: Section 303(b) requires that at least 5 percent of the price of data sold to the government be rebated to the Treasury. This provision unduly restricts flexibility of the bidder in structuring his bid. While rebates in connection with government purchases may be perfectly acceptable, it is not in the government's interest to require this arrangement. Such ay requirement will only narrow the range of choices avai l'be to the Secretary in selecting the best deal for the Government. Reporting. Section 502(d) of the bill provides for' joint preparation and transmittal to the Congress by. the Administrators of NOAA and NASA of a renort containing, among other things, a unified national plan for remote sensing research and development applied to the earth and its atmosphere.- our experience with such joint reporting is that it works poorly, at best. We would recommend that the requirement for a joint report be deleted. -?? Frequency allocation. Section 605 of the bill encourages the allocation of government and other civil radio frequencies tc license holders by the Secretary and the Federal Communi- cations Commission. We recommend that section 605 be amended arc e_lv to reflect the primary responsibility of the Federal Ccm.unications Commission for the assignment of frequencies to nongovernmental users, and the primary responsibility of t e Department of Com.-nerce, through the National Telecommuni.-?' cations and Information Administration, for the. allocation of governmental frequencies. -ions noted above, and with further technical c _- as noted in the attached .:uteri alb, the Administration .rc~ y supports E.R. 5:55. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 j?:e have been advised by the Office of-Management and Budget that there would be no objection to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the Administration's program. Sincerely, =-. 1Y;arcTu lies ::e era_ Cc`nsel Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 Technical Comments - S. 2292 lines 18 - 23: Strike this subsection and insert the following: 11(5) "United States private entity" means any citizen of the United States, any nongovernmental entity, or any consortium of (i) nongovernmental entities, or (ii) governmental and nongovernmental entities. In the case of an entity or consortium, the term means an entity or consortium the majority of whose assets is owned by citizens of the United States, the majority of whose personnel is comprised of citizens of the United States, which (in the case of a consortium) is administered by a central, responsible person or entity designated by the` consortium, and whose principal place of business:is in the United States." NOTE: The definition has been enlarged to include individual citizens, since the prohibitions of title IV must apply to individuals as well. The idea of a central; responsible management entity for consortia has been transposed from section 402(b), because it is definitional in nature. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 cace 6," line 3 - -Dace 7, line 6: Strike this section in its entirety. 1;OTE: The various components of this section are either unnecessary or undesirable. Subsection (a) to a large extent restates existing law. In addition, however; paragraphs (1) and (2) may be interpreted as imposing upon the Secretary a higher duty with respect to the disposition of Landsat 4 and Landsat D' than the government has already undertaken pursuant to international agree- ment. The meaning of paragraph=k3) is unclear, but probably restates existing law. Subsection (b), the purpose of which is- evidently to- protect the title III operator, is unnecessary. The .::e~oranda currently in effect may by their own terms be extended. The government will not extend its obligations under the memoranda beyond its ability to- =u=fill them, which will terminate upon the practical c= the system. These memoranda are binding Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 only upon the government and cannot bind subsequent private sector operators of remote sensing systems. Subsection (c) provides that the government may continue to contract out the operation of the current s:?ster. This provision restates existing law. Subsection (c) further provides, however, that ownership of the system and the data must remain with the government. This provision is directly contrary to the terms of the Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the government, which permits the respon- dents to bid on the operation and ownership of the. -current system. If an otherwise attractive bid contains an,element providing for the assumption of title to the existing system, the government-would be unable to accept this bid. As a result, the govern- ment may be forced to accept a less satisfactory bid, accept no bid; or repeat the procurement. Any of these results would be undesirable. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Pace 7, line 8: Chance 11202" to "201" . 7, Strike the word "shall" and insert the words "is authorized" . NOTE: Section 202 requires that the Secretary con- tract out for the marketing of Landsat data. This' requirement has two significant drawbacks: First, if this provision is enacted, it will-require that a new, separate procurement action be carried out for this marketing function. This is because the F=? does not require that bidders bid on the- market-of Landsat data, and because we anticipate that .f any, bidders did so. The requirement that such a procurement be carried out-is extremely. ;::rcesome and wasteful. By the time it is completed an the contractor cc.mences work, there will be =_~tie - if any - life left in the system and thus contractor's opportunities to accomplish anything Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 significant will be either extremely limited or nonexistent. Second, there is the real possibility that enactment of this provision will delay or prevent execution of the title III contract,-thus raising the real possi- bility of significant data gaps. This is because companies who did not respond to the RFP because they were not interested in the .operations side may bring suit to invalidate it because they were not given an opportunity to bid on the marketing as this provision apparently requires. Litigation would undoubtedly bring the execution of the title III contract tQ a halt until the issues raised in the lawsuit were resolved. The undesirability of this provision cannot be overstated. Pace 7, line 11: Before the word "contract", add the word "to".. I Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 I Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 ice 7, lines 13-14: Strike and insert the following: "data collected during the useful life of the Landsat system, as determined by the Secretary. Any such contract shall provide that --I'. This change makes clear that the contract governs only data collected by the Landsat system during its useful life, and that the Secretary has discretion to determine when the useful life of the system terminates. Pace 7, lines 17-18: Strike and insert: "able on a nondiscriminatory basis.". 1\-O -,E: This term has been defined. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 - 7 - ?ace line 6: Redesignate subsection (b) as subsection (c), and insert a new subsedtion (b) as follows: "(b) Such contract may provide for the operation cf, and transfer of title to, the Landsat system as dezerm..ined by the Secretary to be appropriate and in '"L-^e national interest.". Pace 8, line 10-page 9, line 6: Delete this subsection. NOTE: Present subsection (c) creates undesirable and unnecessary ambiguities concern~ag the role of Congress in. reviewing the selection actions of the Secretary. It may be read to mean that after the Secretary awards a contract, the congress may review that award. This is bad contracting procedure, and will place the chill of uncertainty on the entire process. Bidders will be reluctant to commit full resources to a bid because they Will be-more than usually uncertain of the outcome. ^e Secretary has the obligation to keep Congress i:~fc= red of developments. It is also in'his interest I Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 to do so, since Congress will..also have the last word on any contract, the contract being contingent-upon monies being appropriated. =owever, the Congress should set policy governing the award of this contract, and the Secretary should be granted adequate that policy. discretion and authority to execute ce 9, line 8: Change 11203" to "202" _ pace 9, line 15: After the word "data", add: ~t and (3) such other factors as the secretary deems appropriate and relevant". The Secretary should retain some degree of discretion in the award of the title II contract. It Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 9 would not be desirable to "lock him in" to only two selection criteria. Pace 11, line 9: Strike "six" and insert "eight". Page 12, lines 1-21: Delete this subsection. See comments on present section 202(c). Page 14, line S - page 16, line 23: Strike the entire section and insert new section-.as set out in attachment to these comments. NOTES:' The bill currently contains no provisions governing the "qualifications",of licensees. (The only provision which may be so construed - dealing with the establishment of,_a "central, reponsible Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 10 - entity" by a consortium, may be considered defini- tional, and we have for this reason proposed moving it to section 103(5).) Ambiguities concerning what constitutes a "qualified" entity are thus raised, but not resolved, by the use of this term. Currently, the bill contains no criteria by which the Secretary can determine whether an application should be granted or.'denied. In.'theory, all applications from United States parties which are in correct form must be granted, even though it may be quite clew= that the applicant is not "qualified", e.g.,,that it does not have adequate financial or technical.re- sources, or that it does not have adequate insurance coverage, or that there is substantial evidence that the applicant will not abide by the terms of: the license. we think that section 402 :can also be clarified retarding the steps which the applicant must "agree in advance"-to take [e.g., present section =_.02(c)(2)], and what the licensee is required to do the terms of the license [e.g-., present sec- z_cns 402(b) and 402(c)(3)] Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 - 11 - We emphasize that the bill should set forth each action which the government wishes a licensee to take or'refrain from taking during the operation of his .system. The bill should further require that each of these steps be set forth in each license issued. The House bill (H.R. 5155) contains expanded provisions regarding the Secretary's regulatory and enforcement authorities. We believe these are an essential feature of any title IV licensing scheme. Face 17, line 2: After "403.", insert "(a)". Pace 17, line 11: Insert new subsections (b) and (c), as follows: "(b) The provisions of this Title-shall not apply to any activity carried out by the National eronautics and Space Administration pursuant to its authority under Title IV of the National Aeronautics and Space. Act of 1958, as-..amended. I Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 "(c) Nothing in this section shall affect the authority of the Federal Communications Commission to assign radio frequencies pursuant to the Federal Communications Act, as amended." _ 19, line 11 - page 21, line 2: Strike --his section and insert as follows: "(b)(1) The Secretary shall continue to provide storage, maintenance and access for unen- hanced data from-civil remote land sensing systems, including, in his discretion, such data from the.. Landsat system, the system operated pursuant to title III of this Act, and any system licensed pursuant to title IV of this Act. "(2) Storage, maintenance and access shall be undertaken only with respect to-data which the Secretary, following established"archiving practic- es, determines to have real or potential value to the Nation.- 11(c) Copies of all data generated by ai system operator under titles II, III, or IV of this Act shall promptly be made available to-the Secre- tary by such system operator in a form suitable for processing for storage, access and maintenance. The Secretary is authorized, subject to appropria- tions therefore, to pay to, such system operator reaonable costs for reproduction and transmittal of such copies. "(d) (1) Any system operator: shall have the exclusive right to sell all data generated by such operator for a period not to exceed ten years from t:e daze such data are generated. During the -.en-:ear oerioc, the Secretary shall not engage in actipity w is infringes upon this right. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 ,_,_. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 13 - "(2) Any'system operator may at any time relinquish, with respect to any data generated by such operator, his exclusive right to sell such data. Such relinquishment shall be transmitted in writing to the secretary. ".(e) Following the relinquishment or expira- tion of such exclusive. right to sell data, the data shall be in the public domain and the Secretary and ay be distrubuted by the Secretary at prices reflecting the reasonable costs of reproduction and "(f) In-carrying out the function of this section, the Secretary may use existing facilities or may contract for the performance of such func- tions, to the extent provided for in advance by appropriations acts." NOTE: The principal change effected in this re-write is to ensure that the Secretary does not perform a "warehousing" function for system operators at taxpayer expense. Presently, tL: bill may be inter- preted to require the Secretary to store all data generated by system operators, and return it to them upon demand, for only nominal fees. This is not a desirable result. System operators should be respon- sible for their own storage, maintenance and access, until such time as their exclusive right to-the data either expires or is relinquished. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05T02051 R000200270004-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6 'ice 21, line 13: .Strike ", such as launch services,". -/;, - * ne s 7-5 - 21: Ater the word "Corm-niss=on", add: the Secretary,". it in consultation with I Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/28: CIA-RDP05TO2051 R000200270004-6