TITLE 15 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER V - GENERAL PROVISIONS

15 USC 5651 - Nondiscriminatory data availability

(a) General rule 
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, any unenhanced data generated by the Landsat system or any other land remote sensing system funded and owned by the United States Government shall be made available to all users without preference, bias, or any other special arrangement (except on the basis of national security concerns pursuant to section 5656 of this title) regarding delivery, format, pricing, or technical considerations which would favor one customer or class of customers over another.
(b) Exceptions 
Unenhanced data generated by the Landsat system or any other land remote sensing system funded and owned by the United States Government may be made available to the United States Government and its affiliated users at reduced prices, in accordance with this chapter, on the condition that such unenhanced data are used solely for noncommercial purposes.

15 USC 5652 - Archiving of data

(a) Public interest 
It is in the public interest for the United States Government to
(1) maintain an archive of land remote sensing data for historical, scientific, and technical purposes, including long-term global environmental monitoring;
(2) control the content and scope of the archive; and
(3) assure the quality, integrity, and continuity of the archive.
(b) Archiving practices 
The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Landsat Program Management, shall provide for long-term storage, maintenance, and upgrading of a basic, global, land remote sensing data set (hereinafter referred to as the basic data set) and shall follow reasonable archival practices to assure proper storage and preservation of the basic data set and timely access for parties requesting data.
(c) Determination of content of basic data set 
In determining the initial content of, or in upgrading, the basic data set, the Secretary of[1] Interior shall
(1) use as a baseline the data archived on October 28, 1992;
(2) take into account future technical and scientific developments and needs, paying particular attention to the anticipated data requirements of global environmental change research;
(3) consult with and seek the advice of users and producers of remote sensing data and data products;
(4) consider the need for data which may be duplicative in terms of geographical coverage but which differ in terms of season, spectral bands, resolution, or other relevant factors;
(5) include, as the Secretary of the Interior considers appropriate, unenhanced data generated either by the Landsat system, pursuant to subchapter I of this chapter, or by licensees under subchapter II of this chapter;
(6) include, as the Secretary of the Interior considers appropriate, data collected by foreign ground stations or by foreign remote sensing space systems; and
(7) ensure that the content of the archive is developed in accordance with section 5656 of this title.
(d) Public domain 
After the expiration of any exclusive right to sell, or after relinquishment of such right, the data provided to the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive shall be in the public domain and shall be made available to requesting parties by the Secretary of the Interior at the cost of fulfilling user requests.
[1] So in original. Probably should be “of the”.

15 USC 5653 - Nonreproduction

Unenhanced data distributed by any licensee under subchapter II of this chapter may be sold on the condition that such data will not be reproduced or disseminated by the purchaser for commercial purposes.

15 USC 5654 - Reimbursement for assistance

The Administrator, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other United States Government agencies may provide assistance to land remote sensing system operators under the provisions of this chapter. Substantial assistance shall be reimbursed by the operator, except as otherwise provided by law.

15 USC 5655 - Acquisition of equipment

The Landsat Program Management may, by means of a competitive process, allow a licensee under subchapter II of this chapter or any other private party to buy, lease, or otherwise acquire the use of equipment from the Landsat system, when such equipment is no longer needed for the operation of such system or for the sale of data from such system. Officials of other United States Government civilian agencies are authorized and encouraged to cooperate with the Secretary in carrying out this section.

15 USC 5656 - Radio frequency allocation

(a) Application to Federal Communications Commission 
To the extent required by the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.), an application shall be filed with the Federal Communications Commission for any radio facilities involved with commercial remote sensing space systems licensed under subchapter II of this chapter.
(b) Deadline for FCC action 
It is the intent of Congress that the Federal Communications Commission complete the radio licensing process under the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.), upon the application of any private sector party or consortium operator of any commercial land remote sensing space system subject to this chapter, within 120 days of the receipt of an application for such licensing. If final action has not occurred within 120 days of the receipt of such an application, the Federal Communications Commission shall inform the applicant of any pending issues and of actions required to resolve them.
(c) Development and construction of United States systems 
Authority shall not be required from the Federal Communications Commission for the development and construction of any United States land remote sensing space system (or component thereof), other than radio transmitting facilities or components, while any licensing determination is being made.
(d) Consistency with international obligations and public interest 
Frequency allocations made pursuant to this section by the Federal Communications Commission shall be consistent with international obligations and with the public interest.

15 USC 5657 - Consultation

(a) Consultation with Secretary of Defense 
The Secretary and the Landsat Program Management shall consult with the Secretary of Defense on all matters under this chapter affecting national security. The Secretary of Defense shall be responsible for determining those conditions, consistent with this chapter, necessary to meet national security concerns of the United States and for notifying the Secretary and the Landsat Program Management promptly of such conditions.
(b) Consultation with Secretary of State 

(1) The Secretary and the Landsat Program Management shall consult with the Secretary of State on all matters under this chapter affecting international obligations. The Secretary of State shall be responsible for determining those conditions, consistent with this chapter, necessary to meet international obligations and policies of the United States and for notifying promptly the Secretary and the Landsat Program Management of such conditions.
(2) Appropriate United States Government agencies are authorized and encouraged to provide remote sensing data, technology, and training to developing nations as a component of programs of international aid.
(3) The Secretary of State shall promptly report to the Secretary and Landsat Program Management any instances outside the United States of discriminatory distribution of Landsat data.
(c) Status report 
The Landsat Program Management shall, as often as necessary, provide to the Congress complete and updated information about the status of ongoing operations of the Landsat system, including timely notification of decisions made with respect to the Landsat system in order to meet national security concerns and international obligations and policies of the United States Government.
(d) Reimbursements 
If, as a result of technical modifications imposed on a licensee under subchapter II of this chapter on the basis of national security concerns, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense or with other Federal agencies, determines that additional costs will be incurred by the licensee, or that past development costs (including the cost of capital) will not be recovered by the licensee, the Secretary may require the agency or agencies requesting such technical modifications to reimburse the licensee for such additional or development costs, but not for anticipated profits. Reimbursements may cover costs associated with required changes in system performance, but not costs ordinarily associated with doing business abroad.

15 USC 5658 - Enforcement

(a) In general 
In order to ensure that unenhanced data from the Landsat system received solely for noncommercial purposes are not used for any commercial purpose, the Secretary (in collaboration with private sector entities responsible for the marketing and distribution of unenhanced data generated by the Landsat system) shall develop and implement a system for enforcing this prohibition, in the event that unenhanced data from the Landsat system are made available for noncommercial purposes at a different price than such data are made available for other purposes.
(b) Authority of Secretary 
Subject to subsection (d) of this section, the Secretary may impose any of the enforcement mechanisms described in subsection (c) of this section against a person who
(1) receives unenhanced data from the Landsat system under this chapter solely for noncommercial purposes (and at a different price than the price at which such data are made available for other purposes); and
(2) uses such data for other than noncommercial purposes.
(c) Enforcement mechanisms 
Enforcement mechanisms referred to in subsection (b) of this section may include civil penalties of not more than $10,000 (per day per violation), denial of further unenhanced data purchasing privileges, and any other penalties or restrictions the Secretary considers necessary to ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that unenhanced data provided for noncommercial purposes are not used to unfairly compete in the commercial market against private sector entities not eligible for data at the cost of fulfilling user requests.
(d) Procedures and regulations 
The Secretary shall issue any regulations necessary to carry out this section and shall establish standards and procedures governing the imposition of enforcement mechanisms under subsection (b) of this section. The standards and procedures shall include a procedure for potentially aggrieved parties to file formal protests with the Secretary alleging instances where such unenhanced data has been, or is being, used for commercial purposes in violation of the terms of receipt of such data. The Secretary shall promptly act to investigate any such protest, and shall report annually to the Congress on instances of such violations.