ASCEND Act
Sponsored By: Representative Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3]
Passed House
Summary
A new NASA program to buy and share commercial Earth observation data would create a commercial satellite data acquisition program focused on getting cost‑effective imagery and remote sensing products for science, operations, and education. It sets publication protections, flexible license terms, and a U.S. vendor preference to expand use of commercial Earth data.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
NASA would buy and share satellite images
If enacted, NASA would set up a program to buy commercial satellite images and data. The program would share these for science, operations, and education, and, when appropriate, with other Federal agencies and researchers. NASA would set license terms to allow wide use beyond NASA-funded users, and users would be able to publish the images and results based on them. To the maximum extent practicable, NASA would buy from U.S. vendors. The Administrator would report to Congress within 180 days of enactment and then every year on vendors, license terms, and how the data advance research. The program would start upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3]
CO • R
Cosponsors
Bonamici
OR • D
Sponsored 4/2/2025
Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10]
VA • D
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Rep. Crank, Jeff [R-CO-5]
CO • R
Sponsored 4/29/2025
Rep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/29/2025
Riley (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Kean
NJ • R
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov