Sec. 311. Sense of Congress
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/bill/113/hr/2616/ih/section-311·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that, as recognized in the National Academy of Sciences’ report, America’s Future in Space , the United States, as a global leader, bears a special responsibility to share its expertise and the knowledge and understanding it develops on how best to care for the planet . It is the further sense of Congress that the Earth’s climate and systems create vulnerabilities against which the United States, in cooperation with other countries, must develop resilience.
A commitment to a comprehensive space-based Earth observing system is necessary to provide the data to understand Earth’s changing climate and to predict the impacts at the regional level. It also the sense of Congress that NASA’s capabilities and skills play a critical role in carrying out Earth science observations and conducting basic and applied research in coordination with other relevant Federal agencies. It is the further sense of Congress that NASA is being asked to undertake important Earth science activities in an environment of increasingly constrained fiscal resources, and that any transfer of additional responsibilities to NASA, such as climate instrument development and measurements that are currently part of the NOAA portfolio, should be accompanied by the provision of additional resources to allow NASA to carry out the increased responsibilities without adversely impacting its implementation of its existing Earth science programs and priorities.