Earth Resources Information Corporation Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Earth Resources Information Corporation Act of 1979 - Title I: Short Title, Declaration of Policy, and Definitions - Declares that it is the policy of the United States to establish a commercial earth resources information service to disseminate timely, continuous and reliable earth resources information. Title II: Implementation of Policy - Directs the President to: (1) aid in the planning, development, and review of the information service; (2) coordinate Government agency activities in the field of earth resources information; and (3) take necessary steps to insure that every Federal entity utilizes the information service. Directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to advise the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on technical aspects of the information service and to assist and cooperate with the Earth Resources Information Corporation established by this Act in developing the information service. Specifies the duties of the FCC with respect to the information service, including the insurance of fair competition and standards of quality in the earth resources information service. Title III: Creation of an Earth Resources Information Corporation - Establishes an Earth Resources Information Corporation for profit which is not an agency or establishment of the United States. Authorizes the Corporation to plan, initiate, construct, own, manage, and operate a commercial earth resources information service. Enumerates other functions of the Corporation, including ownership and operation of earth resources satellites, receiving stations and information distribution centers. Title IV: Miscellaneous - Directs the Corporation to notify the Department of State when entering into business negotiations with any international or foreign entity. Prohibits any person, other than through official channels, from selling or disclosing to any other person any earth resources information which is compiled by the Corporation. Prescribes sanctions, including equitable relief, for actions by the Corporation which are inconsistent with the policies set forth in this Act. Directs the President to transmit to Congress each January a description of activities and accomplishments for the preceding year. Requires the Corporation to make annual reports to the President and Congress concerning its operations, activities, and accomplishments. Directs the FCC to transmit annually to Congress: (1) a report of its actions on anticompetitive practices as they apply to such service; (2) an evaluation of such actions with a view to recommending additional legislation; and (3) an evaluation of the capital structure of the Corporation.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on April 4, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on April 4, 1979: Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HARRISON SCHMITT (R-NM) introduced it on April 4, 1979, and 3 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 3 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on April 4, 1979, 17326 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17326 days ago, on April 4, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers