§ 16673. Pilot projects to encourage public sector applications
(a)
In general
The Administrator shall establish a program of grants for competitively awarded pilot projects to explore the integrated use of sources of remote sensing and other geospatial information to address State, local, regional, and tribal agency needs.
(b)
Preferred projects
In awarding grants under this section, the Administrator shall give preference to projects that—
(1)
make use of commercial data sets, including high resolution commercial satellite imagery and derived satellite data products, existing public data sets where commercial data sets are not available or applicable, or the fusion of such data sets;
(2)
integrate multiple sources of geospatial information, such as geographic information system data, satellite-provided positioning data, and remotely sensed data, in innovative ways;
(c)
Opportunities
In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall seek opportunities to assist—
(d)
Duration
Assistance for a pilot project under subsection (a) shall be provided for a period not to exceed 3 years.
(e)
Report
Each recipient of a grant under subsection (a) shall transmit a report to the Administrator on the results of the pilot project within 180 days of the completion of that project.
(f)
Workshop
Each recipient of a grant under subsection (a) shall, not later than 180 days after the completion of the pilot project, conduct at least one workshop for potential users to disseminate the lessons learned from the pilot project as widely as feasible.
(g)
Regulations
The Administrator shall issue regulations establishing application, selection, and implementation procedures for pilot projects, and guidelines for reports and workshops required by this section.