Land Remote-Sensing Satellite Communications Act of 1984

Land Remote-Sensing Satellite Communications Act of 1984 - Title I: Declarations of Findings and Purposes - Sets forth the findings and purposes of Congress regarding the civil land remote-sensing satellite system.

Defines for the purposes of this Act certain terms including "Landsat system", "nondiscriminatory basis", "unenhanced data", and "United States private entity."

Title II: Operation and Data Marketing of Landsat System - Makes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) responsible for certain tasks including orbit and data collection and disposition of Landsat 4 and Landsat D-prime upon the termination of their useful operations.

Directs the Secretary of Commerce to contract with a United States private entity for the marketing of unenhanced data collected according to the provisions of this title.

Sets forth certain requirements of any contract with a United States private entity. Directs the Secretary to publish such requirements before entering a contract and subjects the contract to them.

Directs the Secretary to transmit any proposed decision to enter such a contract to the appropriate congressional committees. Places restrictions upon when such decisions may be implemented with or without specific congressional approval.

Directs the Secretary to award the contract on the basis of certain criteria including the financial return to the United States and the ability to expand the market for unenhanced land remote-sensing data.

Title III: Data Continuity After the Landsat System - Directs the Secretary to evaluate competitive proposals specifying certain information from United States private entities for a contract for the development of a system capable of generating land remote-sensing data and marketing such data for six years.

Sets forth provisions for congressional review of proposed contract awards.

Requires any contract awarded pursuant to this title to require the contractor to offer to sell and deliver unenhanced land remote-sensing data to all potential buyers on a nondiscriminatory basis. Specifies additional contract requirements.

Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the feasibility of total private operation of a system within two years after the date on which any such contract becomes effective.

Terminates the authority granted by this title ten years after the beginning date of any contract.

Title IV: Private Land Remote-Sensing Systems - Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the appropriate Federal agencies, to license qualified United States private entities to operate civil land remote-sensing satellite systems. Prohibits the operation of such a system without a license.

Specifies the conditions of any such license and the responsibilities of the Secretary regarding private remote-sensing satellite systems.

Authorizes Federal agencies to engage in joint activities in satellite land remote-sensing by forming consortia with the private firms subject to certain restrictions.

Terminates the authority of this title ten years after the date of enactment of this Act if no firm or consortium has been licensed and continues in operation under the provisions of this title.

Title V: Research and Development - Directs the Administrators of NOAA and of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the heads of other agencies to continue land remote-sensing research and development.

Authorizes the use of data gathered in Federal experimental land remote-sensing programs in related research and development programs funded by the Federal government.

Authorizes the competitive en bloc sale of data gathered in Federal experimental land remote-sensing programs to any United States entity which will market the data on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Title VI: General Provisions - Requires that unenhanced land remote-sensing satellite data generated by any system operator be made available to all uses on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Sets forth certain general provisions including archiving of data, radio frequency allocation, and consultation requirements.