Rep. Jeff Hurd, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, recently announced legislative developments regarding his bill, the ASCEND Act, through a series of posts on social media.
On February 23, 2026, Rep. Hurd informed followers that he was about to address Congress: “I’m headed to the House Floor NOW to speak in favor of my bill, the ASCEND Act. Tune into CSPAN to watch my remarks! #CO03”
The following day, Hurd reported progress on the legislation: “Today, my bill — the Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries (ASCEND) Act (H.R. 2600) — passed the House with bipartisan support. Since 2017, NASA has partnered with U.S.-based commercial satellite providers to strengthen Earth science research and disaster” (posted February 24, 2026).
Later that same day, Hurd provided further details about the significance of this legislative milestone: “Yesterday, my bill — the ASCEND Act — passed the House with bipartisan support, marking my fourth bill to do so. The ASCEND Act permanently authorizes NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program, allowing the agency to purchase Earth observation data from U.S.” (posted February 24, 2026).
NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program began in 2017 as an initiative enabling NASA to acquire commercial satellite data for use in Earth science research and disaster response efforts. The passage of H.R. 2600 would grant permanent authorization for this program.
