39–006 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 109–113 

NATIONAL GEOLOGIC MAPPING REAUTHORIZATION ACT 

OF 2005 

JUNE 8, 2005.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. POMBO, from the Committee on Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2362] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 2362) to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992, having considered the same, report favorably 

thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 2362 is to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 established the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. This program was designed to 

foster cooperation and coordination between the United States Geological Survey and the State Geological Surveys in generating modern detailed digitized geologic maps in a cost effective and efficient 

manner. 

Geologic maps provide important information needed for identifying energy, mineral and water resources, and geologic and environmental hazards such as active faults and seismic areas, unstable ground subject to landslides, swelling soils, floodplains and 

abandoned mined lands. Understanding the sub-surface geology 

and soil profiles can facilitate better planning for septic systems in 

rural areas, water treatment facilities, road construction and maintenance, home construction and other infrastructure. 

2 

More than 7,500 new geologic maps have been produced through 

this cooperative program. To date 49 states and Puerto Rico have 

participated in this program, producing high quality digital that 

cover approximately 25% of the U.S. Monies expended in this program reap significant benefits. An economic analysis of the impact 

of Kentucky’s geologic mapping program showed the economic return to the State was at a minimum 25 times the cost of the program. Kentucky is the only state that has been completely mapped. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 2362 was introduced on May 16, 2005, by Congressman Jim 

Gibbons (R–NV). The bill was referred to the Committee on Resources. On May 18, 2005, the Full Resources Committee met to 

consider the bill. No amendments were offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in 

the body of this report. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States 

grants Congress the authority to enact this bill. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII 

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) of rule 

XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 

308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this bill does not 

contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992. 

4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

3 

H.R. 2362—National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 2005 

Summary: H.R. 2362 would reauthorize the national geologic 

mapping program and extend current deadlines for plans, reports, 

and other requirements established by the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992. The bill would authorize appropriations for the 

program at the existing 2005 authorized level of $64 million for 

each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010. (Under current law, authorizations of appropriations for the program will expire at the end of 

fiscal year 2005.) The geologic mapping program is carried out 

jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and state geological 

authorities. Under this program, federal and state geologists are 

developing a comprehensive geological map of the United States 

and a related database of environmental and scientific information. 

Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that carrying out the 1992 act, as amended by H.R. 2362, 

would cost $21 million in fiscal year 2006 and $255 million over the 

2006–2010 period. (We estimate that an additional $65 million 

would be spent after 2010.) Enacting this bill would have no effect 

on revenues or direct spending. 

H.R. 2362 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 2362 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources 

and environment). For this estimate, CBO assumes that the entire 

amounts authorized for the mapping program will be appropriated 

for each fiscal year. Estimated outlays are based on historical 

spending patterns for this program. 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Spending Under Current Law for the National Geologic Mapping Program: 

Authorization level 1 ......................................................................... 25 0 0 0 0 0 

Estimated Outlays ........................................................................... 25 2 0 0 0 0 

Proposed Changes: 

Authorization level ........................................................................... 0 64 64 64 64 64 

Estimated Outlays ........................................................................... 0 21 42 64 64 64 

Spending Under H.R. 4010 for the National Geologic Mapping Program: 

Authorization level 1 ......................................................................... 25 64 64 64 64 64 

Estimated Outlays ........................................................................... 25 23 42 64 64 64 

1 The 2005 level is the amount appropriated to the USGS for that year under the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 2362 contains 

no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Deborah Reis. Impact on 

State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Marjorie Miller. Impact on 

the Private Sector: Craig Cammarata. 

Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

4 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4 

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, 

existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): 

NATIONAL GEOLOGIC MAPPING ACT OF 1992 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds and declares that— ø(1) during the past 2 decades, the production of geologic 

maps has been drastically curtailed;¿ 

(1) although significant progress has been made in the production of geologic maps since the establishment of the National 

Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program in 1992, no modern, 

digital, geologic map exists for approximately 75 percent of the 

Nation; 

(2) geologic maps are the primary data base for virtually all 

applied and basic earth-science investigations, including— (A) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(C) land use evaluation and planning for homeland and 

environmental protection; 

* * * * * * * 

(E) øpredicting¿ identifying volcanic hazards; 

* * * * * * * 

(I) siting of critical facilities; øand¿ 

(J) recreation and public awareness; and 

ø(J)¿ (K) basic earth-science research; 

* * * * * * * 

(9) advances in digital technology and geographical information system science have made geologic map databases increasingly øimportant¿ available as decision support tools for land 

and resource management; and 

* * * * * * * 

(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to expedite the production of a geologic-map data base for the Nation, to be located within 

the United States Geological Survey, which can be applied to landuse management, assessment, and utilization, conservation of natural resources, groundwater management, and environmental øprotection¿ management. 

* * * * * * * 

5 

SEC. 4. GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM. 

(a) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SURVEY.—

(1) LEAD AGENCY.—The Survey shall be the lead Federal 

agency responsible for planning, developing national priorities 

and standards for, coordinating, and managing the geologic 

mapping program. In carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall—

(A) develop a 5-year strategic plan for the geologic mapping program in accordance with section 6, which plan 

shall be submitted to the Committee on Resources of the 

House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy 

and Natural Resources of the Senate ønot later than 1 

year after the date of the enactment of the National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1999;¿ not later than 

one year after the date of the enactment of the National 

Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 2005; 

(B) appoint, with the advice and consultation of the Association, the advisory committee ønot later than 1 year 

after the date of the enactment of the National Geologic 

Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1999 in accordance¿ not 

later than one year after the date of the enactment of the 

National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 2005 in 

accordance with section 5; and 

(C) ønot later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of the National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization 

Act of 1999, and biennially thereafter, submit¿ submit biennially a report to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources of the United States Senate and to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives identifying—

(i) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(c) PROGRAM OBJECTIVES.—The objectives of the geologic mapping program shall include—

(1) * * * 

(2) development of a complementary national øgeophysicalmap data base, geochemical-map data base, and a¿ 

geochronologic and paleontologic data base that øprovide¿ provides value-added descriptive and interpretative information to 

the geologic-map data base; 

* * * * * * * 

(d) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—

(1) FEDERAL COMPONENT.—

(A) * * * 

(B) MAPPING PRIORITIES.—For the Federal component, 

mapping priorities—

(i) * * * 

(ii) shall be based on—

(I) national requirements for geologic map information in areas of multiple-issue need or areas of 

compelling single-issue need; øand¿ 

6 

(II) national requirements for geologic map information in areas where mapping is required to 

solve critical earth science problemsø.¿; and 

(III) the needs of Department of the Interior land 

management agencies. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—

(1) * * * 

(2) MEMBERS EX OFFICIO.—Federal agency members shall include the øAdministrator of the Environmental Protection 

Agency or a designee¿ Secretary of the Interior or a designee 

from a land management agency of the Department of the Interior, the Secretary of Energy or a designee, and the Secretary 

of Agriculture or a designeeø, and the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology or a designee¿. 

(3) APPOINTED MEMBERS.—øNot later than 1 year after the 

date of the enactment of the National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1999, in consultation¿ In consultation with 

the Association, the Secretary shall appoint to the advisory 

committee two representatives from the Survey (including the 

øChief Geologist, as Chairman¿ Associate Director for Geology, 

as Chair), two representatives from the State geological surveys, one representative from academia, and øone representative from the private sector¿ two representatives from the private sector. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 7. NATIONAL GEOLOGIC MAP DATABASE. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Survey shall establish a national øgeologic map¿ geologic-map database. 

(2) FUNCTION.—The database shall serve as a national catalog and archive, distributed through links to Federal and State 

geologic map holdings, that includes information on how to obtain—

(A) all maps developed øunder the Federal component 

and the education component¿ with funding provided 

under the national cooperative geologic mapping program 

authorized by section 4(a); 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 8. BIENNIAL REPORT. 

øNot later 3 years after the date of the enactment of the National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1999 and biennially¿ Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of the 

National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 2005 and biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that— (1) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

7 

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

ø(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated to 

carry out this Act—

ø(1) $28,000,000 for fiscal year 1999; 

ø(2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2000; 

ø(3) $37,000,000 for fiscal year 2001; 

ø(4) $43,000,000 for fiscal year 2002; 

ø(5) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; 

ø(6) $57,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and 

ø(7) $64,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.¿ 

(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 

out this Act $64,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010. 

(b) ALLOCATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of any amounts appropriated for any fiscal year in excess of the amount appropriated for 

fiscal year ø2000¿ 2005—

(1) ø48¿ 50 percent shall be available for the State component; and 

(2) ø2¿ 4 percent shall be available for the education component. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ