H. R. 709

One Hundred Fifth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven

An Act

To reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992, and for

other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Geologic Mapping

Reauthorization Act of 1997’’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that—

(1) in enacting the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992

(43 U.S.C. 31a et seq.), Congress found, among other things,

that—

(A) during the 2 decades preceding enactment of that

Act, the production of geologic maps had been drastically

curtailed;

(B) geologic maps are the primary data base for

virtually all applied and basic earth-science investigations;

(C) Federal agencies, State and local governments, private industry, and the general public depend on the

information provided by geologic maps to determine the

extent of potential environmental damage before embarking

on projects that could lead to preventable, costly environmental problems or litigation;

(D) the lack of proper geologic maps has led to the

poor design of such structures as dams and waste-disposal

facilities;

(E) geologic maps have proven indispensable in the

search for needed fossil fuel and mineral resources; and

(F) a comprehensive nationwide program of geologic

mapping is required in order to systematically build the

Nation’s geologic-map data base at a pace that responds

to increasing demand;

(2) the geologic mapping program called for by that Act

has not been fully implemented; and

(3) it is time for this important program to be fully implemented.

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION AND AMENDMENT.

(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 of the National Geologic Mapping

Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31b) is amended—

(1) by striking ‘‘As used in this Act:’’ and inserting ‘‘In

this Act:’’;
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(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5) as

paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (7), respectively;

(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:

‘‘(2) ASSOCIATION.—The term ‘Association’ means the

Association of American State Geologists.’’;

(4) by inserting after paragraph (5) (as redesignated by

paragraph (2) of this subsection) the following new paragraph:

‘‘(6) STATE.—The term ‘State’ includes the District of

Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa,

Guam, and the Virgin Islands.’’; and

(5) in each paragraph that does not have a heading, by

inserting a heading, in the same style as the heading in paragraph (2), as added by paragraph (3), the text of which is

comprised of the term defined in the paragraph.

(b) GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM.—Section 4 of the National

Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31c) is amended—

(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established a national cooperative geologic mapping program between the United States

Geological Survey and the State geological surveys, acting

through the Association.

‘‘(2) DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND ADMINISTRATION.—The

cooperative geologic mapping program shall be—

‘‘(A) designed and administered to achieve the objectives set forth in subsection (c);

‘‘(B) developed in consultation with the advisory

committee; and

‘‘(C) administered through the Survey.’’;

(2) in subsection (b)—

(A) in the subsection heading by striking ‘‘USGS’’ and

inserting ‘‘THE SURVEY’’;

(B) in paragraph (1)—

(i) by single-indenting the paragraph, doubleindenting the subparagraphs, and triple-indenting the

clauses;

(ii) by inserting ‘‘LEAD AGENCY.—’’ before ‘‘The

Survey’’;

(iii) in subparagraph (A)—

(I) by striking ‘‘Committee on Natural

Resources’’ and inserting ‘‘Committee on

Resources’’; and

(II) by striking ‘‘date of enactment of this Act’’

and inserting ‘‘date of enactment of the National

Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1997’’;

(iv) in subparagraph (B)—

(I) by striking ‘‘State geological surveys’’ and

inserting ‘‘Association’’; and

(II) by striking ‘‘date of enactment of this Act’’

and inserting ‘‘date of enactment of the National

Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1997’’;

and

(v) in subparagraph (C)—

(I) by striking ‘‘date of enactment of this Act’’

and inserting ‘‘date of enactment of the National

Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1997’’;
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(II) by striking ‘‘Committee on Natural

Resources’’ and inserting ‘‘Committee on

Resources’’;

(III) in clauses (i) and (ii) by inserting ‘‘and

the Association’’ after ‘‘the Survey’’;

(IV) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (ii);

and

(V) by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end of clause

(iii) and all that follows through the end of the

subparagraph and inserting a period;

(C) in paragraph (2)—

(i) by inserting ‘‘RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE

SECRETARY.—’’ before ‘‘In addition to’’; and

(ii) in subparagraph (A) by striking ‘‘State

geological surveys’’ and inserting ‘‘Association’’; and

(D) by single-indenting the paragraph and doubleindenting the subparagraphs;

(3) in subsection (c)—

(A) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘interpretive’’ and

inserting ‘‘interpretative’’; and

(B) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘awareness for’’ and

inserting ‘‘awareness of ’’; and

(4) in subsection (d)—

(A) in paragraph (1) by inserting ‘‘FEDERAL COMPONENT.—’’ before ‘‘A Federal’’;

(B) in paragraph (2)—

(i) by inserting ‘‘SUPPORT COMPONENT.—’’ before

‘‘A geologic’’; and

(ii) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting

the following:

‘‘(D) geochronologic and isotopic investigations that—

‘‘(i) provide radiometric age dates for geologic-map

units; and

‘‘(ii) fingerprint the geothermometry,

geobarometry, and alteration history of geologic-map

units,

which investigations shall be contributed to a national

geochronologic data base;’’;

(C) in paragraph (3) by inserting ‘‘STATE COMPO- NENT.—’’ before ‘‘A State’’; and

(D) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the

following:

‘‘(4) EDUCATION COMPONENT.—A geologic mapping education component—

‘‘(A) the objectives of which shall be—

‘‘(i) to develop the academic programs that teach

earth-science students the fundamental principles of

geologic mapping and field analysis; and

‘‘(ii) to provide for broad education in geologic

mapping and field analysis through support of field

studies;

‘‘(B) investigations under which shall be integrated

with the other mapping components of the geologic mapping

program and shall respond to priorities identified for those

components; and

‘‘(C) Federal funding for which shall be matched by

non-Federal sources on a 1-to-1 basis.’’.
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(c) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—Section 5 of the National Geologic

Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31d) is amended—

(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There shall be established a 10-member

geologic mapping advisory committee to advise the Director

on planning and implementation of the geologic mapping

program.

‘‘(2) MEMBERS EX OFFICIO.—Federal agency members shall

include the Administrator of the Environmental Protection

Agency or a designee, the Secretary of Energy or a designee,

the Secretary of Agriculture or a designee, and the Assistant

to the President for Science and Technology or a designee.

‘‘(3) APPOINTED MEMBERS.—Not later than 90 days after

the date of enactment of the National Geologic Mapping

Reauthorization Act of 1997, in consultation with the Association, the Secretary shall appoint to the advisory committee

two representatives from the Survey (including the Chief Geologist, as Chairman), two representatives from the State

geological surveys, one representative from academia, and one

representative from the private sector.’’; and

(2) in subsection (b)(3) by striking ‘‘and State’’ and inserting

‘‘, State, and university’’.

(d) GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—

Section 6 of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C.

31e) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1) by inserting ‘‘cooperative’’ after

‘‘national’’;

(2) by striking paragraph (3)(C) and inserting the following:

‘‘(C) for the State geologic mapping component, a

priority-setting mechanism that responds to—

‘‘(i) specific intrastate needs for geologic-map

information; and

‘‘(ii) interstate needs shared by adjacent entities

that have common requirements; and’’;

(3) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5) and inserting the

following:

‘‘(4) a mechanism for adopting scientific and technical

mapping standards for preparing and publishing generalpurpose and special-purpose geologic maps to—

‘‘(A) ensure uniformity of cartographic and scientific

conventions; and

‘‘(B) provide a basis for judgment as to the comparability and quality of map products; and’’; and

(4) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (5).

(e) NATIONAL GEOLOGIC-MAP DATA BASE.—Section 7 of the

National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31f ) is amended

by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:

‘‘(b) STANDARDIZATION.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Geologic maps contributed to the

national archives shall have format, symbols, and technical

attributes that adhere to standards so that archival information

can be accessed, exchanged, and compared efficiently and

accurately, as required by Executive Order 12906 (59 Fed.

Reg. 17,671 (1994)), which established the National Spatial

Data Infrastructure.
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‘‘(2) DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS.—Entities that contribute

geologic maps to the national archives shall develop the standards described in paragraph (1) in cooperation with the Federal

Geographic Data Committee, which is charged with standards

development and other data coordination activities as described

in Office of Management and Budget revised Circular A–16.’’.

(f) ANNUAL REPORT.—Section 8 of the National Geologic

Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31g) is amended in the first

sentence—

(1) by striking ‘‘Committee on Natural Resources’’ and

inserting ‘‘Committee on Resources’’; and

(2) by striking ‘‘program, and describing and evaluating

progress’’ and inserting ‘‘program and describing and evaluating

the progress’’.

(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 9 of the

National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31h) is amended

to read as follows:

‘‘SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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

to carry out the national cooperative geologic mapping program

under this Act—

‘‘(1) $26,000,000 for fiscal year 1998;

‘‘(2) $28,000,000 for fiscal year 1999; and

‘‘(3) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2000.

‘‘(b) ALLOCATION OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amount of funds that are appropriated under subsection (a) for any fiscal year up to the amount

that is equal to the amount appropriated to carry out the

national cooperative geologic mapping program for fiscal year

1996—

‘‘(A) not less than 20 percent shall be allocated to

State mapping activities; and

‘‘(B) not less than 2 percent shall be allocated to

educational mapping activities.

‘‘(2) INCREASED APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the amount of funds

that are appropriated under subsection (a) for any fiscal year

up to the amount that exceeds the amount appropriated to

carry out the national cooperative geologic mapping program

for fiscal year 1996—

‘‘(A) for fiscal year 1998—

‘‘(i) 75 percent shall be allocated for Federal

mapping and support mapping activities;

‘‘(ii) 23 percent shall be allocated for State mapping

activities; and

‘‘(iii) 2 percent shall be allocated for educational

mapping activities;

‘‘(B) for fiscal year 1999—

‘‘(i) 74 percent shall be allocated for Federal

mapping and support mapping activities;

‘‘(ii) 24 percent shall be allocated for State mapping

activities; and

‘‘(iii) 2 percent shall be allocated for educational

mapping activities; and

‘‘(C) for fiscal year 2000—

‘‘(i) 73 percent shall be allocated for Federal

mapping and support mapping activities;
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‘‘(ii) 25 percent shall be allocated for State mapping

activities; and

‘‘(iii) 2 percent shall be allocated for educational

mapping activities.’’.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.