106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1528
AN ACT
To reauthorize and amend the National Geologic
Mapping Act of 1992.
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1528
AN ACT
To reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping
Act of 1992.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Section 2(a) of the National Geologic Mapping Act
of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31a(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
end;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (8) as para-
graph (10);
(3) by inserting after paragraph (7) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(8) geologic map information is required for
the sustainable and balanced development of natural
resources of all types, including energy, minerals,
land, water, and biological resources;
‘‘(9) advances in digital technology and geo-
graphical information system science have made geo-
logic map databases increasingly important as deci-
sion support tools for land and resource manage-
ment; and’’; and
(4) in paragraph (10) (as redesignated by para-
graph (2)), by inserting ‘‘of surficial and bedrock de-
posits’’ after ‘‘geologic mapping’’.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
Section 3 of the National Geologic Mapping Act of
1992 (43 U.S.C. 31b) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), (6),
and (7) as paragraphs (6), (7), (8), and (10), re-
spectively;
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(4) EDUCATION COMPONENT.—The term ‘edu-
cation component’ means the education component
of the geologic mapping program described in sec-
tion 6(d)(3).
‘‘(5) FEDERAL COMPONENT.—The term ‘Fed-
eral component’ means the Federal component of
the geologic mapping program described in section
6(d)(1).’’; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (8) (as redesig-
nated by paragraph (1)) the following:
‘‘(9) STATE
COMPONENT.—The term ‘State
component’ means the State component of the geo-
logic 
mapping 
program 
described 
in 
section
6(d)(2).’’.
SEC. 4. GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM.
Section 4 of the National Geologic Mapping Act of
1992 (43 U.S.C. 31c) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(1)—
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘pri-
orities’’ and inserting ‘‘national priorities and
standards for’’;
(B) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) by striking ‘‘develop a geologic
mapping program implementation plan’’
and inserting ‘‘develop a 5-year strategic
plan for the geologic mapping program’’;
and
(ii) by striking ‘‘within 300 days after
the date of enactment of the National Geo-
logic Mapping Reauthorization Act of
1997’’ and inserting ‘‘not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of the Na-
tional Geologic Mapping Reauthorization
Act of 1999’’;
(C) in subparagraph (B), by striking
‘‘within 90 days after the date of enactment of
the National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization
Act of 1997’’ and inserting ‘‘not later than 1
year after the date of the enactment of the Na-
tional Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of
1999’’; and
(D) in subparagraph (C)—
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i),
by striking ‘‘within 210 days after the date
of enactment of the National Geologic
Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1997’’
and inserting ‘‘not later than 3 years after
the date of the enactment of the National
Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of
1999, and biennially thereafter’’;
(ii) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘will co-
ordinate’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘are 
coordi-
nating’’;
(iii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘will es-
tablish’’ and inserting ‘‘establish’’; and
(iv) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘will
lead to’’ and inserting ‘‘affect’’; and
(2) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the
following:
‘‘(d) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—
‘‘(1) FEDERAL COMPONENT.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The geologic mapping
program shall include a Federal geologic map-
ping component, the objective of which shall be
to determine the geologic framework of areas
determined to be vital to the economic, social,
environmental, or scientific welfare of the
United States.
‘‘(B) MAPPING PRIORITIES.—For the Fed-
eral component, mapping priorities—
‘‘(i) shall be described in the 5-year
plan under section 6; and
‘‘(ii) shall be based on—
‘‘(I) national requirements for
geologic map information in areas of
multiple-issue need or areas of com-
pelling single-issue need; and
‘‘(II) national requirements for
geologic map information in areas
where mapping is required to solve
critical earth science problems.
‘‘(C) INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Federal com-
ponent shall include interdisciplinary stud-
ies that add value to geologic mapping.
‘‘(ii) 
REPRESENTATIVE
CAT-
EGORIES.—Interdisciplinary studies under
clause (i) may include—
‘‘(I) establishment of a national
geologic map database under section
7;
‘‘(II) studies that lead to the im-
plementation of cost-effective digital
methods for the acquisition, compila-
tion, analysis, cartographic produc-
tion, and dissemination of geologic
map information;
‘‘(III) paleontologic, geochrono-
logic, and isotopic investigations that
provide information critical to under-
standing the age and history of geo-
logic map units;
‘‘(IV) geophysical investigations
that assist in delineating and mapping
the physical characteristics and 3-di-
mensional distribution of geologic ma-
terials and geologic structures; and
‘‘(V) geochemical investigations
and analytical operations that charac-
terize the composition of geologic map
units.
‘‘(iii) USE OF RESULTS.—The results
of investigations under clause (ii) shall be
contributed to national databases.
‘‘(2) STATE COMPONENT.—