II
Calendar No. 348
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1528
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
OCTOBER 27, 1999
Received; read twice and placed on the calendar
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,
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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’’.
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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)—
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(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)—
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(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,
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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;
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‘‘(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.—
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The geologic mapping
program shall include a State geologic mapping
component, the objective of which shall be to es-
tablish the geologic framework of areas deter-
mined to be vital to the economic, social, envi-
ronmental, or scientific welfare of individual
States.
‘‘(B) MAPPING PRIORITIES.—For the State
component, mapping priorities—
‘‘(i) shall be determined by State pan-
els representing a broad range of users of
geologic maps; and
‘‘(ii) shall be based on—
‘‘(I) State requirements for geo-
logic map information in areas of mul-
tiple-issue need or areas of compelling
single-issue need; and
‘‘(II) State requirements for geo-
logic map information in areas where
mapping is required to solve critical
earth science problems.
‘‘(C) INTEGRATION
OF
FEDERAL
AND
STATE PRIORITIES.—A national panel including
representatives of the Survey shall integrate the
State mapping priorities under this paragraph
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with the Federal mapping priorities under para-
graph (1).
‘‘(D) USE OF FUNDS.—The Survey and re-
cipients of grants under the State component
shall not use more than 15.25 percent of the
Federal funds made available under the State
component for any fiscal year to pay indirect,
servicing, or program management charges.
‘‘(E) 
FEDERAL
SHARE.—The 
Federal
share of the cost of activities under the State
component for any fiscal year shall not exceed
50 percent.
‘‘(3) EDUCATION COMPONENT.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The geologic mapping
program shall include a geologic mapping edu-
cation component for the training of geologic
mappers, the objectives of which shall be—
‘‘(i) to provide for broad education in
geologic 
mapping 
and 
field 
analysis
through support of field studies; and
‘‘(ii) to develop academic programs
that teach students of earth science the
fundamental principles of geologic mapping
and field analysis.
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‘‘(B) 
INVESTIGATIONS.—The 
education
component may include the conduct of inves-
tigations, which—
‘‘(i) shall be integrated with the Fed-
eral component and the State component;
and
‘‘(ii) shall respond to mapping prior-
ities identified for the Federal component
and the State component.
‘‘(C) USE OF FUNDS.—The Survey and re-
cipients of grants under the education compo-
nent shall not use more than 15.25 percent of
the Federal funds made available under the
education component for any fiscal year to pay
indirect, servicing, or program management
charges.
‘‘(D) 
FEDERAL
SHARE.—The 
Federal
share of the cost of activities under the edu-
cation component for any fiscal year shall not
exceed 50 percent.’’.
SEC. 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
Section 5 of the National Geologic Mapping Act of
1992 (43 U.S.C. 31d) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘90 days
after the date of enactment of the National Geologic
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Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1997’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘1 year after the date of the enactment of the
National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of
1999’’; and
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘critique
the draft implementation plan’’ and inserting
‘‘update the 5-year plan’’; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘this
Act’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 4 through 7’’.
SEC. 6. GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM 5-YEAR PLAN.
The National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 is
amended by striking section 6 (43 U.S.C. 31e) and insert-
ing the following:
‘‘SEC. 6. GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM 5-YEAR PLAN.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through
the Director, shall, with the advice and review of the advi-
sory committee, prepare a 5-year plan for the geologic
mapping program.
‘‘(b) 
REQUIREMENTS.—The 
5-year 
plan 
shall
identify—
‘‘(1) overall priorities for the geologic mapping
program; and