I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1528
To reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 22, 1999
Mrs. CUBIN (for herself, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. GIBBONS,
Mr. TANCREDO, and Mr. UDALL of Colorado) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
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 enactment of the National
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 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 enactment of the National Geo-
logic 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.—
‘‘(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
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.
‘‘(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
Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1997’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘1 year after the date of enactment of the Na-
tional 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
that incorporate the needs, missions, capabili-
ties, and requirements of the State geological
surveys, into the nationwide geologic mapping
program;
‘‘(C) mechanisms for identifying short- and
long-term priorities for each component of the
geologic mapping program, including—
‘‘(i) for the Federal component, a pri-
ority-setting mechanism that responds to—
‘‘(I) Federal mission require-
ments for geologic map information;
‘‘(II) critical scientific problems
that require geologic maps for their
resolution; and
‘‘(III) shared Federal and State
needs for geologic maps, in which
joint Federal-State geologic mapping
projects are in the national interest;
‘‘(ii) for the State component, a pri-
ority-setting mechanism that responds to—
‘‘(I) specific intrastate needs for
geologic map information; and
‘‘(II) interstate needs shared by
adjacent States that have common re-
quirements; and
‘‘(iii) for the education component, a
priority-setting mechanism that responds
to requirements for geologic map informa-
tion that are dictated by Federal and State
mission requirements;
‘‘(D) a mechanism for adopting scientific
and technical mapping standards for preparing
and publishing general- and special-purpose
geologic maps to—
‘‘(i) ensure uniformity of cartographic
and scientific conventions; and
‘‘(ii) provide a basis for assessing the
comparability and quality of map products;
and
‘‘(E) a mechanism for monitoring the in-
ventory of published and current mapping in-
vestigations nationwide to facilitate planning
and information exchange and to avoid redun-
dancy.’’.
SEC. 7. NATIONAL GEOLOGIC MAP DATABASE.
Section 7 of the National Geologic Mapping Act of
1992 (43 U.S.C. 31f) is amended by striking the section
heading and all that follows through subsection (a) and
inserting the following:
‘‘SEC. 7. NATIONAL GEOLOGIC MAP DATABASE.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Survey shall establish
a national 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—
‘‘(A) all maps developed under the Federal
component and the education component;
‘‘(B) the databases developed in connection
with investigations under subclauses (III), (IV),
and (V) of section 4(d)(1)(C)(ii); and
‘‘(C) other maps and data that the Survey
and the Association consider appropriate.’’.
SEC. 8. BIENNIAL REPORT.
The National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 is
amended by striking section 8 (43 U.S.C. 31g) and insert-
ing the following:
‘‘SEC. 8. BIENNIAL REPORT.
‘‘Not later 3 years after the date of enactment of the
National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1999
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) describes the status of the national geo-
logic mapping program;
‘‘(2) describes and evaluates the progress
achieved during the preceding 2 years in developing
the national geologic map database; and
‘‘(3) includes any recommendations that the
Secretary may have for legislative or other action to
achieve the purposes of sections 4 through 7.’’.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
The National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 is
amended by striking section 9 (43 U.S.C. 31h) and insert-
ing the following:
‘‘SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out this Act—
‘‘(1) $28,000,000 for fiscal year 1999;
‘‘(2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
‘‘(3) $37,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
‘‘(4) $43,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
‘‘(5) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
‘‘(6) $57,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
‘‘(7) $64,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
‘‘(b) ALLOCATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of any
amounts appropriated for any fiscal year in excess of the
amount appropriated for fiscal year 2000—
‘‘(1) 48 percent shall be available for the State
component; and
‘‘(2) 2 percent shall be available for the edu-
cation component.’’.
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