H.R. 709 (ih) To reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992, and for other purposes. ...

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        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:'';
        (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, double-indenting 
            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'';
                    (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 double-indenting 
        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.''.
    (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 general-purpose 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.
        ``(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;
                ``(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.

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