[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3186 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3186

 To establish and maintain geospatial preparedness for the Nation with 
 the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and integrated applications 
     and systems required for homeland security, national defense, 
             electronic government, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2003

   Mr. Clay introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish and maintain geospatial preparedness for the Nation with 
 the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and integrated applications 
     and systems required for homeland security, national defense, 
             electronic government, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Geospatial 
Preparedness Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Homeland security and national geospatial preparedness.
Sec. 5. Security policy and guidelines for geospatial data.
Sec. 6. Office of Geospatial Management and Geospatial Information 
                            Officer.
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Geospatial technologies and geospatial data can provide 
        all levels of government and the private sector with proven 
        capabilities to carry out detection, planning, preparedness, 
        mitigation, response, and recovery activities for homeland 
        security purposes that save lives and protect property.
            (2) The completion and maintenance of the National Spatial 
        Data Infrastructure with integrated applications and systems 
        will provide the level of geospatial preparedness required to 
        protect critical infrastructure, strategic assets, the economic 
        base, and persons.
            (3) Geospatial technology and information have proven to be 
        essential to enabling more informed decisionmaking, greater 
        efficiency, increased accountability, and better management in 
        all levels of government and the private sector.
            (4) Building spatial data once and then sharing it many 
        times between all levels of government and the private sector 
        increases the ability of information technology applications 
        and systems to provide better services to the public in a cost-
        effective manner.
            (5) The use of international, national, and industry 
        consensus standards to develop and deploy interoperable 
        geospatial data and geospatial technologies assists the 
        commercial geospatial industry to provide products that make it 
        easier, faster, and less expensive for all levels of government 
        and the private sector to share, integrate, and use geospatial 
        data for decisionmaking.
            (6) Establishing a new Federal Government program to 
        provide financial incentives to State, regional, local, and 
        tribal governments will greatly accelerate adoption of 
        international, national, and industry consensus standards.
            (7) Geospatial technologies and geospatial data can be 
        essential tools for virtually all functions of government and 
        business.
            (8) Geospatial preparedness in the United States is not 
        adequate due to a variety of factors including inadequate 
        geospatial data compatibility, insufficient geospatial data 
        sharing, technology interoperability barriers, institutional 
        and organizational resistance to new ways of doing business, 
        lack of financial incentives to improved use of geospatial 
        technologies, and inefficient geospatial data collection and 
        sharing.
            (9) Interoperable geospatial technology and geospatial data 
        capabilities are emerging and incentives are needed for full 
        adoption and for collaborative use to meet community and 
        national needs.
            (10) Geospatial technologies and geospatial data are 
        maintained by all levels of government and the private sector. 
        A comprehensive nationwide program is necessary to build and 
        maintain a standards-based geospatial spatial data 
        infrastructure and geographic information systems required to 
        respond to increasing demands.
            (11) State, regional, local, and tribal governments, the 
        private sector, and other non-government organizations are 
        investing in geospatial technologies and geospatial data. 
        Incentives are necessary to leverage these investments for more 
        effective use to meet community and national needs.
            (12) Establishing the Office of Geospatial Management, 
        administered by a Geospatial Information Officer, within the 
        Department of Homeland Security will ensure the most effective 
        and efficient management of programs and activities involving 
        geospatial technologies and geospatial data.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Geographic information systems software and hardware.--
        The term ``geographic information systems software and 
        hardware'' means computer software and hardware required to 
        identify, depict, visualize, analyze, maintain, or otherwise 
        utilize geospatial data.
            (2) Geospatial applications.--The term ``geospatial 
        applications'' means computer software and systems that extend 
        the capabilities of geographic information systems software and 
        hardware to identify, depict, visualize, analyze, maintain, or 
        otherwise utilize geospatial data.
            (3) Geospatial data.--The term ``geospatial data'' means 
        information that identifies, depicts, or describes the 
        geographic locations, boundaries, or characteristics of 
        inhabitants and natural or constructed features on the Earth, 
        including such information derived from, among other sources, 
        socio-demographic analysis, economic analysis, land information 
        records and land use information processing, statistical 
        analysis, survey and observational methodologies, environmental 
        analysis, critical infrastructure protection, satellites, 
        remote sensing, airborne imagery collection, mapping, 
        engineering, construction, global positioning systems, and 
        surveying technologies and activities.
            (4) Geospatial preparedness.--The term ``geospatial 
        preparedness'' means the level of overall capability and 
        capacity necessary to enable all levels of government and the 
        private sector to utilize geospatial data, geographic 
        information systems software and hardware, and geospatial 
        applications to perform essential emergency management 
        functions, including detection, planning, mitigation, response, 
        and recovery, in order to minimize loss of life and property 
        from weapons of mass destruction, terrorist threats, major man-
        made accidents, and natural disasters.
            (5) National spatial data infrastructure.--The term 
        ``National Spatial Data Infrastructure'' means the combination 
        of the geographic information systems software and hardware, 
        geospatial applications, geospatial data, standards, policies, 
        programs, and human resources necessary to acquire, process, 
        analyze, store, maintain, distribute, and otherwise utilize 
        geospatial data as a strategic asset for the Nation.
            (6) Office of geospatial management.--The term ``Office of 
        Geospatial Management'' means the administrative organization 
        responsible for designing, managing, coordinating, and 
        implementing comprehensive geospatial initiatives.
            (7) Standards.--The term ``standards'' means documented 
        international, national, or industry consensus agreements 
        containing technical specifications or other precise criteria 
        to be used consistently as rules, guidelines, or definitions to 
        ensure that materials, products, processes, or services are 
        proper for their purposes.

SEC. 4. HOMELAND SECURITY AND NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL PREPAREDNESS.

    The Secretary shall direct the Chief Information Officer to work, 
consistent with Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16, 
Executive Order 12906, and section 216 of the Electronic Government 
Act, with the Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice, 
the Federal Geographic Data Committee, the National Imagery and Mapping 
Agency, other appropriate Federal agencies, and members of the Steering 
Committee and Coordination Group of the Federal Geographic Data 
Committee, to use and enhance the National Spatial Data Infrastructure 
for homeland security purposes, by--
            (1) developing a comprehensive national enterprise 
        strategy, incorporating industry and government standards, for 
        the coordinated acquisition, building, storage, maintenance, 
        and use of Federal Government, non-Federal Government, and 
        private sector geospatial data with, when feasible and 
        appropriate, integrated and interoperable commercially-provided 
        geographic information systems software and hardware, 
        geospatial applications, geospatial data, and services in order 
        to achieve an adequate level of national geospatial 
        preparedness;
            (2) providing grants, technical assistance, and cooperative 
        agreements to State, regional, local, and tribal government as 
        well as non-profit organizations in order to increase 
        geospatial preparedness by actions such as analyzing 
        requirements, performing strategic planning, sharing geospatial 
        data, developing agreements for sharing geospatial data, 
        integrating geospatial data, developing standards, integrating 
        systems, and acquiring, when feasible and appropriate, 
        interoperable commercially-provided geographic information 
        systems software and hardware, geospatial applications, 
        geospatial data, and Global Positioning System equipment and 
        procuring services in order to achieve an adequate level of 
        national geospatial preparedness;
            (3) coordinating with, and assisting, the Federal 
        Geographic Data Committee, the Office of Management and Budget, 
        and the commercial geospatial industry to establish national 
        standards for the development, acquisition, storage, 
        maintenance, distribution, utilization, and application of 
        geospatial data;
            (4) coordinating with, and assisting, the commercial 
        geospatial industry to establish national standards for the 
        development, distribution, and utilization of geographic 
        information systems software and hardware and geospatial 
        applications; and
            (5) utilizing, when feasible and appropriate, commercially-
        provided interoperable geographic information systems software 
        and hardware, geospatial applications, geospatial data, and 
        services to carry out the responsibilities, activities, and 
        programs authorized by this section.

SEC. 5. SECURITY POLICY AND GUIDELINES FOR GEOSPATIAL DATA.

    The Chief Information Officer of the Department of Homeland 
Security shall establish, within 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act and consistent with overall homeland security 
goals of the Department of Homeland Security, security policy and 
guidelines for the acquisition, processing, and dissemination of 
geospatial data depicting critical infrastructure and strategic assets 
located in the United States.

SEC. 6. OFFICE OF GEOSPATIAL MANAGEMENT AND GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION 
              OFFICER.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish 
the Office of Geospatial Management within the Office of the Chief 
Information Officer. The Office of Geospatial Management shall be 
administered by the Geospatial Information Officer under the direction 
of the Chief Information Officer.
    (b) Geospatial Information Officer.--The Geospatial Information 
Officer--
            (1) shall be appointed by the Secretary from among 
        individuals who are skilled in geographic information 
        technology and systems management; and
            (2) shall be responsible for--
                    (A) designing, managing, coordinating, and 
                implementing comprehensive geospatial initiatives; and
                    (B) working with the Chief Information Officer to 
                carry out section 4 and section 5.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    For the purpose of carrying out this Act, there are authorized to 
be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
years 2004 through 2008. Such authorization is in addition to other 
authorizations of appropriations that are available for such purpose.
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