[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 16, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H2603-H2605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the Senate bill (S. 1869) to reauthorize the Coastal Barrier Resources 
Act, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1869

       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 ``Coastal Barrier Resources 
     Reauthorization Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Otherwise protected area.--The term ``otherwise 
     protected area'' has the meaning given the term in section 12 
     of the Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 
     3503 note; Public Law 101-591).
       (2) Pilot project.--The term ``pilot project'' means the 
     digital mapping pilot project authorized under section 6 of 
     the Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000 (16 
     U.S.C. 3503 note; Public Law 106-514).
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (4) System unit.--The term ``System unit'' has the meaning 
     given the term in section 3 of the Coastal Barrier Resources 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 3502).

     SEC. 3. DIGITAL MAPPING PILOT PROJECT FINALIZATION.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and 
     the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a 
     report regarding the digital maps of the System units and 
     otherwise protected areas created under the pilot project.
       (b) Consultation.--The Secretary shall prepare the report 
     required under subsection (a)--
       (1) in consultation with the Governors of the States in 
     which any System units and otherwise protected areas are 
     located; and
       (2) after--
       (A) providing an opportunity for the submission of public 
     comments; and
       (B) considering any public comments submitted under 
     subparagraph (A).
       (c) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) 
     shall contain--
       (1) the final recommended digital maps created under the 
     pilot project;
       (2) recommendations for the adoption of the digital maps by 
     Congress;
       (3) a summary of the comments received from the Governors 
     of the States, other government officials, and the public 
     regarding the digital maps;

[[Page H2604]]

       (4) a summary and update of the protocols and findings of 
     the report required under section 6(d) of the Coastal Barrier 
     Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 3503 note; 
     Public Law 106-514); and
       (5) an analysis of any benefits that the public would 
     receive by using digital mapping technology for all System 
     units and otherwise protected areas.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 
     $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2007.

     SEC. 4. DIGITAL MAPPING PROJECT FOR THE REMAINING JOHN H. 
                   CHAFEE COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES SYSTEM UNITS 
                   AND OTHERWISE PROTECTED AREAS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a project to 
     create digital versions of all of the John H. Chafee Coastal 
     Barrier Resources System maps referred to in section 4(a) of 
     the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3503(a)), 
     including maps of otherwise protected areas, that were not 
     included in the pilot project.
       (b) Data.--
       (1) Use of existing data.--To the maximum extent 
     practicable, in carrying out the project under this section, 
     the Secretary shall use any digital spatial data in the 
     possession of Federal, State, and local agencies, including 
     digital orthophotos, color infrared photography, wetlands 
     data, and property parcel data.
       (2) Provision of data by other agencies.--The head of a 
     Federal agency that possesses any data referred to in 
     paragraph (1) shall, on request of the Secretary, promptly 
     provide the data to the Secretary at no cost.
       (3) Provision of data by non-federal agencies.--State and 
     local agencies and any other non-Federal entities that 
     possess data referred to in paragraph (1) are encouraged, on 
     request of the Secretary, to promptly provide the data to the 
     Secretary at no cost.
       (4) Additional data.--If the Secretary determines that any 
     data necessary to carry out the project under this section 
     does not exist, the Director of the United States Fish and 
     Wildlife Service shall enter into an agreement with the 
     Director of the United States Geological Survey under which 
     the United States Geological Survey, in cooperation with the 
     heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall obtain 
     and provide to the Director of the United States Fish and 
     Wildlife Service the data required to carry out this section.
       (5) Data standards.--All data used or created to carry out 
     this section shall comply with--
       (A) the National Spatial Data Infrastructure established by 
     Executive Order No. 12906 (59 Fed. Reg. 17671); and
       (B) any other standards established by the Federal 
     Geographic Data Committee established by the Office of 
     Management and Budget circular numbered A-16.
       (c) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the 
     submission of the report under section 3(a), the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 
     of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of 
     Representatives a report regarding the digital maps created 
     under this section.
       (2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall prepare the report 
     required under paragraph (1)--
       (A) in consultation with the Governors of the States in 
     which the System units and otherwise protected areas are 
     located; and
       (B) after--
       (i) providing an opportunity for the submission of public 
     comments; and
       (ii) considering any public comments submitted under clause 
     (i).
       (3) Contents.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
     shall contain--
       (A) a description of the extent to which the boundary lines 
     on the digital maps differ from the boundary lines on the 
     original maps;
       (B) a summary of the comments received from Governors, 
     other government officials, and the public regarding the 
     digital maps created under this section;
       (C) recommendations for the adoption of the digital maps 
     created under this section by Congress;
       (D) recommendations for expansion of the John H. Chafee 
     Coastal Barrier Resources System and otherwise protected 
     areas, as in existence on the date of enactment of this Act;
       (E) a summary and update on the implementation and use of 
     the digital maps created under the pilot project; and
       (F) a description of the feasibility of, and the amount of 
     funding necessary for--
       (i) making all of the System unit and otherwise protected 
     area maps available to the public in digital format; and
       (ii) facilitating the integration of digital System unit 
     and otherwise protected area boundaries into Federal, State, 
     and local planning tools.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 
     $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 10 of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 
     3510) is amended by striking ``2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 
     2005'' and inserting ``2006 through 2010''.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This legislation, which was introduced by the distinguished chairman 
of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, would extend the 
authorization of appropriations for the Coastal Barrier Resources Act 
until September 30, 2010.
  This law, first enacted in 1982, governs the John H. Chafee Coastal 
Barrier Resources System, which is made up of coastal barrier units 
delineated on maps adopted by Congress. Today this system is comprised 
of 856 units and more than 3 million acres of fastland and associated 
aquatic habitat.
  In addition to allowing the Fish and Wildlife Service to continue to 
administer this vital program, the bill authorizes the digital mapping 
of the entire coastal barrier system. After more than 20 years of using 
outdated and many times inaccurate paper maps, it is time we provided 
this agency with the money to utilize modern technology.
  According to the Department of the Interior, the Coastal Barrier 
Resources Act has saved the taxpayers in excess of $1.2 billion. 
Inclusion of this property within the Coastal Barrier Resources System 
does not prevent private development of the land, and the Fish and 
Wildlife Service is responsible for advising landowners whether their 
coastal property is within the boundaries of the system. Due to the 
nature of the existing maps, Congress has approved several technical 
corrections to the bills that have restored Federal flood insurance to 
taxpayers who were unfairly penalized by mapping errors.
  I compliment Senator James Inhofe for moving this program into the 
21st century. I urge adoption of S. 1869.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. KIND asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, as described by the previous speaker, this 
legislation would reauthorize the Coastal Barrier Resources Act for 
another 5 years.
  The very essence of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources 
System is the series of paper maps that identify every undeveloped 
coastal barrier land form lying along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, 
the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes.
  In the quarter century that has elapsed since the time these maps 
were first created, there has been a quantum leap in the development of 
modern information technologies, especially technologies for utilizing 
geographic and other spatial data.
  This legislation would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
to transition from the current series of paper maps to a new, modern, 
digital data format. In the end, a digitized database should produce 
map products at a lower cost that are far more accurate, accessible, 
and easy to use to the general public.
  In order to allow the service to begin this overdue process at the 
earliest possible date, Fisheries Subcommittee Chairman Wayne Gilchrest 
and ranking Democratic member on the Fisheries Subcommittee, 
Congressman Frank Pallone, and the respective staffs have worked 
closely with the other body to develop this important piece of 
legislation.
  I commend Mr. Gilchrest and Mr. Pallone for their cooperation, and I 
urge Members to support this noncontroversial bill.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by

[[Page H2605]]

the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1869.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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