[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 10, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S381-S382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CRAlG (for himself, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Enzi, 
        Mr. Stevens, Mr. Bennett, Ms. Murkowski, and Mr. Bunning):
  S. 240. A bill to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping 
Act of 1992; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I am today introducing, along with Senators 
Domenici, Bingaman, Enzi, Stevens, Bennett, Murkowski, and Bunning, the 
National Geologic Maping Reauthorization Act of 2007. This is an act 
that has been very beneficial to the Nation and deserves to be 
reauthorized.
  The National Geologic Mapping Act was originally signed into law in 
1992, creating the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program 
(NCGMP). This program exists as a partnership between the USGS and the 
State geological surveys, whose purpose is to provide the Nation with 
urgently-needed geologic maps that can be and are used by a diverse 
clientele. These maps are vital to understanding groundwater regimes, 
mineral resources, geologic hazards such as landslides and earthquakes, 
and geology essential for all types of land use planning; as well as 
providing basic scientific data. The NCGMP contains three parts; 
FedMap--the U.S. Geological Survey's geologic mapping program, 
StateMap--the State geological survey's part of the act, and EdMap--a 
program to encourage the training of future geologic mappers at our 
colleges and universities. All three components are reviewed annually 
by a Federal Advisory Committee to ensure program effectiveness and to 
provide future guidance.
  FedMap geologic mapping priorities are determined by the needs of 
Federal land-management agencies, regional customer forums, and 
cooperatively with the State geological surveys. FedMap also 
coordinates national geologic mapping standards. StateMap is a 
competitive program wherein the States submit proposals for geologic 
mapping that are critiqued by a peer review panel. A requirement of 
this section of the legislation is that each Federal dollar be matched 
one-for-one with State funds. Each participating State has a State 
Advisory Committee to ensure that its proposal addresses priority areas 
and needs as determined in the NGMA. The success of this program 
ensured reauthorization of similar legislation in 1997 and in 1999 with 
widespread bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
  To date, millions of dollars been awarded to State geological surveys 
through StateMap, and these Federal dollars have been more than matched 
by State dollars. The high quality geologic maps produced will be used 
by a very broad base of customers including geotechnical consultants, 
Federal, State and local land managers, and mineral and energy 
exploration companies. Information on how to obtain all of these maps 
is provided on the Internet by the National Geologic Map Database, 
allowing ease of access for all users.
  EdMap has trained over 550 university students at 118 universities 
across the Nation. The best testament to the quality of this training 
are its beneficiaries--an unusually high percentage of these students 
go on to careers in Earth Science, becoming university professors, 
energy company exploration scientists, or mapping specialists 
themselves. Their EdMap program experience provides them with a 
remarkable self-confidence, having completed a difficult and 
independent field mapping experience.
  The National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act benefits numerous 
citizens every day by assuring there is accurate, usable geologic 
information available to communities and individuals so that safe, 
educated resource use decisions can be made. I encourage my colleagues 
to support this legislation and am committed to its timely 
consideration.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 240

       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 2007''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Section 2(a) of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 
     (43 U.S.C. 31a(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) although significant progress has been made in the 
     production of geologic maps since the establishment of the 
     national cooperative geologic mapping program in 1992, no 
     modern, digital, geologic map exists for approximately 75 
     percent of the United States;''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``homeland and'' 
     after ``planning for'';
       (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``predicting'' and 
     inserting ``identifying'';
       (C) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon at the end;
       (D) by redesignating subparagraph (J) as subparagraph (K); 
     and
       (E) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the following:
       ``(J) recreation and public awareness; and''; and
       (3) in paragraph (9), by striking ``important'' and 
     inserting ``available''.

     SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

       Section 2(b) of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 
     (43 U.S.C. 31a(b)) is amended by inserting ``and management'' 
     before the period at the end.

     SEC. 4. DEADLINES FOR ACTIONS BY THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL 
                   SURVEY.

       Section 4(b)(1) of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 
     1992 (43 U.S.C. 31c(b)(1)) is amended in the second 
     sentence--
       (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``not later than'' and 
     all that follows through the semicolon and inserting ``not 
     later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the National 
     Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 2007;'';
       (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``not later than'' and 
     all that follows through ``in accordance'' and inserting 
     ``not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the 
     National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 2007 in 
     accordance''; and
       (3) in the matter preceding clause (i) of subparagraph (C), 
     by striking ``not later than'' and all that follows through 
     ``submit'' and inserting ``submit biennially''.

     SEC. 5. GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES.

       Section 4(c)(2) of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 
     1992 (43 U.S.C. 31c(c)(2)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``geophysical-map data base, geochemical-
     map data base, and a''; and
       (2) by striking ``provide'' and inserting ``provides''.

[[Page S382]]

     SEC. 6. GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM COMPONENTS.

       Section 4(d)(1)(B)(ii) of the National Geologic Mapping Act 
     of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31c(d)(1)(B)(ii)) is amended--
       (1) in subclause (I), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon at the end;
       (2) in subclause (II), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:

       ``(III) the needs of land management agencies of the 
     Department of the Interior.''.

     SEC. 7. GEOLOGIC MAPPING ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

       (a) Membership.--Section 5(a) of the National Geologic 
     Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31d(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by inserting ``the Secretary of the Interior or a 
     designee from a land management agency of the Department of 
     the Interior,'' after ``Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency or a designee,'';
       (B) by inserting ``and'' after ``Energy or a designee,''; 
     and
       (C) by striking ``, and the Assistant to the President for 
     Science and Technology or a designee''; and
       (2) in paragraph (3)--
       (A) by striking ``Not later than'' and all that follows 
     through ``consultation'' and inserting ``In consultation'';
       (B) by striking ``Chief Geologist, as Chairman'' and 
     inserting ``Associate Director for Geology, as Chair''; and
       (C) by striking ``one representative from the private 
     sector'' and inserting ``2 representatives from the private 
     sector''.
       (b) Duties.--Section 5(b) of the National Geologic Mapping 
     Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31d(b)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3) provide a scientific overview of geologic maps 
     (including maps of geologic-based hazards) used or 
     disseminated by Federal agencies for regulation or land-use 
     planning; and''.
       (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 5(a)(1) of the National 
     Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31d(a)(1)) is amended 
     by striking ``10-member'' and inserting ``11-member''.

     SEC. 8. FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL GEOLOGIC-MAP DATABASE.

       Section 7(a) of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 
     (43 U.S.C. 31f(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``geologic map'' and 
     inserting ``geologic-map''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (A) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(A) all maps developed with funding provided by the 
     National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, including 
     under the Federal, State, and education components;''.

     SEC. 9. BIENNIAL REPORT.

       Section 8 of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 
     U.S.C. 31g) is amended by striking ``Not later'' and all that 
     follows through ``biennially'' and inserting ``Not later than 
     3 years after the date of enactment of the National Geologic 
     Mapping Reauthorization Act of 2007 and biennially''.

     SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; ALLOCATION.

       Section 9 of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 
     U.S.C. 31h) is amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
       ``(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out this Act $64,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
     2007 through 2016.''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``2000'' and inserting ``2005'';
       (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``48'' and inserting 
     ``50''; and
       (C) in paragraph (2), by striking 2 and inserting ``4''.
                                 ______