[House Report 113-688]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


113th Congress     }                                {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session        }                                {       113-688
======================================================================
 
            FEDERAL LAND ASSET INVENTORY REFORM ACT OF 2014

                                _______
                                

 December 22, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 916]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 916) to improve Federal land management, 
resource conservation, environmental protection, and use of 
Federal real property, by requiring the Secretary of the 
Interior to develop a multipurpose cadastre of Federal real 
property and identifying inaccurate, duplicate, and out-of-date 
Federal land inventories, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment 
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform 
Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. CADASTRE OF FEDERAL LAND.

  (a) In General.--The Secretary shall develop and maintain a current 
and accurate a multipurpose cadastre of Federal real property to 
support Federal land management activities, including, but not limited 
to: resource development and conservation, agricultural use, active 
forest management, environmental protection, and use of real property.
  (b) Cost-Sharing.--The Secretary may enter into cost-sharing 
agreements with States to include any non-Federal lands in a State in 
the cadastre. The Federal share of any such cost agreement shall not 
exceed 50 percent of the total cost to a State for the development of 
the cadastre of non-Federal lands in the State.
  (c) Consolidation and Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to 
the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate on--
          (1) the existing real property inventories or any components 
        of any cadastre currently authorized by law or conducted by the 
        Department of the Interior, the statutory authorization for 
        such, and the amount expended by the Federal Government for 
        each such activity in fiscal year 2012;
          (2) the existing real property inventories or any components 
        of any cadastre currently authorized by law or conducted by the 
        Department of the Interior that will be eliminated or 
        consolidated into the multipurpose cadastre authorized by this 
        Act;
          (3) the existing real property inventories or any components 
        of a cadastre currently authorized by law or conducted by the 
        Department of the Interior that will not be eliminated or 
        consolidated into the multipurpose cadastre authorized by this 
        Act, together with a justification for not terminating or 
        consolidating such in the multipurpose cadastre authorized by 
        this Act;
          (4) the use of existing real property inventories or any 
        components of any cadastre currently conducted by any unit of 
        State or local government that can be used to identify Federal 
        real property within such unit of government;
          (5) the cost-savings that will be achieved by eliminating or 
        consolidating duplicative or unneeded real property inventories 
        or any components of a cadastre currently authorized by law or 
        conducted by the Department of the Interior that will become 
        part of the multipurpose cadastre authorized by this Act;
          (6) in consultation with the Director of the Office of 
        Management and Budget, the Administrator of the General 
        Services Administration, and the Comptroller General of the 
        United States, conduct the assessment required by paragraphs 
        (1) through (5) of this subsection with regard to all cadastres 
        and inventories authorized, operated or maintained by all other 
        Executive agencies of the Federal Government; and
          (7) recommendations for any legislation necessary to increase 
        the cost-savings and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency 
        of replacing, eliminating, or consolidating real property 
        inventories or any components of a cadastre currently 
        authorized by law or conducted by the Department of the 
        Interior.
  (d) Coordination.--
          (1) In general.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
        shall--
                  (A) participate, pursuant to section 216 of Public 
                Law 107-347, in the establishment of such standards and 
                common protocols as are necessary to assure the 
                interoperability of geospatial information pertaining 
                to the cadastre for all users of such information;
                  (B) coordinate with, seek assistance and cooperation 
                of, and provide liaison to the Federal Geographic Data 
                Committee pursuant to Office of Management and Budget 
                Circular A-16 and Executive Order 12906 for the 
                implementation of and compliance with such standards as 
                may be applicable to the cadastre;
                  (C) make the cadastre interoperable with the Federal 
                Real Property Profile established pursuant to Executive 
                Order 13327;
                  (D) integrate with and leverage to the maximum extent 
                practicable current cadastre activities of units of 
                State and local government; and
                  (E) use contracts with the private sector, to the 
                maximum extent practicable, to provide such products 
                and services as are necessary to develop the cadastre.
          (2) Contracts considered surveying and mapping.--Contracts 
        entered into under paragraph (1)(E) shall be considered 
        ``surveying and mapping'' services as such term is used and as 
        such contracts are awarded in accordance with the selection 
        procedures in title IX of the Federal Property and 
        Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

  As used in this Act, the following definitions apply:
          (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        the Interior.
          (2) Cadastre.--The term ``cadastre'' means an inventory of 
        real property of the Federal Government developed through 
        collecting, storing, retrieving, or disseminating graphical or 
        digital data depicting natural or man-made physical features, 
        phenomena, or boundaries of the earth and any information 
        related thereto, including surveys, maps, charts, satellite and 
        airborne remote sensing data, images, and services, with 
        services performed by professionals such as surveyors, 
        photogrammetrists, hydrographers, geodesists, cartographers, 
        and other such services of an architectural or engineering 
        nature including the following data layers:
                  (A) A reference frame consisting of a current 
                geodetic network.
                  (B) A series of current, accurate large scale maps.
                  (C) An existing cadastral boundary overlay 
                delineating all cadastral parcels.
                  (D) A system for indexing and identifying each 
                cadastral parcel.
                  (E) A series of land data files, each including the 
                parcel identifier, which can be used to retrieve 
                information and cross reference between and among other 
                data files, which contains information about the use, 
                assets and infrastructure of each parcel, and shall 
                also designate any parcels that the Secretary 
                determines can be better managed through ownership by a 
                non-Federal entity including but not limited to State 
                government, local government, Tribal government, 
                nonprofit organizations, or the private sector.
          (3) Real property.--The term ``real property'' means real 
        estate consisting of land, buildings, crops, forests, or other 
        resources still attached to or within the land or improvements 
        or fixtures permanently attached to the land or a structure on 
        it, including any interest, benefit, right, or privilege in 
        such property.

SEC. 4. TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC ACCESS.

  The Secretary shall--
          (1) make the cadastre publically available on the internet in 
        a graphically geo-enabled and searchable format;
          (2) ensure that the inventory referred to in section 2 
        includes the identification of all lands and parcels suitable 
        for disposal by Resource Management Plans conducted for 
        pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
        (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1711 et. seq.); and
          (3) in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security, prevent the disclosure of any 
        parcel or parcels of land, and buildings or facilities thereon, 
        or information related thereto, if such disclosure would impair 
        or jeopardize the national security or homeland defense of the 
        United States.

SEC. 5. RIGHT OF ACTION.

   Nothing in this Act shall create any substantive or procedural right 
or benefit.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 916 is to improve Federal land 
management, resource conservation, environmental protection, 
and use of Federal real property, by requiring the Secretary of 
the Interior to develop a multipurpose cadastre of Federal real 
property and identifying inaccurate, duplicate, and out-of-date 
Federal land inventories.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Advances in mapping technology and demands for mapping 
products have created greater demand in the federal government 
for geospatial services. The federal government and policy 
makers increasingly use geospatial information and tools like 
geographic information systems (GIS) for producing floodplain 
maps, conducting the Census, mapping foreclosures, and 
responding to natural hazards such as wildfires and hurricanes. 
However, a lack of the coordination among agencies often fails 
to produce the best information for the best price. Frequently, 
multiple federal agencies will request separate maps of the 
same area at the same time for their own purposes. This wastes 
federal resources and taxpayer dollars.
    A 2009 Congressional Research Service report titled, 
``Geospatial Information and Geographic Information Systems 
(GIS): Current Issues and Future Challenges'' examined some of 
the problems facing the federal government when dealing with 
geospatial programs. According to the report, as much as 80% to 
90% of government information has a geospatial component. As 
technology advances, the cost of coordinating and obtaining 
this information is increasingly becoming a significant 
concern. Additionally, with local, state, and the federal 
government all now using the same geospatial information for 
various purposes, coordination among the varying levels of 
government is a logical, yet challenging process.
    In 2004, President Bush signed Executive Order 13327 
placing the General Services Administration (GSA) in charge of 
managing a centralized inventory system for all Federal real 
property. However, not only did the Executive Order exclude 
public lands from the inventory, but it also lacked a GIS or 
geo-reference component. In 2005, the Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) continued to report that GSA's inventory 
management was ``unreliable and of limited usefulness'' (GAO-
05-848T).
    In March 2005, then-Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, 
testified before the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee 
that:
    The Department currently uses 26 different financial 
management systems and over 100 different property systems. 
Employees must enter procurement transactions multiple times in 
different systems so that the data are captured in real 
property inventories, financial systems, and acquisition 
systems. This fractured approach is both costly and burdensome 
to manage.
    Testimony of Gail Norton, Secretary of The Interior, before 
the House Appropriations Subcommittee of The Interior, 
Environment, and Related Agencies, p.25, March 2, 2005.
    In a May 2012 report, the GAO concluded that while the 
federal government manages approximately 650 million acres, 
federal land management agencies cannot exactly guarantee where 
the boundaries are or what lands are in what status (such as 
Wilderness, National Park, or multiple use). In 2012, the 
Department of the Interior estimated that the federal 
government invests billions of dollars on geospatial data 
annually and that duplication is common. A November 2012 GAO 
study concluded that while the President and the Office of 
Management and Budget have established policies and procedures 
for coordinating investments in geospatial data, government-
wide committees and federal departments and agencies have not 
effectively implemented them. To improve coordination and 
reduce duplication, GAO recommended that a national strategy 
for coordinating geospatial investments be developed, federal 
agencies should follow federal guidance for managing geospatial 
investments, and the Office of Management and Budget should 
develop a mechanism to identify and report on geospatial 
investments.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 916 was introduced on February 28, 2013, by 
Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittees on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation and 
Energy and Mineral Resources. On December 5, 2013, the 
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing on 
the bill. On July 16, 2014, the Full Natural Resources 
Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittees on Public 
Lands and Environmental Regulation and Energy and Mineral 
Resources were discharged by unanimous consent. Congressman 
Doug Lamborn (R-CO) offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute designated .082 to the bill; the amendment was 
adopted by unanimous consent. No further amendments were 
offered, and the bill, as amended, was then adopted and ordered 
favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous 
consent.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and 
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be 
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) 
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when 
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted 
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 3(c)(3) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 
403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 
received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

H.R. 916--Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform Act of 2014

    Summary: H.R. 916 would require the Department of the 
Interior (DOI) to develop and maintain a multipurpose inventory 
of all federal lands in the United States. Based on information 
provided by DOI and assuming appropriation of the necessary 
amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would 
cost about $1.4 billion over the 2015-2019 period. Enacting the 
bill would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, 
pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    H.R. 916 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). 
Any costs to state governments, including matching 
contributions, would result from participation in a voluntary 
federal program.
    Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated 
budgetary effect of H.R. 916 is shown in the following table. 
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300 
(natural resources and environment).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        2015         2016         2017         2018         2019      2015-2019
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
 
Estimated Authorization Level.....          300          300          300          300          300        1,500
Estimated Outlays.................           75          300          350          350          350        1,425
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that the 
legislation will be enacted in 2014 and that the necessary 
amounts will be appropriated for each fiscal year. Estimated 
outlays are based on historical spending patterns for similar 
activities.
    H.R. 916 would require DOI to develop a comprehensive and 
current inventory of all federal lands in the United States. 
Based on information provided by the agency, CBO estimates that 
the federal government owns about 640 million acres of land, 
more than one-quarter of the nation's total land area. Based on 
information provided by the agency and assuming appropriation 
of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the 
legislation would cost about $1.4 billion over the 2015-2019 
period primarily for contract employees to consolidate existing 
information and obtain additional information where existing 
data are insufficient on federal land holdings. Those costs 
would include:
           $90 million to create a computer system to 
        combine spatial and quantitative data that can be used 
        to generate customized maps and datasets for about 16 
        million parcels of federal land;
           $605 million to catalogue the resources on 
        each parcel and how those lands and resources are being 
        used;
           $605 million to evaluate the potential for 
        developing mineral resources on each parcel; and
           $125 million to create an inventory of the 
        cultural and archaeological resources existing on each 
        parcel to help determine which, if any, parcels would 
        be better managed by non-federal entities.
    CBO also expects that additional funds would be required 
after 2019 to continue evaluating whether certain parcels of 
federal land would be better managed by nonfederal entities. 
Such evaluations would require the agency to appraise and 
assess the cultural and archaeological resources existing on 
parcels targeted for disposal. The amount of those additional 
costs would depend on the number of parcels the agency 
determines would be candidates for disposal pending the outcome 
of the cultural and archaeological resource inventory for each 
parcel.
    Pay-As-You-Go considerations: None.
    Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 916 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA, and any costs to state governments, including 
matching contributions, would result from participation in a 
voluntary federal program.
    Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Jeff LaFave; Impact on 
State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Jon Sperl; Impact on the 
Private Sector: Amy Petz.
    Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.
    2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required 
by clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974, this bill does not contain any new budget 
authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase 
or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. Based on 
information provided by the Department of the Interior and 
assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates 
that implementing the legislation would cost about $1.4 billion 
over the 2015-2019 period.
    3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to improve Federal land management, 
resource conservation, environmental protection, and use of 
Federal real property, by requiring the Secretary of the 
Interior to develop a multipurpose cadastre of Federal real 
property and identifying inaccurate, duplicate, and out-of-date 
Federal land inventories.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                       COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

    Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that 
this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any 
specific rule-making proceedings.
    Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not 
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government 
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was 
not included in any report from the Government Accountability 
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program 
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 
98-169) as relating to other programs.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing 
law.