§2802 Federal Geographic Data Committee

Summary

Creates an interagency Federal Geographic Data Committee inside the Department of the Interior to lead the federal government on geospatial data policies, standards, and programs. The Secretary of the Interior must be Chair and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget must be Vice Chair. Each covered agency head and the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency must name a representative, who must be at least an assistant secretary or equivalent. Not later than 1 year after October 5, 2018, and as needed later, the OMB Director must update guidance on who joins the Committee and what members do. The Committee must run the national plan for geospatial data, pick and manage key geospatial data themes, set and check data standards, make sure the GeoPlatform works, and guide how agencies and others collect, share, and use geospatial information. It must encourage cost-effective data practices, coordinate with state, tribal, local, academic, private, and international partners, and support the digital mapping infrastructure of the Earth. The Committee must post online at least annually status summaries and evaluations of each data theme and agency progress, technical publications, and a membership directory. It must get and consider comments from the Advisory Committee and covered agencies, and at least once every 2 years send reports to Congress with those summaries, comments, and the Committee’s responses. The Committee must set up an Office of the Secretariat in the Department of the Interior to give administrative, planning, funding, and technical support.