Pennsylvania Act 2014-178 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1929 - STATE GEOSPATIAL COORDINATING BOARD

Act text

Session of 2014

No. 2014-178

SB 771

AN ACT

Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the Executive Department thereof and the administrative departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof, including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative officers, and of the several administrative departments, boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards, and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the number and compensation of the deputies and all other assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and commissions shall be determined," providing for the State Geospatial Coordinating Board.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by adding a section to read:

Section 432.1. State Geospatial Coordinating Board.--(a) There is established a State Geospatial Coordinating Board within the Governor's Office of Administration. The board is established to provide advice and recommendations to the Governor and the citizens of this Commonwealth on geospatial issues and provide uniform data standards, coordination and efficiency in geospatial policy and technology issues among Federal, State and local government agencies, academic institutions and the private sector.

(b) (1) The State Geospatial Coordinating Board shall consist of the following members:

(i) The Secretary of Administration or a designee.

(ii) The Secretary of Environmental Protection or a designee.

(iii) The Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources or a designee.

(iv) The Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, or its successor agency, or a designee.

(v) The Secretary of Transportation or a designee.

(vi) The Secretary of General Services or a designee.

(vii) Three members appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate in consultation with the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate. One member shall be a representative of a municipal authority. One member shall be an elected local government official representing a rural community. One member shall be an elected local government official representing a suburban community.

(viii) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives in consultation with the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. One member shall be a local elected official representing an urban community. One member shall be an employe of a county emergency management agency. One member shall be an individual with expertise in geospatial technology.

(ix) Three members appointed by the Governor. One member shall be a county commissioner. One member shall be a member of the Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors. One member shall be an individual with expertise in data development and sharing.

(x) One member designated by the County Geographic Information Systems Professionals Association of Pennsylvania.

(xi) One member designated by the Pennsylvania Mapping and Geographic Information Consortium.

(xii) One member designated by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

(xiii) One member designated by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors.

(2) The members of the board shall include persons knowledgeable in the fields related to geographic information systems, including geospatial technology, data development, architecture standards, data sharing, county government, local government, municipal planning or municipal authorities. The appointees shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority.

(c) The board shall also include the following nonvoting ex officio members or their designees, who shall have all the rights of other members, except for voting:

(1) The Commonwealth's mapping liaison from the United States Geological Survey.

(2) One member designated by the Pennsylvania One Call System.

(3) The chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission or a designee.

(4) One member designated by The Geographic Information System Consortium of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

(5) One member designated by the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association.

(6) One member designated by the American Planning Association, Pennsylvania Chapter.

(7) The director of Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access.

(8) The Commissioner of Pennsylvania State Police or a designee.

(d) The terms of office of members representing State agencies shall coincide with the term of the Governor. In case of a vacancy, the Governor shall make an appointment for the unexpired portion of the term. An organizational designee shall serve a term of three years. In the case of a vacancy, the appropriate organization shall provide a designee for the unexpired portion of the term. The replacement council member shall serve until an alternate designee is duly appointed by the appropriate organization for the following term.

(e) The Governor shall designate the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the board from among the members of the board, other than the ex officio members. The board shall meet not less than four times yearly. Additional meetings shall be at the discretion of the chairperson. Ten members of the board shall constitute a quorum.

(f) The members of the board shall serve without compensation. The board may, with the approval of the Governor, appoint and fix the compensation of an executive director who shall be technically qualified for the duties of the office and who shall act as secretary of the board and conduct the work of the board under its supervision.

(g) From funds appropriated for the purposes of this subsection or to the Office of Administration, the board may employ and fix the compensation of such experts, stenographers and assistants as necessary to carry out the work on the board. The board shall make a diligent effort to enlist voluntary assistance as may be available from citizens, research organizations and other agencies in this Commonwealth or elsewhere, generally recognized as qualified to aid the board.

(h) The board shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) Recommend data development priorities and interoperability standards for data sharing across agencies and different units of government across this Commonwealth.

(2) Monitor national and State trends, identify issues of potential interest and concern to the Commonwealth and submit annual reports to the Governor and the General Assembly and other reports as necessary.

(3) Define and prioritize strategic opportunities where maps and spatial analysis activities could enhance the business of government and provide more cost-effective services to citizens. This paragraph may include recommendations of specific geospatial technology investments in this Commonwealth.

(4) Develop task forces as needed to formulate recommended positions or actions. The task force membership may be comprised of board members or designees appointed by the board. The board shall consider any task force recommendations at its next meeting.

(i) The Office of Administration shall provide administrative assistance to the board and may provide other assistance to the board upon recommendation of the chairperson, if sufficient Commonwealth resources exist.

(j) This section shall expire June 30, 2020.

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

APPROVED--The 22nd day of October, A.D. 2014.

TOM CORBETT