THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY CUTLER, BRIGGS, CREIGHTON, FLECK, GRELL, HENNESSEY, KORTZ, MILLER AND ROSS, JUNE 21, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, JUNE 21, 2011  

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 Council.

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 Council.--(a)  

The State Geospatial Coordinating Council shall be an advisory

board within the Governor's Office with the same status under

this act as that of advisory boards. The council is established

to provide advice and recommendations to the Governor and the

citizens of this Commonwealth on geospatial issues, providing

for uniformity, data standards, coordination and the efficiency

of geospatial policy and technology issues among Federal, State

and local government agencies, academic institutions and the

private sector.

(b)  The State Geospatial Coordinating Council shall consist

of the following members:

(1)  Nine members designated by the Governor from among the

citizens of this Commonwealth who shall include:

(i)  One member shall be a representative of the judicial

branch.

(ii)  One member shall be a county commissioner at the time

of appointment.

(iii)  One member shall be a local elected official

representing an urban or suburban Pennsylvania community.

(iv)  One member shall be a local elected official

representing a rural Pennsylvania community.

(v)  One member shall be from an accredited institution of

higher education in this Commonwealth.

(vi)  One member shall be a member of the Pennsylvania

Society of Land Surveyors.

(vii)  One member shall be a member of the Pennsylvania

Municipal Authorities Association.

(viii)  Two members shall derive part of their livelihood

from geospatial-related activities or otherwise be actively

involved in geospatial activities in the private sector.

(2)  One member designated by the President pro tempore of

the Senate.

(3)  One member designated by the Minority Leader of the

Senate.

(4)  One member designated by the Speaker of the House of

Representatives.

(5)  One member designated by the Minority Leader of the

House of Representatives.

(6)  One member designated by the Pennsylvania One Call

System.

(7)  One member designated by the Pennsylvania chapter of the

Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors.

(8)  One member designated by the County GIS Professional

Association.

(9)  One member designated by the Pennsylvania Mapping and

Geographic Consortium.

(10)  One member designated by the County Commissioners

Association of Pennsylvania.

(11)  One member designated by the County Planning Directors

Association of Pennsylvania.

The members of the council shall include persons knowledgeable

in the fields related to geographic information systems, such as

geospatial technology, data development, architecture standards,

data sharing, county government, local government, municipal

planning and municipal authorities. The appointees shall serve

at the pleasure of the appointing authority. The members

appointed by the Governor shall not hold any other office in the

executive branch for which a salary is paid.

(c)  The council shall also include the following nonvoting

ex officio members or their designees:

(1)  The Secretary of Administration.

(2)  The Secretary of Environmental Protection.

(3)  The Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources.

(4)  The Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management

Agency or a successor agency.

(5)  The Secretary of Transportation.

(6)  The Commonwealth's representative from the United States

Geological Survey.

(7)  The executive director of Pennsylvania Spatial Data

Access.

(d)  The terms of office of those members appointed by the

Governor shall be for four years and until their successors are

appointed and have qualified. 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.

(e)  The Governor shall designate the chairperson and vice-

chairperson of the council from among the members of the

council, other than the ex officio and legislative members. The

council shall meet not less than four times yearly. Additional

meetings shall be at the discretion of the chairperson. Eleven

members of the council shall constitute a quorum.

(f)  The members of the council shall serve without

compensation but shall be entitled to receive travel and other

reasonable expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties.

The council 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 council and conduct the work of the

council under its supervision.

(g)  The council shall have the power to employ and fix the

compensation of such experts, stenographers and assistants as

may be deemed necessary to carry out the work on the council,

but due diligence shall be exercised by the council to enlist

such 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

council.

(h)  The council 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 prepare

for the Governor and the General Assembly on an annual basis, or

more often if necessary, reports detailing the findings of the

council.

(3)  Develop strategic plans and programs to promote and

enhance the development and deployment of geographic information

systems and geospatial technology investments in this

Commonwealth and make such recommendations to the Governor as

the council deems proper and advisable.

(4)  Develop task forces by issue to formulate recommended

positions or actions. The task force membership may be comprised

of council members or designees appointed by the council. The

council shall consider any task force recommendations at its

next meeting.

(5)  Gather information and input from Federal, State and

local government officials, private business and citizens in

this Commonwealth as part of the process of developing strategic

plans and programs.

(i)  The Pennsylvania Mapping and Geospatial Technologies

Fund is established in the State Treasury.

(1)  Moneys from the fund shall be used for administrative

and personnel costs of the council and its staff as expressed in

the general and discretionary powers of the council.

(2)  The fund shall consist of public and private grants,

donations, State appropriations and contributions from members

of the council and from foundations, and other private and

governmental entities.

(3)  The fund shall receive and accept grants, appropriations

aid or contributions, from any source, of money, property or

labor or other things of value to be held, used and applied to

carry out the purposes of this act, subject to the conditions

upon which grants and contributions may be made under section

513, including, but not limited to, gifts or grants from any

department or agency of the United States or the Commonwealth.

(4)  The State Treasurer shall invest the moneys in the fund

not currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the

same manner as other public money may be invested. Interest that

accrues from these investments shall be deposited in the fund.

(5)  Money remaining in the fund at the end of each fiscal

year shall remain in the fund and shall not lapse to the General

Fund.

(j)  The Office of Administration shall provide assistance to

the council as requested by the chairperson of the council.

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