71 Pa. Stat. § 142.1

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-111
Section 142.1 - State Geospatial Coordinating Board
(a) There is established a State Geospatial Coordinating Board 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.
(vi.1) The Secretary of Agriculture or a designee.
(vi.2) The Secretary of Community and Economic Development or a designee.
(vi.3) The Secretary of the Commonwealth 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. Two members shall be local government officials or employees.
(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 government official or employe 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 Keystone GIS.
(xii) One member designated by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.
(xiii) [Deleted by 2024 Amendment.]
(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) [Deleted by 2024 Amendment.]
(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, except that the representatives shall continue to serve on the board until their successors are appointed. 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 or a designee 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. Eleven members of the board shall constitute a quorum.
(f) The members of the board shall serve without compensation.
(f.1) The board may, with the approval of the Governor, appoint an executive director who shall serve at the pleasure of the board. The selection and removal of the executive director shall be made by a majority of the voting members of the board that constitute a quorum. Compensation for the executive director shall be set by a vote of a majority of the board members identified in subsection (b)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) , (vi.1), (vi.2) and (vi.3), subject to the approval of the Executive Board. Funding for the executive director's compensation shall be evenly apportioned amongst all of the Commonwealth agencies represented by members in subsection (b)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) , (vi.1), (vi.2) and (vi.3) and administered by the Governor's Budget Office. The executive director shall be qualified for the duties of the position, as determined by the board, and shall conduct the work of the board under the board's direction and supervision and act as the secretary of the board. No current member of the board may serve as the executive director. The executive director's appointment shall not continue beyond the expiration of this section. The executive director shall be subject to the same policies and procedures as employes of administrative departments. The day-to-day work of the executive director shall be at the direction and supervision of the board. For administrative purposes, the executive director shall report to the secretary of administration.
(g) [Deleted by 2024 Amendment.]
(g.1) The Office of Administration shall make available facilities, administrative support and other assistance to the board, except that the compensation of the personnel providing the administrative support or assistance to the board shall be made from funds that are apportioned to the Office of Administration for this purpose, or as evenly apportioned amongst each of the Commonwealth agencies represented by members under subsection (b)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vi.1), (vi.2) and (vi.3) and administered by the Office of the Budget. The board shall make a diligent effort to enlist voluntary assistance as may be available from citizens, research organizations and other agencies, generally recognized as qualified to aid the board.
(g.2) The board may contract with vendors as needed to carry out the work of the board, except that the payment of the vendors shall be made from funds that are apportioned to the Office of Administration for this purpose or as evenly apportioned amongst each of the Commonwealth agencies represented by members under subsection (b)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vi.1), (vi.2) and (vi.3) and administered by the Office of the Budget.
(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) [Deleted by 2024 Amendment.]
(j) This section shall expire July 31, 2028.

71 P.S. § 142.1

Amended by P.L. (number not assigned at time of publication) 2024 No. 35,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2024.
Amended by P.L. TBD 2020 No. 37, § 1, eff. 6/30/2020.
Added by P.L. TBD 2014 No. 178, § 1, eff. 12/21/2014.