H-0934

AN ACT Relating to computer-based geographic information; creating new sections; making an appropriation; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature declares:

(1) Property management, planning, risk assessments, and environmental decision making at all levels of government and in the private sector rely heavily on geographic information and various mapping and surveying techniques;

(2) Many entities, both public and private, have similar needs and overlapping requirements for geographic information;

(3) Many local, state, and federal government agencies and private companies in Washington are now using computers to manage geographic information;

(4) There are many issues associated with the development, use, maintenance, and exchange of and access to computer-based geographic information.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) There is hereby created a geographic information task force that is to be convened by the department of information services.

(2) The task force shall be composed of fifteen members as follows:

(a) The director of the department of information services;

(b) Five representatives from diverse state agencies, departments, or commissions having expertise and experience with geographic information systems, appointed by the governor;

(c) Two representatives of counties having expertise and experience with geographic information systems, one of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one by the president of the senate, upon the recommendation of the association of Washington counties;

(d) Two representatives of cities having expertise and experience with geographic information systems, one of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one by the president of the senate, upon the recommendation of the association of Washington cities;

(e) The chief of the mapping division, United States geological survey;

(f) The director (Washington), United States bureau of land management;

(g) Regional forester, United States Forest Service;

(h) The executive director, Washington land surveyors association, or other representative of that association; and

(i) The executive director, Washington council of civil engineers and land surveyors, or a representative.

(3) Staff support shall be provided to the task force by the department of information services.

(4) The task force shall create and appoint members to technical advisory committees who shall assist the task force in developing its recommendations. The technical advisory committees shall include representatives of the public, private, and academic sectors and shall reflect varying responsibilities for the development and use of geographic and land information systems.

(5) The task force shall meet a minimum of four times before the submission of the report required under section 3 of this act. The task force shall terminate on March 1, 1993.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The task force shall submit a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by January 1, 1993. The report shall include at a minimum recommendations for the following:

(1) An organizational and institutional structure to foster the cost-effective development and exchange of geographic information;

(2) The roles and responsibilities of agencies, private sector firms, and individuals involved in the development and use of geographic information;

(3) Procedures for ensuring accuracy and quality of geographic information;

(4) Procedures for data sharing;

(5) Mechanisms for funding the development of geographic information;

(6) Specific steps, such as legislation, necessary to accomplish the above;

(7) Development of a definition of geographic information systems, land information systems, and other applicable systems and their potential uses; and

(8) Procedures to ensure the integrity of data developed by those professionals subject to licensing or registration requirements.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act shall expire July 1, 1993.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The sum of fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the department of information services for the purposes of this act.