Pennsylvania Act 2024-35 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1929 - STATE GEOSPATIAL COORDINATING BOARD

Act text

Session of 2024

No. 2024-35

SB 1138

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; providing for judicial administration; 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," in organization of departmental administrative boards and commissions and of advisory boards and commissions, further providing for the State Geospatial Coordinating Board.

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

Section 1. Section 432.1(a), (b)(1), (c)(5), (d), (e), (f), (f.1), (g), (i) and (j) of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, are amended and the section is amended by adding subsections 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.

(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 [the Pennsylvania Mapping and Geographic Information Consortium] Keystone GIS .

(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.]

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(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:

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

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(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. [Ten] Eleven 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.]

(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 [simple] 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) [and] , (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) [and] , (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 [the Office of Administration.] 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) 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.]

(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.

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[(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, 2024] July 31, 2028 .

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 30th day of June, A.D. 2024.

JOSH SHAPIRO