BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2489

By: Kacal

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 60th Texas Legislature required the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to create a centralized data bank for all hydrologic data collected in Texas. Later, the legislature expanded this effort by establishing the Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) as a centralized information system incorporating all Texas natural resource data, socioeconomic data related to natural resources, and indexes related to that data that is collected by state agencies or other entities. Today, natural resource information is only a fraction of the data created and hosted by TNRIS, and the program's name is no longer an accurate descriptor. TNRIS serves as a centralized clearinghouse for natural resource, census, emergency management, and other socioeconomic data; provides high-quality historic and current geospatial data products; offers education and training; and works to advance the GIS community in Texas through collaboration, expertise, and cost-sharing initiatives. In 2011, the 82nd Texas Legislature recognized the TNRIS director as the Geographic Information Officer of Texas. Rebranding TNRIS as the "Texas Geographic Information Office" would better align with the director's official title and better encompass the variety of work carried out by the program. A request to rename the TNRIS program was included as a major issue in the TWDB's Sunset Self-Evaluation Report. Without this item, TNRIS may miss out on opportunities to attract more data collection partnerships, inquiries regarding the availability of geographic information, and recognition as the office for state agencies and the public to contact for assistance when working with geographic data. H.B. 2489 updates the name of the TNRIS to the Texas Geographic Information Office.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2489 amends the Water Code to replace references in provisions regarding the duties of the Texas Water Development Board executive administrator to the Texas Natural Resources Information System with references to the Texas Geographic Information Office and to replace references in those provisions to the director of the Texas Natural Resources Information System with references to the deputy executive administrator of the Texas Geographic Information Office.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.