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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to renaming the Texas Natural Resources Information System |
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as the Texas Geographic Information Office and the duties of |
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certain officers of that entity. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 16.017(b), Water Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The executive administrator shall operate as part of the |
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Texas Geographic Information Office [Natural Resources Information |
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System] a strategic mapping program to acquire, store, and |
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distribute digital, geospatial information. |
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SECTION 2. The heading to Section 16.021, Water Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 16.021. TEXAS GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OFFICE [NATURAL |
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RESOURCES INFORMATION SYSTEM]. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 16.021(a), (b), (c), and (e), Water |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The executive administrator shall establish the Texas |
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Geographic Information Office [Natural Resources Information |
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System (TNRIS)] to serve Texas agencies and citizens as a |
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centralized clearinghouse and referral center for: |
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(1) natural resource data; |
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(2) census data; |
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(3) data related to emergency management; and |
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(4) other socioeconomic data. |
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(b) The executive administrator may, on behalf of the Texas |
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Geographic Information Office [TNRIS], enter into partnerships |
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with private entities to provide additional funding for improved |
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access to Texas Geographic Information Office [TNRIS] information. |
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The board shall adopt administrative rules to describe the process |
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of establishing partnerships, define the types of partnerships that |
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may be formed, establish the fee collection process, and define the |
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nondiscriminatory methods used to determine which private entities |
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may enter into partnerships. Any process developed by the board |
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must comply with all applicable laws regarding ethics, purchasing, |
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and contracts. |
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(c) The executive administrator shall designate the deputy |
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executive administrator [director] of the Texas Geographic |
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Information Office [Natural Resources Information System] to serve |
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as the state geographic information officer. The state geographic |
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information officer shall: |
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(1) coordinate the acquisition and use of |
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high-priority imagery and data sets; |
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(2) establish, support, and disseminate authoritative |
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statewide geographic data sets; |
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(3) support geographic data needs of emergency |
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management responders during emergencies; |
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(4) monitor trends in geographic information |
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technology; and |
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(5) support public access to state geographic data and |
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resources. |
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(e) The executive administrator shall: |
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(1) further develop the Texas Geographic Information |
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Office [Natural Resources Information System] by promoting and |
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providing for effective acquisition, archiving, documentation, |
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indexing, and dissemination of natural resource and related digital |
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and nondigital data and information; |
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(2) obtain information in response to disagreements |
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regarding names and name spellings for natural and cultural |
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features in the state and provide this information to the Board on |
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Geographic Names of the United States Department of the Interior; |
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(3) make recommendations to the Board on Geographic |
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Names of the United States Department of the Interior for naming any |
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natural or cultural feature subject to the limitations provided by |
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Subsection (f); |
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(4) make recommendations to the Department of |
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Information Resources to adopt and promote standards that |
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facilitate sharing of digital natural resource data and related |
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socioeconomic data among federal, state, and local governments and |
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other interested parties; |
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(5) acquire and disseminate natural resource and |
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related socioeconomic data describing the Texas-Mexico border |
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region; and |
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(6) coordinate, conduct, and facilitate the |
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development, maintenance, and use of mutually compatible statewide |
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digital base maps depicting natural resources and man-made |
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features. |
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SECTION 4. Section 16.023(b), Water Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The account may be appropriated only to the board to: |
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(1) develop, administer, and implement the strategic |
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mapping program; |
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(2) provide grants to political subdivisions for |
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projects related to the development, use, and dissemination of |
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digital, geospatial information; and |
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(3) administer, implement, and operate other programs |
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of the Texas Geographic Information Office [Natural Resources |
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Information System], including: |
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(A) the operation of a Texas-Mexico border region |
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information center for the purpose of implementing Section |
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16.021(e)(5); |
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(B) the acquisition, storage, and distribution |
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of historical maps, photographs, and paper map products; |
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(C) the maintenance and enhancement of |
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information technology; and |
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(D) the production, storage, and distribution of |
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other digital base maps, as determined by the executive |
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administrator. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |