BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                     C.S.S.B. 1418

                                                                                                                                       By: Hinojosa

                                                                                                                                Higher Education

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Currently, there is no spatial reference center in Texas.  The Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi is Texas' partner organization working with the United States National Geodetic Survey (part of the National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration, United States Department of Commerce) to implement the federal height modernization project in Texas.  One of the goals of the Texas height modernization project is to formally establish the Texas Spatial Reference Center at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi to provide the necessary geodetic services to ensure the availability of accurate, consistent, and timely spatial referencing data, to establish and maintain the legal spatial reference system for Texas in cooperation with the United States National Geodetic Survey, and to monitor temporal changes in geodetic coordinates due to tectonic motion, seismic activity, and land subsidence.

 

CSSB 1418 authorizes the board of regents of The Texas A&M University System to create and operate a spatial reference center at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi.

 

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas A&M University System in SECTION 1 of this bill. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1:  Subchapter E, Chapter 88 of the Education Code is amended by adding Section 88.503 relating to the spatial reference center at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi. 

 

Authorizes the board of regents of The Texas A&M University System (board) to create and operate a spatial reference center (center) at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi.  Provides the purposes of the center.  Requires the board to adopt rules relating to the operation of the center.  Authorizes the center to solicit and accept gifts, grants, and appropriations for the purposes of this section.

 

SECTION 2:  Effective date.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

 

The substitute removes the reference in SECTION 1 to the Texas Natural Resources Information System, which is a division of the Texas Water Development Board.