BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                      S.B. 1418

80R8968 TAD-F                                                                                                            By: Hinojosa

                                                                                                                    S/C on Higher Education

                                                                                                                                            3/30/2007

                                                                                                                                              As Filed

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

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.

 

As proposed, S.B. 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

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the board of regents of The Texas A & M University System in SECTION 1 (Section 88.503, Education Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 88, Education Code, by adding Section 88.503, as follows:

 

Sec. 88.503.  SPATIAL REFERENCE CENTER.  (a)  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 for certain purposes.

 

(b)  Requires the board to adopt rules relating to the operation of the center.

 

(c)  Authorizes the center to solicit and accept gifts, grants, and appropriations for the purposes of this section.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.