Committee advances bill to establish state Geospatial Information Office and move advisory council to DCA

The State Planning & Community Affairs committee voted to give a do-pass recommendation to legislation that would transfer the Georgia Geospatial Advisory Council from the Environmental Protection Division to the Department of Community Affairs and formally tie a state Geospatial Information Office to that department. The committee recorded a do-pass recommendation by a 9-4 vote.

Susan, who introduced herself to the committee as the state Geospatial Information Officer, told members the office would coordinate the development and long-term maintenance of critical geospatial datasets — such as parcels, building footprints and elevation data — so state and local agencies can "build it once and use it many, many ways." She said the advisory council would act as a governance body to set priorities and guide investment.

Committee members asked whether the bill includes funding; sponsors and witnesses said the legislation as presented creates an advisory council and an administrative home but contains no dedicated state funds. Representative Dickey and others signaled support for finding future funding, while noting that short-term federal grants helped launch the current pilot work.

The recommendation does not itself appropriate money. Committee members who pressed for a fiscal plan were told the advisory council is expected to be staffed by agency representatives and that agencies would cover travel and incidental costs until a longer-term funding strategy is identified.