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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6647 (as amended by House "A")*
AN ACT CONCERNING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the following entities:
1. a Geographic Information Systems Office (GISO) within the
Office of Policy and Management (OPM) with a geographic
information officer position to oversee the new office and its
staff (§ 1) and
2. a Geographic Information Systems Advisory Council (GIS
Council) to consult with the information officer on geographic
information system (GIS) matters, including making GIS data
free and publicly available (§ 2).
The officer is generally responsible for coordinating the collection,
analysis, and accessibility of GIS data. The bill additionally makes the
officer, or the officer’s designee, a nonvoting member of the
Connecticut Data Analysis Technology Advisory Board (§ 3).
*House Amendment “A” explicitly establishes a new office within
OPM referenced in the underlying bill and modifies the information
officer’s role on the GIS Council; it additionally makes the information
officer a non-voting member of the Connecticut Data Analysis
Technology Advisory Board and modifies the eligibility requirements
for voting members.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2021
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATI ON OFFICE AND OFFICER
The bill requires the OPM secretary to designate an employee to
serve as a geographic information officer and to oversee the new GISO
and its staff. 2021HB-06647-R01-BA.DOCX
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The bill requires the information officer to have (1) extensive
knowledge of GIS and spatial data, analysis, and related technology
and (2) experience in project management, administration, policy
development, coordinating services, and planning.
Under the bill, the information officer must establish goals for the
office in conjunction with the GIS Council established by the bill. The
goals must be within the scope of the officer’s powers and duties,
which are to:
1. coordinate the collection and compilation of GIS data and
disseminate it to state, local, and regional governmental entities
and others across the state;
2. manage a geospatial data clearinghouse that is publicly
accessible online through the Connecticut Open Data Portal;
3. support economic development efforts by making its data
accessible;
4. provide training and outreach on its data;
5. administer the creation and acquisition of geospatial data,
including aerial imagery and elevation and parcel information;
6. adopt geospatial data standards, guidelines, and procedures to
ensure data consistency and quality; and
7. aggregate and organize existing data sets and create new ones.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATI ON SYSTEMS ADVISORY COUNCIL
Purpose
The bill establishes a GIS Council to consult with the GISO
information officer on free and public GIS data matters (e.g., its
procurement, storage, and distribution) and OPM’s powers and duties
regarding geospatial information systems under existing law (CGS §
4d-90).
The council must also (1) develop priorities, (2) annually create a 2021HB-06647-R01-BA.DOCX
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five-year plan, and (3) make recommendations on the priorities and
plan to the GISO information officer.
Membership
Under the bill, the task force consists of fourteen members:
1. the GISO information officer, or the officer’s designee, who
serves as the task force’s chairperson;
2. the chief data officer, or the officer’s designee;
3. four representatives with GIS expertise, one each appointed by
the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection,
Department of Transportation, Department of Emergency
Services and Public Protection, and Department of Public
Health commissioners;
4. two representatives from different regional councils of
government who have GIS and certain related expertise,
appointed by the Connecticut Association of Councils of
Governments chairperson;
5. two representatives from different municipalities who are
members of the Connecticut GIS network and have GIS
expertise, appointed by the Connecticut Conference of
Municipalities president;
6. one University of Connecticut representative who has certain
experience providing the state’s geospatial information to
various constituencies, appointed by the university president;
7. one public utility company representative, appointed by the
Public Utility Regulatory Authority chairperson; and
8. two representatives from private companies (other than public
utility companies) who have commercial mapping expertise,
one jointly appointed by the Planning and Development
Committee chairpersons and one by the ranking members. 2021HB-06647-R01-BA.DOCX
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The bill sets members’ terms at two years, or until a qualified
successor is appointed. Appointing authorities must make initial
appointments by January 1, 2022, subsequent appointments
biannually, and fill vacancies. By March 1, 2022, and at least every two
years thereafter, the chairperson must convene an advisory council
meeting.
CONNECTICUT DATA ANA LYSIS TECHNOLOGY ADV ISORY
BOARD
The bill makes the GISO information officer, or the officer’s
designee, a non-voting member of the Connecticut Data Analysis
Technology Board (i.e., a board within the Legislative Department that
may, among other things, advise the three branches of state
government and municipalities on data policy). Existing law specifies
that the eight voting members must have professional experiences or
academic qualifications in data analysis, management, or policy or
related fields. The bill adds that they may qualify based on their
experience or qualification in GIS.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Planning and Development Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 25 Nay 1 (03/31/2021)
Appropriations Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 33 Nay 16 (05/10/2021)