DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 642 Engrossed 2024 Regular Session Orgeron
Abstract: Updates the state coordinate system and standards used for surveying and mapping
within the state.
Present law requires the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
(GOHSEP) to prepare and maintain a homeland security and state emergency operations plan.
Proposed law retains present law and adds the requirement that GOHSEP coordinate with the La.
Spatial Reference Center, as designated by the National Geodetic Survey, to prioritize getting
Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) back to service after a disaster or emergency.
Proposed law provides definitions.
Present law provides that the state's systems of plane coordinates are the La. Coordinate System of
1927 and the La. Coordinate System of 1983 and defines the zones for use with those coordinate
systems.
Proposed law replaces these systems with the La. Plane Coordinate System as the official state
coordinate system and defines the zones to be used with this coordinate system.
Proposed law further provides that proposed law does not preclude the use of other coordinate
systems where appropriate.
Proposed law adds references to successor systems and organizations throughout the proposed law
as recommended by the National Geodetic Survey to prevent these provisions of proposed law from
becoming obsolete in the future.
Proposed law further provides that the official geodetic datums that must be used for coordinates
referenced in the state are those defined by the National Spatial Reference System established by the
National Geodetic Survey.
Present law provides the method for stating coordinate values for a point on the earth's surface.
Proposed law removes references to superceded coordinate systems and the North American
Horizontal Geodetic Control Network and updates terminology used for the method of stating
coordinate values.
Present law provides for the completeness of location descriptions, purchaser and mortgagee reliance
on descriptions using a single particular coordinate system, and reference to points in a description of land that lies in more than one zone. Proposed law makes technical changes to these provisions
and otherwise retains present law.
Present law defines state zones for use with the La. Coordinate System of 1927 and the La.
Coordinate System of 1983. Proposed law states that these two systems under present law are
deprecated and superceded, but their definitions are retained.
Present law requires that recordation of coordinates purporting to define the position of a point be
based on accuracy standards of the Federal Geodetic Control Committee of the U.S. Dept. of
Commerce. Proposed law retains accuracy standards for documents purporting to define the position
of a point, but changes the standard required to the Standards of Practice for Boundary Surveys
promulgated by the La. Professional Engineering & Land Surveying Board or its successor.
Proposed law further adds a requirement that mapping conform to the standards of the U.S. National
Map Accuracy Standards or its successor, unless a different standard is required and specifically
identified on the document.
Present law designates the Dept. of Transportation and Development as the state agency authorized
to administer the provisions of present law regarding the state's coordinate systems and to modify
limitations placed on the use of coordinates in recorded documents to meet local conditions.
Proposed law removes the agency's authority to modify limitations in present law, but otherwise
retains the agency's authority to administer the provisions of law regarding coordinate systems.
Present law requires that the use of the proper names of the state's coordinate systems be limited to
the use of coordinates as defined by state law. Proposed law updates the proper names to include
the most recent additional coordinate system under proposed law, but otherwise retains present law.
Present law provides the standard to be used for vertical controls for all surveys as the North
American Vertical Datum of 1988. Proposed law removes this language and provides instead that
the standard for all geodetic controls for surveys is the National Spatial Reference System or its
successors.
Present law provides for reference stations for all measurements. Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides that the La. Coordinate System of 1927 shall not be used after Dec. 31, 1995
(50:11). Proposed law retains present law (50:7).
(Amends the heading of Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the La. Revised Statutes of 1950 and R.S. 50:1 -
10 and 173.1; Adds R.S. 29:726(B)(17); Repeals R.S. 50:11)