House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for SB424 - Committee on Transportation
Short Title
Providing for geographic positions or locations of points within the state of Kansas under the Kansas plane coordinate system act.
Minutes Content for Wed, Feb 14, 2024
Chairperson Petersen called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. and opened the hearing on SB424.
Adam Siebers, Assistant Revisor, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, briefed the Committee on the bill (Attachment 1). He said the bill establishes the Kansas Plane Coordinate System Act, thus revising the Kansas Coordinate System that was established for defining and stating the geographic positions on the surface of the earth within the state of Kansas. He explained that the bill clarifies the Act as separate from other geodetic references by other agencies.
Catherine Magana, Legislative Policy Analyst and Liaison, Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), testified in support of the bill (Attachment 2). She explained that the bill anticipates the planned update by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) scheduled for 2025. The update by the federal government will provide more uniform surveying and mapping reference systems that do not rely on independent mapping projections and will keep Kansas in line with federal standards. She noted that the bill will also accommodate any future mapping adjustments. Ms. Magana said no budget adjustments will need to be made by KDOT in order to implement the bill.
Bill Haverkamp, Professional Surveyor, Director for the Kansas Kansas Society of Land Surveyors, spoke in support of the bill (Attachment 3). He said the bill recognizes past state plane coordinate systems while defining the new state plane coordinate system and assures integration into any future federal updates. He commented that the bill will use international standards that comply with federal standards.
Larry Karns, Executive Director, Kansas State Board of Technical Professions, spoke as a proponent for the bill (Attachment 4). He referenced the mission of the Technical Professions Board and stated the Board's support for the bill.
Kenneth Nelson, Associate Director, Kansas Geological Survey, spoke in favor of the bill (Attachment 5). He stated that using the State Plane Coordinate System is common among mapping specialists, and aligning the state standards with the proposed updates to the national standards in 2025 will not only address present standards, but "future-proof" any future updates. He commented that the bill has broad support among mapping professionals. Responding to a member's question, he replied that several other states are also in process for updating their standards. Missouri passed a similar bill a year ago.
Responding to another question, James Meis, Director, Kansas Society of Land Surveyors, replied that the bill will bring Kansas into compliance with both federal and international standards.
Written-only in support of the bill was provided by Scott Heidner, Executive Director, American Council of Engineering Companies of Kansas (Attachment 6).
The Chair closed the hearing on SB424.
