1 TAC §201.6
The Department of Information Resources (department) adopts
new §201.6 concerning geographic information standards. The rule is adopted
with changes to the proposed text as published in the February 23, 2001, issue
of the
Texas Register
(26 TexReg 1620).
Section 201.6 concerns geographic information standards applicable to state
agencies and institutions of higher education. Institutions of higher education
that acquire geographic information systems or develop geospatial data solely
for research or instructional purposes are exempt from the rule. The rule
addresses applicability, the implementation timeframe for new and existing
datasets and maintenance, references additional technical information that
may be provided by the Texas Geographic Information Council to aid implementation,
provides a waiver process, and contains standards for geospatial data acquisition
and development, geospatial data exchange, geospatial data documentation,
mapping datum and the statewide mapping system.
No comments were received in response to proposed new §201.6.
The new rule is adopted in accordance with Texas Government Code §2054.052(a),
which provides the department may adopt rules as necessary to implement its
responsibilities, and Water Code §16.021(b), which requires the department
to develop rules related to statewide geo-spatial data and technology standards.
The rule affects Water Code §16.021(b).
§201.6.Geographic Information Standards.
(a)
Applicability. All users and developers of digital geospatial
data and geographic information systems in state agencies and state-supported
universities must comply with the technical standards specified in this section.
Institutions of higher education, as defined by the Education Code, §61.003,
are exempt from these standards when geographic information systems are acquired,
or digital geospatial data developed, solely for research or instructional
purposes. Activities conducted by a registered professional land surveyor
while engaged in the practice of professional surveying, as defined in the
Professional Land Surveying Practices Act (Art. 5282c, VTCS) are exempt from
these standards.
(b)
Implementation timeframe.
(1)
New datasets and dataset enhancement. These standards go
into effect immediately for activities involving the acquisition or development
of new digital geospatial data, or the enhancement of existing digital geospatial
data.
(2)
Existing datasets and dataset maintenance. These standards
go into effect one year from the date of adoption for digital geospatial datasets,
including related maintenance and field data collection procedures, that were
in existence prior to adoption.
(c)
Implementation guidance. Pursuant to Water Code §16.021(b),
the Texas Geographic Information Council provides guidance to the executive
administrator of the Texas Water Development Board and to the Department of
Information Resources (the department). The guidance provided by the Texas
Geographic Information Council to the department relates to rules developed
by the department for geospatial data and technology standards. In fulfilling
its duties under Water Code §16.021(b), the Texas Geographic Information
Council publishes and maintains guidance information relating to the implementation
of geographic information standards at www.tgic.state.tx.us. State agencies
and institutions of higher education are encouraged to utilize the Texas Geographic
Information Council guidance in implementing the standards set forth in this
rule. However, only the department may modify, or grant waivers from, these
standards.
(d)
Waivers. The information resource manager of an agency
or institution of higher education that wants to obtain a waiver from the
department shall submit a written waiver request to the executive director
of the department, 300 West 15th Street, Suite 1300, Austin, Texas 78701.
Within ten days of receipt of the request, the department shall notify the
requesting agency of any additional information that may be needed to act
on the waiver request. The department shall grant or deny the waiver request
within the later of thirty days of receipt of the request or thirty days of
receipt of the additional information requested by the department in order
to act on the waiver request. The department may request that the Texas Geographic
Information Council review and comment on the waiver request. The decision
of the department regarding the granting or denial of a waiver is final and
may not be appealed.
(e)
Standards.
(1)
Geospatial data acquisition and development.
(A)
Standard. An agency planning to acquire, develop, or enhance
a digital geospatial dataset that corresponds to a current or planned Texas
framework layer shall coordinate such activity with the Texas Geographic Information
Council. Texas framework layers are defined as digital orthoimagery, digital
elevation models, elevation contours, soil surveys, water features, political
boundaries, and transportation.
(B)
Exclusions. This standard excludes geospatial dataset acquisition,
development or improvement projects that involve an expenditure of $100,000
or less, or which are performed under contract for an external entity.
(2)
Geospatial data exchange.
(A)
Data format. An agency that originates or adds data content
to a digital geospatial dataset and distributes the dataset to other agencies
or the public must make the dataset available in at least one digital format
which is readily usable by a variety of geographic information system software
packages. This requirement does not preclude the agency from offering the
dataset in other data formats. Readily usable formats are defined as: Spatial
Data Transfer Standard, Digital Line Graph, Digital Elevation Model, Environmental
Systems Research Institute ArcInfo Export File, Environmental Systems Research
Institute Shape File (and associated files), Bentley MicroStation Design File,
AutoDesk AutoCAD Drawing Exchange File, MapInfo, GeoTIFF, TIFF World File,
JPEG World File, Lizard Tech Multi-Resolution Seamless Image Database, and
ER Mapper Encapsulated Wavelet.
(B)
Purchase of public domain datasets. An agency that purchases
a copy of a federal or other public domain geospatial dataset shall make the
dataset available to the Texas Natural Resources Information System. Such
datasets shall be made available to other agencies and the public via the
Texas Natural Resources Information System and/or by the acquiring agency
following Texas Natural Resources Information System guidelines.
(3)
Geospatial data documentation.
(A)
Preparation. An agency shall prepare standardized documentation
for each digital geospatial dataset that it both:
(i)
originates and/or adds data content to; and
(ii)
distributes as a standard product to other governmental
entities or the public.
(B)
Format. This standardized documentation shall be in compliance
with the Federal Geographic Data Committee's Content Standard for Digital
Geospatial Metadata, Version 2 (FGDC-STD-001-1998) or later.
(C)
Delivery. In responding to a request for a digital geospatial
dataset, an agency shall provide the requestor a copy of the corresponding
metadata documentation.
(D)
Purpose of dataset. Documentation shall include a statement
of the purpose or intended use of the dataset and a disclaimer warning against
unintended uses of the dataset. If an agency is aware of specific inappropriate
uses of the dataset which some users may be inclined to make, the dataset
disclaimer shall specifically warn against those uses.
(E)
Geographic information system map product disclaimer. Any
map product, in paper or electronic format, produced using geographic information
system technology and intended for official use and/or distribution outside
the agency, shall include a disclaimer statement advising against inappropriate
use. If the nature of the map product is such that a user could incorrectly
consider it to be a survey product, the disclaimer shall clearly state that
the map is not a survey product.
(4)
Mapping Datum.
(A)
Horizontal datum. All horizontal positional data obtained
by an agency or its contractor using on-site measurement techniques shall
be referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83).
(B)
Vertical datum. All vertical elevation data obtained by
an agency or its contractor using on-site measurement techniques shall be
referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88).
(C)
Horizontal datum transformation. Coordinates obtained in
a specific horizontal datum may be transformed to another datum for the purposes
of compatibility with existing data. The horizontal datum transformation method
shall directly use, or be directly traceable to the North American Datum Conversion
(NADCON) algorithm. A horizontal datum transformation shall not be performed
on positions obtained through high accuracy survey techniques unless the transformation
method employs a closed mathematical formula.
(D)
Vertical datum transformation. Coordinates obtained in
a specific vertical datum may be transformed to another datum for the purposes
of compatibility with existing data. The vertical datum transformation method
shall directly use, or be directly traceable to the North American Vertical
Datum Conversion (VERTCON) algorithm.
(5)
Statewide mapping system.
(A)
Usage. No existing mapping system has been generally recognized
as a standard for minimum-distortion mapping of the entire State of Texas.
This section defines such a mapping system, in both a conformal and an equal
area version. Either version of this mapping system may be employed for a
single geospatial dataset that covers all of, or a large portion of, the State
of Texas. Usage of this mapping system is not required. Existing standard
mapping systems such as Universal Transverse Mercator and State Plane Coordinate
System may be more appropriate for geospatial datasets that cover smaller
regions of the State.
(B)
Conformal version. A mapping system named "Texas Centric
Mapping System/Lambert Conformal" is hereby defined, and the terms "Texas
Centric Mapping System/Lambert Conformal" and its abbreviated form "TCMS/LC"
shall be used only in strict accord with this definition:
(i)
Mapping System Name: Texas Centric Mapping System/Lambert
Conformal
(ii)
Abbreviation: TCMS/LC
(iii)
Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic
(iv)
Longitude of Origin: 100 degrees West (-100)
(v)
Latitude of Origin: 18 degrees North (18)
(vi)
Lower Standard Parallel: 27 degrees, 30 minutes (27.5)
(vii)
Upper Standard Parallel: 35 degrees (35.0)
(viii)
False Easting: 1,500,000 meters
(ix)
False Northing: 5,000,000 meters
(x)
Datum: North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)
(xi)
Unit of Measure: meter
(C)
Equal area version. A mapping system named "Texas Centric
Mapping System/Albers Equal Area" is hereby defined, and the terms "Texas
Centric Mapping System/Albers Equal Area" and its abbreviated form "TCMS/AEA"
shall be used only in strict accord with this definition:
(i)
Mapping System Name: Texas Centric Mapping System/Albers
Equal Area
(ii)
Abbreviation: TCMS/AEA
(iii)
Projection: Albers Equal Area Conic
(iv)
Longitude of Origin: 100 degrees West (-100)
(v)
Latitude of Origin: 18 degrees North (18)
(vi)
Lower Standard Parallel: 27 degrees, 30 minutes (27.5)
(vii)
Upper Standard Parallel: 35 degrees (35.0)
(viii)
False Easting: 1,500,000 meters
(ix)
False Northing: 6,000,000 meters
(x)
Datum: North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)
(xi)
Unit of Measure: meter
This agency hereby certifies that the adoption
has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the
agency's legal authority.
Filed with the Office of
the Secretary of State on June 5, 2001.
TRD-200103122
Renee Mauzy
General Counsel
Department of Information Resources
Effective date: June 25, 2001
Proposal publication date: February 23, 2001
For further information, please call: (512) 475-2153
1 TAC §201.13
The Department of Information Resources (department) adopts
the amendments §201.13 concerning geographic information system standards.
The amended rule is adopted without changes to the proposed text as published
in the March 2, 2001, issue of the
Texas Register
(26 TexReg 1809).
The amendment deletes subsection (a) of §201.13 concerning geographic
information system standards so that the rule relating to geographic information
standards is a separate rule rather than a part of §201.13, which is
already a lengthy rule dealing with information resource standards. Due to
extensive revisions to the content of subsection (a), the department will
adopt new §201.6 concerning geographic information standards.
The amendment deletes subsection (a) of the rule and renumbers existing
subsections (b), (c) and (d) as subsections (a), (b) and (c), respectively.
No comments were received in response to the proposed amendment to §201.13.
The amendment is adopted in accordance with Texas Government
Code §2054.052(a), which provides the department may adopt rules as necessary
to implement its responsibilities, and Water Code §16.021(b), which requires
the department to develop rules related to statewide geo-spatial data and
technology standards.
The amended rule affects Water Code §16.021(b).
This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed
by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.
Filed with the Office of
the Secretary of State on June 5, 2001.
TRD-200103123
Renee Mauzy
General Counsel
Department of Information Resources
Effective date: June 25, 2001
Proposal publication date: March 2, 2001
For further information, please call: (512) 475-2153