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Oklahoma Legislature· HB 3619Referred to Appropriations

An act relating to the waters and water rights, the official text

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1                   STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2   2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)

3 HOUSE BILL 3619               By: Lawson

4

5

6                   AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to the waters and water rights;

    amending 82 O.S. 2021, Section 1501-205.1, as amended

8   by Section 1, Chapter 88, O.S.L. 2022 (82 O.S. Supp.

    2025, Section 1501-205.1), which relates to the

9   duties of the State Geographic Information Council;

    directing the Council to establish a work group and

10  develop standards; amending 82 O.S. 2021, Section

    1501-205.3, which relates to duties of the Office of

11  Geographic Information; directing the Office to

    conduct leaf-off aerial imagery; directing the Office

12  to use results of leaf-off aerial imagery to update

    current authoritative jurisdictional county boundary

13  data layer; and providing an effective date.

14

15

16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

17  SECTION 1.      AMENDATORY  82 O.S. 2021, Section 1501-205.1,

18 as amended by Section 1, Chapter 88, O.S.L. 2022 (82 O.S. Supp.

19 2025, Section 1501-205.1), is amended to read as follows:

20  Section 1501-205.1. A. As used in this section and in Sections

21 1501-205.2 and 1501-205.3 of this title:

22  1. "Geographic information" means any data or databases in

23 which location or spatial distribution is an essential element

24 including, but not limited to, land, air, water, and mineral

    Req. No. 14560                                                  Page 1
1 resources, the distribution of plant, animal, and human populations,

2 real property interests, zoning and other land development

3 regulations, and political, jurisdictional, ownership, and other

4 artificial divisions of geography;

5   2. "Geographic Information System" or "GIS" means computer

6 systems that allow the analysis of data or databases containing

7 geographic information; and

8   3. "Statewide data" means geographic information whose spatial

9 extent is defined by the geographic boundary of this state.

10  B. There is hereby created a State Geographic Information

11 Council composed of nineteen (19) members as follows:

12  1. Director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission or

13 designee;

14  2. Director of the Department of Environmental Quality or

15 designee;

16  3. Chair of the Corporation Commission or designee;

17  4. Director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce or designee;

18  5. Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture,

19 Food, and Forestry or designee;

20  6. Director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board or designee;

21  7. Director of the Department of Transportation or designee;

22  8. State Geographer or designee;

23  9. Director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey or designee;

24

    Req. No. 14560                                                 Page 2
1   10. Director of the Center for Spatial Analysis of the

2 University of Oklahoma or designee;

3   11. Dean of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural

4 Resources of Oklahoma State University or designee;

5   12. Director of the Ad Valorem Division of the Oklahoma Tax

6 Commission or designee;

7   13. A member appointed by the Director of the Oklahoma

8 Conservation Commission from a list of names submitted to the

9 Director from the Oklahoma regional universities;

10  14. Director of Information Services of the Office of

11 Management and Enterprise Services or designee;

12  15. State Wildlife Conservation Director or designee;

13  16. Director of Homeland Security or designee; and

14  17. Three members to be appointed by the Governor pursuant to

15 subsection C of this section.

16  C. The Governor shall appoint three members to the Council to

17 serve initial terms as specified by this subsection. Thereafter,

18 the terms of all appointed members shall be four (4) years.

19 Gubernatorial members shall not be appointed to more than three

20 successive terms. Members that are appointed by the Governor to

21 fill a vacancy may serve three successive terms. No appointment to

22 a partial term to fill a vacancy shall be counted for purposes of

23 determining term limits. Incumbent members may continue to serve on

24

    Req. No. 14560                                                  Page 3
1 the Council until a new appointment is made. The following members

2 shall be appointed by the Governor:

3   1. A representative of the Oklahoma Association of Regional

4 Councils, appointed for an initial four-year term;

5   2. A representative of county assessors, appointed for an

6 initial three-year term; and

7   3. A representative of city government, appointed for an

8 initial two-year term.

9   D. The chair of the Council shall be the Director of the

10 Oklahoma Conservation Commission or designee. Meetings shall be

11 called by the chair.

12  E. 1. A majority of the membership of the Council constitutes

13 a quorum for the conduct of business.

14  2. The Council shall meet at least twice each year, and the

15 chair may call a meeting of the Council as often as necessary to

16 transact business.

17  F. A member of the Council shall not:

18  1. Be an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a business

19 entity that has, or an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a

20 trade association for business entities that have, a substantial

21 interest in the geographic information industry and are doing

22 business with state agencies or other governmental units of the

23 state;

24

    Req. No. 14560                                                  Page 4
1   2. Own, control, or have directly or indirectly, more than ten

2 percent (10%) interest in a business entity that has a substantial

3 interest in the geographic information industry and is doing

4 business with state agencies or other governmental units of the

5 state;

6   3. Be an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a business

7 entity that is connected with any contract or bid for furnishing to

8 any governmental body of the state with Geographic Information

9 Systems, the computers on which they are automated, or a service

10 related to Geographic Information Systems;

11  4. Be a person required to register as a lobbyist because of

12 activities for compensation on behalf of a business entity that has,

13 or on behalf of a trade association of business entities that have,

14 a substantial interest in the geographic information industry; or

15  5. Accept or receive money or another thing of value from an

16 individual, firm, or corporation to whom a contract may be awarded,

17 directly or indirectly, by rebate, gift or otherwise.

18  G. The duties of the Council shall include overseeing the

19 Office of Geographic Information concerning the following:

20  1. Development, adoption, and recommendation of standards and

21 procedures that may be applied to geographic information and

22 Geographic Information Systems to promote consistency of data

23 elements;

24

    Req. No. 14560                                                Page 5
1   2. Development of a strategy for the implementation and funding

2 of a statewide Geographic Information System;

3   3. Development, delivery, and periodic revision of a statewide

4 geographic information plan and annually reporting to the Governor

5 and the Legislature. Such a plan shall include, but not be limited

6 to, provisions for training and education; and

7   4. Promotion of collaboration and sharing of data and data

8 development as well as other aspects of Geographic Information

9 Systems.; and

10  5. Establishing a workgroup to develop standards that define

11 the process of mapping authoritative jurisdictional county

12 boundaries.

13  H. Neither the Council nor its members shall have the power to

14 form or award contracts or to employ staff. Members appointed by

15 the Governor shall serve without compensation.

16  SECTION 2.      AMENDATORY     82 O.S. 2021, Section 1501-205.3,

17 is amended to read as follows:

18  Section 1501-205.3. A. There is hereby established an Office

19 of Geographic Information in the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.

20  B. The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conservation

21 Commission shall appoint, after consultation with the Council, a

22 person of suitable training, experience, and knowledge to manage the

23 Office with the title of State Geographic Information Coordinator

24 who shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Director.

    Req. No. 14560                                                Page 6
1   C. The Office may solicit, receive and consider proposals for

2 funding from any state agency, federal agency, local government,

3 university, nonprofit organization, or private person or

4 corporation. The Office may also solicit and accept money by grant,

5 gift, bequest, or other conveyance recommended by the Geographic

6 Information Council and approved by the Executive Director of the

7 Oklahoma Conservation Commission. Additionally, the Office may

8 receive a specific legislative appropriation within the

9 appropriation for the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. Any funds

10 received by the Office shall be deposited into the Geographic

11 Information Revolving Fund pursuant to Section 1501-205.2 of Title

12 82 of the Oklahoma Statutes this title.

13  D. The Office shall:

14  1. Provide staff support and technical assistance to the

15 Council established pursuant to Section 1501-205.1 of Title 82 of

16 the Oklahoma Statutes this title;

17  2. Establish a central statewide geographic information

18 clearinghouse to maintain data inventories, information on current

19 and planned Geographic Information System applications, information

20 on grants available for the acquisition or enhancement of geographic

21 information resources, and a directory of geographic information

22 resources available within the state or from the federal government;

23

24

    Req. No. 14560                                                Page 7
1   3. Coordinate any grant programs for local governments to

2 establish and maintain Geographic Information Systems as such

3 programs may be established by the Legislature;

4   4. Coordinate multiagency Geographic Information System

5 projects, including working with state and local agencies in the

6 development and maintenance of statewide data and Geographic

7 Information Systems, which includes:

8   a. conducting leaf-off aerial imagery biennially annually

9   subject to the availability of funds, and

10  b. using the results from the leaf-off aerial imagery to

11  update the current authoritative jurisdictional county

12  boundary data layer using standards approved by the

13  State Geographic Information Council. The Office

14  shall present this updated data layer to the Council

15  for recertification of an authoritative jurisdictional

16  county boundary layer for use by the state and its

17  political subdivisions annually;

18  5. Provide access to both consulting and technical assistance,

19 and education and training on the application and use of geographic

20 information technologies to state and local agencies;

21  6. Develop, maintain, update, and interpret Geographic

22 Information System standards under the direction of the Council and

23 working with state and local agencies;

24

    Req. No. 14560                                               Page 8
1   7. Provide Geographic Information System services, as

2 requested, to agencies wishing to augment their Geographic

3 Information System capabilities;

4   8. Evaluate, participate in pilot studies, and make

5 recommendations on Geographic Information System hardware and

6 software in cooperation with other agencies;

7   9. Prepare proposed legislation and funding proposals for the

8 Legislature that will further coordinate and expedite the

9 implementation of Geographic Information Systems as recommended by

10 the Geographic Information Council and approved by the Executive

11 Director of the Conservation Commission;

12  10. Address data sensitivity issues so that information is made

13 available to the public but protects confidentiality of the

14 information; and

15  11. Provide an annual report to the Governor and Legislature on

16 the status and needs of the geographic information infrastructure of

17 the State of Oklahoma.

18  E. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma State

19 Senate may cooperate with the Office of Geographic Information but

20 shall be exempt from all requirements of this section.

21  SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.

22

23  60-2-14560       MJ    01/14/26

24

    Req. No. 14560                                               Page 9
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