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Senate advances SB 21 to third reading after AGRC demonstration and floor questions
Summary
Senate approved moving SB 21 (Geographic Information Systems data sharing) to the third reading calendar after a committee-of-the-whole demonstration by AGRC staff and Q&A about fees, access methods and telecom impacts.
Senator Levitt, presenting SB 21 on behalf of the state and local affairs committee, requested a brief committee of the whole so technical staff could show how a state GIS (AGRC) database would work and how data sharing across state agencies and local governments could be coordinated. Steve Grimshaw, director of the division of information technology services, explained that agencies developing geographic information would notify AGRC; if the data had statewide value AGRC could acquire it and make it available to other state agencies, local governments and participating entities. Grimshaw said the bill does not impose punitive measures on agencies that fail to notify AGRC and emphasized potential cost savings from avoiding duplicated data collection.
Floor questioning focused on fiscal impact and whether passage would mandate additional telecommunications hardware or expanded databases. Grimshaw said access can be provided via diskette or existing telephone/online access for IBM AT‑compatible machines, and that the immediate telecommunications impact would be minimal. Senators also pressed on the provisions authorizing AGRC to set fees for services; Grimshaw and Levitt said fee rates would recover personnel and machine time and are subject to review as part of the state budget and rate review processes.
Following the presentation and floor discussion, the Senate recorded committee approval and placed SB 21 on the third reading calendar with a roll‑call summary indicating 27 ayes and 2 absent.
