Bill > SB1756

This bill updates Arizona's laws regarding land surveying and coordinate systems to align with the national spatial reference system, a framework established by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) that defines latitude, longitude, height, and other measurements across the United States. The changes rename the "Arizona coordinate system, 1983" to the "Arizona plane coordinate system" and remove specific zone definitions, instead emphasizing its role as a component of the broader national system. The bill clarifies that coordinates must be computed using NGS-approved methods and that any use of the Arizona plane coordinate system in maps, survey reports, or geospatial documents must include specific metadata, such as the NGS reference frame and epoch date. It also updates requirements for ground markings, known as geodetic control stations, to conform to NGS standards and specifies that these stations should be established in publicly accessible locations. The bill further mandates that when a land description extends into multiple zones, it must be referred to exclusively by one zone, which must be clearly named. Importantly, the bill states that this updated system is not mandatory for purchasers or mortgagees to rely on for land descriptions, and any coordinate-based descriptions are considered supplemental to traditional United States public land survey descriptions, with the latter prevailing in case of conflict. Finally, the bill's enactment is conditional on the NGS approving a modernized national spatial reference system, with a notification process for the Arizona Legislature.

Government Affairs

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/85424