Authority: Title 2.2, Chapter 17, Code of Virginia.

A.1. All state and nonstate agencies receiving an appropriation in Items 44 through 513, of this act, shall comply with the guidelines and related procedures issued by the Department of Technology Planning for effective management of geographic information systems in the Commonwealth.

2. All state and nonstate agencies identified in paragraph 1 that have a geographic information system, shall assist the department by providing any requested information on the systems including current and planned expenditures and activities, and acquired resources.

3. The State Corporation Commission, Virginia Employment Commission, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and other nongeneral fund agencies are encouraged to use their own fund sources for the acquisition of hardware and development of data for the spatial data library in the Virginia Geographic Information Network.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of Title 56, Chapter 15, Article 7, Code of Virginia, $125,000 the first year and $125,000 the second year from the Wireless E-911 Fund is included in the appropriation for Geographic Information Access Services. This funding is to support the efforts of the Virginia Geographic Information Network for providing the development and use of spatial data to support E-911 wireless activities in partnership with Enhanced Emergency Communications Services.

C. The Department of Technology Planning, through its Geographic Information Network Division (VGIN) is acquiring high-resolution digital orthophotography of the land base of Virginia pursuant to VGIN’s Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP) and funded principally by the Wireless E-911 Services Board. Commencement of performance in time to exploit leaf-off conditions is encouraged. VGIN’s RFP #02-03, the procurement method it followed, and the contract which has been awarded as a result of the RFP are hereby specifically approved and ratified. Without limiting the foregoing, nothing in chapter 4 of Title 54.1, Code of Virginia, as the same may be amended, shall cause the procurement to be viewed as a professional procurement or be applied to require the selected contractor to obtain a photogrammetry or land surveying license in connection with this contract. VGIN shall continue working with local governments and the E-911 Wireless Services Board to establish a sound plan for keeping the digital ortho files up-to-date and funding these maintenance costs. All digital orthophotography, Digital Terrain Models and ancillary data produced by the VBMP shall be the property of the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by VGIN. The VGIN will be responsible for protecting the data through appropriate license agreements and establishing appropriate terms, conditions, charges and any limitations on use of the data. VGIN will license the data at no charge (other than media / transfer costs) to Virginia governmental entities or their agents. Such data shall not be subject to release by such entities under the Freedom of Information Act or similar laws. VGIN in its discretion may release certain data by posting to the Internet as long as it does not include any coordinate geometry. Distribution of the data for commercial or private use or to users outside the Commonwealth will be the sole responsibility of VGIN or its agent(s) and may require payment of a license fee to be determined by VGIN. All fees collected as a result will be added to the GIS Fund as established in the Code of Virginia § 2.2-1708. Collected fees will be used for future data updates or to cover the costs of existing digital ortho acquisition.

D. Out of the amounts in Other Services, $1,296,934 the first year, and $1,296,934 the second year from the general fund shall be used to provide effective management oversight of information technology assets in the Commonwealth.