HB 285-ALASKA COORDINATE SYSTEM OF 2022    3:13:23 PM CO-CHAIR FIELDS announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 285, "An Act relating to the Alaska Coordinate System of 2022." REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS asked whether Representative Shaw's staff consulted surveyors or others who would be using the updated Alaska Coordinate System. 3:14:12 PM JOSHUA WALTON, Staff, Representative Laddie Shaw, Alaska State Legislature, replied that he heard from the an Alaska professional organization for land surveyors, that expressed having no issue with the bill but did point out that the language in the bill defines an American foot as a unit of measurement, which is different than an international foot. The difference is slight but could be significant when working with surveys of a large size. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked for clarification on the software implementing the transition to the updated system. MR. WALTON answered that the coordinate system is being developed by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS); the proposed legislation would make it possible for state agencies to adopt the latest version. Alaska's existing equipment already can identify coordinates using the new plane coordinate system; the transition is expected to be smooth. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked when the software would be available. 3:17:37 PM GWEN GERVELIS, Surveys Manager, Division of Mining Land and Water, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), responded that the software vendors are currently working with NGS to provide the needed transition. They are pre-beta testing it; when the coordinate system is rolled out in January 2022, the software will be available. She added that users will access the functions through drop-down menus, like they do now for the 1983 system. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked whether there would be an additional cost to the state. MS. GERVELIS answered no. 3:18:40 PM CO-CHAIR FIELDS opened public testimony on HB 285. After ascertaining that there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public testimony. 3:19:07 PM CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS moved to report HB 285 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection, HB 285 was reported from the House State Affairs Standing Committee.