Modifies the list of duties for the state surveyor
Summary
HB1318 revises Missouri law governing the Department of Agriculture’s surveying-related responsibilities by repealing and reenacting section 60.510. The bill updates the list of duties tied to the state surveyor and the department’s land-survey functions, including preserving public land survey monuments, section and quarter-section corners, state and county boundary markers, and related records. It also expressly includes responsibilities for restoring and monumenting abandoned railroad right-of-way centerlines and for providing the framework for geodetic positioning activities in the state.
The bill further clarifies the department’s role in maintaining records, assisting with the recording of surveys and boundaries, providing certified copies of records for use in court, and prescribing standards and regulations for surveying practices in Missouri. In practical terms, it modernizes and consolidates the statutory description of the state surveyor’s duties, while tying those duties more explicitly to mapping, GIS, flood-risk determination, transportation, land use, ecosystem management, and the Missouri state plane coordinate system.
Impact
HB1318 would amend section 60.510, RSMo, and replace the existing statutory list of duties for the Department of Agriculture’s surveying functions with an updated version. The bill affects the state surveyor, county officials involved in recording survey information, and surveyors who rely on state standards and records. It also reinforces the department’s authority over monument preservation, geodetic positioning, and the maintenance of survey records used in legal and administrative settings.
Sentiment
The available context suggests generally neutral to favorable sentiment, with the bill presented as a technical update to clarify and modernize the state surveyor’s duties rather than as a controversial policy change. The caption describes it as modifying the list of duties for the state surveyor, and there is no recorded committee debate or vote history indicating opposition or support concerns. Overall, the bill appears to be administrative in nature and likely intended to improve clarity and consistency in surveying law.
Contention
No specific points of contention are reflected in the available committee transcripts or voting history, because none were provided. Based on the text, any potential concerns would likely be limited to the scope of the Department of Agriculture’s authority over surveying standards, records, and abandoned railroad right-of-way monumentation. However, there is no evidence in the record provided of disagreement among legislators, surveyors, county officials, or other affected parties.