Virginia coordinate systems; updates several references in Code.
Summary
HB2503 updates Virginia’s coordinate-system statutes to add a new “Virginia Coordinate System of 2022” alongside the existing 1927 and 1983 systems. The bill defines the new north and south zones, specifies the projection and datum/reference frame used for each zone, and updates the statutory language governing how coordinates are expressed, converted, and referenced in land descriptions and surveys. It also preserves the older systems in law while clarifying that coordinate values and survey references must conform to the appropriate system and zone.
The bill also amends the coal mine mapping statute so that mine maps must be prepared on the Virginia Coordinate System of 2022, South Zone, unless the Chief approves otherwise. It keeps the existing requirements for mine maps—such as showing workings, boundaries, ventilation, water, wells, and survey control points—but updates the coordinate reference used for those maps and related survey documentation. The act is contingent on official release of the federal State Plane Coordinate System of 2022 by NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey, and Old Dominion University is assigned the role of certifying when that contingency has been met.
Impact
The bill primarily affects Title 1’s coordinate-system provisions and one mining-safety recordkeeping statute in Title 45.2. It adds a new legal surveying reference for Virginia, updates technical definitions tied to federal geodetic standards, and changes the coordinate system used for coal mine maps from the 1983 South Zone to the 2022 South Zone. Surveyors, engineers, land record preparers, and coal mine operators will need to use the updated system once the contingency is triggered, while older coordinate systems remain recognized for existing uses.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and technical in nature. It advanced unanimously through subcommittee, committee, and both chambers, with no recorded dissenting votes. The voting history suggests broad agreement that the state should conform its statutes to updated federal geodetic standards and modernize mapping references.
Contention
No substantive opposition is reflected in the available record. The only notable issue is technical implementation: the bill’s effective date depends on NOAA/National Geodetic Survey release of the State Plane Coordinate System of 2022, and the statute assigns Old Dominion University the task of certifying that the federal contingency has occurred. Aside from that timing mechanism and the need to update surveying and mine-mapping practices, no major points of contention are evident.