Aug 14, 2017 -- To keep our membership informed regarding the Geospatial Data Act of 2017, GITA will be holding a free webinar hosted by John Wertman from the American Association of Geographers (AAG) on Tuesday, August 29th at 1pm CDT.

This act, if passed into law, may negatively impact your ability to conduct mapping grade surveys, bid on or provide work products to state or federal agencies, provide mapping and cartography services to educational institutions, or assist the military and law enforcement with geospatial services.

GITA believes that this act, and other similar legislation proposed at the state level, will limit your ability to practice your geospatial craft as you have done for many years. 

The Geospatial Data Act of 2017 is currently being debated within U.S. Senate committees, and a companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 27, 2017.  These bills, if enacted, will have far reaching consequences for you and your firm.

In response to the threat this legislation creates for our membership, GITA joining with several other geospatial organizations; notably, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) and the AAG, have established position papers on this proposed legislation.

We request all members stay informed and active in opposing this significant legislation.

The geospatial community needs to speak out and stifle this movement to encroach upon our profession, and perhaps prevent a "lockout" of the geospatial skills and services you and your firm provide.