Esta ley establece el Sistema de Coordenadas Planas Estatales con Proyecciones Cónicas Conformes de Lambert y el Datum Norteamericano de 1983 (o su versión más reciente) como el sistema oficial de mapeo para las agencias, instrumentalidades y municipios de Puerto Rico. Su objetivo es estandarizar el uso de proyecciones cartográficas por parte de los organismos gubernamentales y facilitar el intercambio de información geográfica. La ley también requiere la certificación de ubicaciones geográficas presentadas ante entidades gubernamentales, especificando los métodos y la información necesaria para dicha certificación.
To adopt a State Plane Coordinates System using the Lambert Conic Conformal Projections and the North American Datum of 1983, or its most recent version, as the official mapping service for agencies, instrumentalities, and municipalities of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in order to standardize the use of cartographic projections by government bodies.
The Planning Board of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the government body responsible for guiding the integral development of Puerto Rico in a coordinated, adequate and economic manner. The Board also serves as an information center for the government and the general public.
One of the most important tools for evaluating and studying cases submitted before the Board is its Graphic Archives. The Archives compile graphic information on maps related to consultations submitted before the Board, as well as information related to zoning maps, flooding zones and plans for the use land and urban expansion. This Board's resource offers an ample and precise frame of reference for the physical and structural development of Puerto Rico.
Government agencies, municipalities and private companies use this data bank constantly to plan their projects more efficiently. Therefore, the Planning Board mechanized its information systems in order to comply with the constant information demand from public and private sectors, and to
serve the amount of cases presented. To keep this information up to date, it has been required that any consultation presented before the Board shall include the exact location of the center of the proposed project, using the geographic coordinate projections known as Lambert Coordinates.
The National Geodesic Service has designed a coordinate system network known as the State Plane Coordinate Systems for states and territories of the United States of America. The purpose of said systems is to achieve the best cartographic representation of the geographic characteristics in/for each state and territory.
The projections used by said Systems take different criteria into consideration. For example, the land extension is used for a hemisphere, state or continent; the location of the area, that is, if it is located on the poles, medium latitudes or on the Equator; or the form of its predominant extension is the area extending from north to south or from east to west. The Lambert Conic Conformal Projections, with two standard parallels, is the base for the State Plane Coordinates System designed for limited dimension zones extending from north to south, and for indefinite land extensions extending from east to west.
Several government agencies and instrumentalities, such as the Department of Natural Resources, the Highways Authority, the Department of Housing, the Land Administration and the Planning Board itself, use as reference the official maps of the United States Geological Service.
The adoption in the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico of a uniform cartographic projection, such as the Lambert Coordinate System and the North American Datum of 1983, or its most recent version, shall be a factor for a fast, easy and efficient exchange of geographic information. Therefore, it is convenient for the public interest to establish by
law that the State Plane Coordinates System with the Lambert Conic Conformal Projections method shall be the official mapping system for the whole Island, so that only one cartographic projection is used to determine the location of a specific place in the jurisdiction of Puerto Rico. It is also provided that the central government shall adopt a mathematical method to represent the territorial ellipsoid, known as datum, to be standard and uniform for all public agencies and instrumentalities.
Section 1.- Adoption of the State Plane Coordinates System The State Plane Coordinates System with the Lambert Conic Conformal Projections method shall be the official mapping system for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in order to standardize and uniform the use of cartographic projections by government bodies. It is also provided that the central government shall adopt, within one (1) year after the approval of this Act, the North American Datum of 1983, or its most recent version to represent the territorial ellipsoid, known as datum, to be standard and uniform for all public agencies and instrumentalities.
Section 2.- Certification of Geographical Locations or Positions Every geographical location or position presented before any agency, instrumentality or municipality of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall comply with one (1) of the following alternatives:
(a) In the case of location of structures, buildings or constructions, it shall be certified by an authorized professional, pursuant to the provisions of Act No. 186 of December 26, 1997, as amended, known as the "Puerto Rico Board of Examiners of Engineers, Architects, Surveyors and Landscape Architects."
(b) In the case of studies, investigations or evaluations of technical or scientific nature, it shall include a sworn statement of the person who presents it, including, as a minimum, the following information:
(i) The measuring equipment used, that is, if it is a global positioning system equipment or a conventional one, as well as the equipment's brand name, model and maximum precision. (ii) The mathematical model or datum used at the time of measuring. (iii) Time required for measuring, expressed in hours: minutes: seconds or as established by regulations.
All the agencies, instrumentalities and municipalities of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico before which a certification shall be presented of the geographical location or position of a structure, property, project, development, scientific or technical study, shall adopt a uniform document or form for such purposes. Said uniform document or form shall provide all public entities with the certification methods for location or position, as established in Subsections
(a) and
(b) of this Section. This uniform document or form shall be adopted through regulations within ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act, after having consulted with and obtained the recommendations from the Management and Budget Office, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Planning Board, and the Regulations, Permits Administration, and the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, as well as from the Environmental Quality Board.
Section 3.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 264 (S.B. 990) of the $3^{ ext {rd }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
ANACT to adopt a State Plane Coordinates System using the Lambert Conic Conformal Projections and the North American Datum of 1983, or its most recent version, as the official mapping service for agencies, instrumentalities, and municipalities of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in order to standardize the use of cartographic projections by government bodies, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $30^{ ext {th }}$ of August of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director