Digital Coast Data Must Be 'Fully and Freely Available,' Plus Mandate to Map Underground Utilities

This bill updates the Digital Coast Act, focusing on making the vast amount of geospatial data collected by the program both easier to get and more comprehensive. Specifically, it changes the requirement that data be merely “readily accessible” to demanding it be “fully and freely available,” which means no more paywalls or complicated access procedures blocking researchers, developers, or just curious citizens from getting their hands on crucial coastal and environmental information (Sec. 1).

The Underground Utility Mandate

The biggest real-world change here is the expansion of what the Digital Coast program must collect. The updated requirements now specifically mandate the inclusion of data related to underground infrastructure and subsurface utilities in the program’s data sets (Sec. 1). Think about every time construction starts and they hit a water main or cut a fiber optic cable—it’s a massive headache and costly delay. By requiring this program to map out pipes, cables, and other buried assets, the bill aims to give everyone from city planners to construction crews a clearer picture of what’s actually beneath their feet. This is a game-changer for reducing costly errors and improving safety on job sites.

Free Data for Everyone

For the average person, the shift to “fully and freely available” data is a win for transparency and innovation. If you’re a small business developing an app that uses coastal elevation data, or a local engineer trying to assess flood risk, you won’t have to worry about licensing fees or complicated bureaucratic hoops just to get the raw numbers. This move lowers the barrier to entry for anyone wanting to use this valuable public data, whether for academic research or commercial development.

Giving the Program More Runway

Finally, the bill extends the deadline for the program to meet certain requirements related to data acquisition and integration. The original requirement date of 2025 is being pushed back to 2030 (Sec. 1). This five-year extension acknowledges that integrating complex new data, like the newly mandated subsurface utility maps, takes time and resources. It gives the program the necessary breathing room to get the data right, ensuring the quality of the information remains high while they tackle the expanded scope of work.