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NSPS Director’s Report to PSLS - May 2026

  • PSLS Staff
  • Jun 16
  • 3 min read

National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) /Spring 2026 Meeting


The annual in-person NSPS Spring 2026 Meeting was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Washington DC - Crystal City in Arlington, VA on April 13 through April 17, 2026.  The annual Day on the Hill was held on April 14, 2026, and I attended congressional meetings with the staff of the following Senators and Congressman to discuss:  Geodesy Prioritization in 2026 Highway Bill



  • I met with the staff of Senator Dave McCormick, Legislative Aide, Bryson Roberson to discuss Geodesy Prioritization. 


    This important legislation will:

  • Authorize BTS to create, maintain, and disseminate the National HD Map and related activities, consistent with and leveraging the current official National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) as defined by the National Geodetic Survey; and

  • Provide for an interagency budget crosscut and coordination report to federal government agencies benefiting from GPS, federal government agencies responsible for operating or maintaining GPS, and investments in education and research in geodesy and related fields to strengthen and expand GPS and fill the talent pipeline.

  • ACTION REQUESTED: NSPS respectfully urges Members of Congress to add a provision to the 2026 Highway Bill authorizing the National High-Definition (HD) Map in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) which will improve highway safety, increase economy for road users, and prioritize geodesy and GPS in the future.

  • I met with the staff of Senator John Fetterman, Legislative Assistant, Curtis Newman to discuss Geodesy Prioritization.  See information above.

  • I met with the staff of Representative Chris DeLuzio, Legislative Correspondent, Faith Palguta to discuss Geodesy Prioritization.  See information above.




Day on the Hill was a huge success with 45 states represented by NSPS Directors and guests totaling 105 participants during 160 congressional visits. 


Two other issues were taken to Day on the Hill to discuss during the congressional meetings as shown below:

 

Alpha-gal Allergen Inclusion Act

 

TAP Pilot for 2027 NDAA

 

NSPS Government Affairs Update  Additional issues and activities in the NSPS Government Affairs program can be found here:



25th Annual NSPS Student Competition

Congratulations to our teams from Penn State University on their achievements during the NSPS - The National Society of Professional Surveyors Student Competition!



The Penn State University Park Team (above), led by their Assistant Teaching Professor Brian Naberezny, won First Place, and the Penn State Wilkes-Barre team (below), led by lecturer Matthew Sharr, received an Honorable Mention! 



The Great Lakes Regional Council met on April 15, 2026 where Directors gave highlights of the latest developments in each of their respective states.  The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) creation of new Public Land Survey System (PLSS) exam module will be administered by NCEES in 2027 and only offered twice a year in April and October.  The Mapping and Science Exam (may be called National Spatial PS Exam) was recommended to the Committee on Examinations for Professional Surveyors.  The NCEES President will have to add this as a task and if approved it is estimated to be 2 – 3 years before the exam will be offered.


The Trig-Star Board, met on April 15, 2026 to review the National exam and finalize the test questions.  We will meet again on June 12, 2026, to grade the National exams.  Additional information about Trig-Star is available at the website www.trig-star.com.  


The Workforce Development Committee met on April 16, 2026, however due to other conflicting scheduled committee meetings I could not attend.  The Workforce Development Committee Spring Meeting Report contains a detailed report and can be viewed here: 

 

The Certified Floodplain Surveyor Board met on April 16, 2026.  I sat in this meeting to find out more information and ask questions about the upcoming Pennsylvania Training and Certification Program to be held by PSLS May 12 – 14, 2026 at Rettew of Mechanicsburg Training Center.  We have 30 attendees registered for this event.  Below is a link to the flyer advertising the training:

 

Proposed Model Law – The NSPS Board of Directors discussed the final draft that was planned to be sent to NCEES at the NSPS Fall meeting on October 17, 2025, but was voted down to by the Board of Directors.  The same document was discussed again by the President of NSPS at the Spring Board of Directors meeting on April 17, 2026, however NSPS has decided to remain neutral on this topic and will not submit the revisions to NCEES.  The link to the proposed revisions can be found here:  Proposed_Model_Law_NSPS_with_explanation_20250220

 

NSPS News and Views Multibriefs  Additional information about what NSPS is working on at the national level is available to each member and detailed in the NSPS News and Views Multibriefs emails and past News and Views can be found at:  News & Views Archive (multibriefs.com).

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information.



Respectfully submitted,




Pennsylvania NSPS Director

Michael J. Given, PLS





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