,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #bhe #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bdac ,report ,no4 #aac-chc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #ah1 #bjac ,mr4 ,bridenstine 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,stewart1 and ,mr4 ,harris7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology ,march #ba1 #bjad ,additional sponsors3 ,mr4 ,bentivolio1 ,mr4 ,collins of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,rohrabacher1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,ms4 ,eddie ,bernice ,johnson of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,grayson1 ,mr4 ,lipinski1 ,mr4 ,maffei1 ,ms4 ,lofgren1 ,mr4 ,poe of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,mr4 ,broun of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,stutzman1 ,mr4 ,salmon1 ,mr4 ,yoho1 ,mr4 ,roe of ,tennessee1 and ,mrs4 ,hartzler ,march #ba1 #bjad ,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed ,strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic ,for text of introduced bill1 see copy of bill as introduced on ,june #ah1 #bjac ,a ,,bill ,to prioritize and redirect ,,noaa resources to a focused program of investment on near-term1 affordable1 and attainable advances in observational1 computing1 and modeling capabilities to deliver substantial improvement in weather forecasting and prediction of high impact weather events1 such as tornadoes and hurricanes1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,weather ,forecasting ,improvement ,act of #bjac4 #b4 ,public safety priority ,in accordance with ,,noaa's critical mission to provide science1 service1 and stewardship1 the ,under ,secretary shall prioritize weather-related activities1 including the provision of weather data1 forecasts1 and warnings for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy1 in all relevant line offices4 #c4 ,weather research and forecasting innovation 7a7 ,program ,the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar shall conduct a program to develop improved understanding of and forecast capabilities for atmospheric events and their impacts1 placing priority on developing more accurate1 timely1 and effective warnings and forecasts of high impact weather events that endanger life and property4 7b7 ,program elements ,the program described in subsection 7a7 shall focus on the following activities3 7#a7 ,improving the fundamental understanding of weather consistent with section #b1 including boundary layer and other atmospheric processes4 7#b7 ,improving the understanding of how the public receives1 interprets1 and responds to warnings and forecasts of high impact weather events that endanger life and property4 7#c7 ,research and development1 and transfer of knowledge1 technologies1 and applications to the ,,nws and other appropriate agencies and entities1 including the ,american weather industry and academic partners1 related to-- 7,a7 advanced radar1 radar networking technologies1 and other ground-based technologies1 including those emphasizing rapid1 fine-scale sensing of the boundary layer and the use of innovative1 dual-polarization1 phased-array technologies2 7,b7 aerial weather observing systems2 7,c7 high performance computing and information technology networks2 7,d7 advanced numerical weather prediction systems and forecasting tools and techniques that improve the forecasting of timing1 track1 intensity1 and severity of high impact weather1 including through-- 7i7 the development of more effective mesoscale models2 7ii7 more effective use of existing1 and the development of new1 regional and national cloud-resolving models2 7iii7 enhanced global models2 and 7iv7 integrated assessment models2 7,e7 quantitative assessment tools for measuring the value of data and observing systems1 including ,o,s,s,es 7as described in section #h71 ,o,s,es1 and ,a,o,as2 7,f7 atmospheric chemistry and interactions essential to accurately characterizing atmospheric composition and predicting meteorological processes1 including cloud microphysical1 precipitation1 and atmospheric electrification processes1 to more effectively understand their role in severe weather2 and 7,g7 additional sources of weather data and information1 including commercial observing systems4 7#d7 ,a technology transfer initiative1 carried out jointly and in coordination with the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,nws1 and in cooperation with the ,american weather industry and academic partners1 to ensure continuous development and transition of the latest scientific and technological advances into ,,nws operations4 7c7 ,extramural research 7#a7 ,in general ,in carrying out the program under this section1 the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar shall collaborate with and support the non-,federal weather research community1 which includes institutions of higher education1 private entities1 and nongovernmental organizations1 by making funds available through competitive grants1 contracts1 and cooperative agreements4 7#b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that not less than #cj percent of the funds authorized for research and development at ,,oar by this ,act should be made available for this purpose4 7#c7 ,report ,the ,under ,secretary shall transmit to ,congress annually1 concurrently with ,,noaa's budget request1 a description of current and planned activities under this section4 #d4 ,tornado warning improvement and extension program 7a7 ,in general ,the ,under ,secretary1 in collaboration with the ,american weather industry and academic partners1 shall establish a tornado warning improvement and extension program4 7b7 ,goal ,the goal of such program shall be to reduce the loss of life and economic losses from tornadoes through the development and extension of accurate1 effective1 and timely tornado forecasts1 predictions1 and warnings1 including the prediction of tornadoes beyond one hour in advance4 7c7 ,program plan ,not later than #f months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar1 in consultation with the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,nws1 shall develop a program plan that details the specific research1 development1 and technology transfer activities1 as well as corresponding resources and timelines1 necessary to achieve the program goal4 7d7 ,budget for plan ,following completion of the plan1 the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar1 in consultation with the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,nws1 shall transmit annually to ,congress a proposed budget corresponding to the activities identified in the plan4 #e4 ,hurricane warning improvement program 7a7 ,in general ,the ,under ,secretary1 in collaboration with the ,american weather industry and academic partners1 shall establish a hurricane warning improvement program4 7b7 ,goal ,the goal of such program shall be to develop and extend accurate hurricane forecasts and warnings in order to reduce loss of life1 injury1 and damage to the economy4 7c7 ,program plan ,not later than #f months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar1 in consultation with the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,nws1 shall develop a program plan that details the specific research1 development1 and technology transfer activities1 as well as corresponding resources and timelines1 necessary to achieve the program goal4 7d7 ,budget for plan ,following completion of the plan1 the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar1 in consultation with the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,nws1 shall transmit annually to ,congress a proposed budget corresponding to the activities identified in the plan4 #f4 ,weather research and development planning ,not later than #f months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar1 in coordination with the ,assistant ,administrators for ,,nws and ,,nesdis1 shall issue a research and development plan to restore and maintain ,united ,states leadership in numerical weather prediction and forecasting that-- 7#a7 describes the forecasting skill and technology goals1 objectives1 and progress of ,,noaa in carrying out the program conducted under section #c2 7#b7 identifies and prioritizes specific research and development activities1 and performance metrics1 weighted to meet the operational weather mission of ,,nws2 7#c7 describes how the program will collaborate with stakeholders1 including the ,american weather industry and academic partners2 and 7#d7 identifies1 through consultation with the ,national ,science ,foundation1 ,american weather industry1 and academic partners1 research necessary to enhance the integration of social science knowledge into weather forecast and warning processes1 including to improve the communication of threat information necessary to enable improved severe weather planning and decisionmaking on the part of individuals and communities4 #g4 ,observing system planning ,the ,under ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 develop and maintain a prioritized list of observation data requirements necessary to ensure weather forecasting capabilities to protect life and property to the maximum extent practicable2 7#b7 undertake1 using ,o,s,s,es1 ,o,s,es1 ,a,o,as1 and other appropriate assessment tools1 ongoing systematic evaluations of the combination of observing systems1 data1 and information needed to meet the requirements developed under paragraph 7#a71 assessing various options to maximize observational capabilities and their cost-effectiveness2 7#c7 identify current and potential future data gaps in observing capabilities related to the requirements under paragraph 7#a72 and 7#d7 determine a range of options to address gaps identified under paragraph 7#c74 #h4 ,observing system simulation experiments 7a7 ,in general ,in support of the requirements of section #g1 the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar shall undertake ,o,s,s,es to quantitatively assess the relative value and benefits of observing capabilities and systems4 ,technical and scientific ,,osse evaluations-- 7#a7 may include assessments of the impact of observing capabilities on-- 7,a7 global weather prediction2 7,b7 hurricane track and intensity forecasting2 7,c7 tornado warning lead times and accuracy2 and 7,d7 prediction of mid-latitude severe local storm outbreaks2 and 7#b7 shall be conducted in cooperation with other appropriate entities within ,,noaa1 other ,federal agencies1 the ,american weather industry1 and academic partners4 7b7 ,requirements ,o,s,s,es shall quantitatively-- 7#a7 determine the potential impact of proposed space-based1 suborbital1 and in situ observing systems on analyses and forecasts2 7#b7 evaluate and compare observing system design options2 and 7#c7 assess the relative capabilities and costs of various observing systems and combinations of observing systems in providing data necessary to protect life and property4 7c7 ,implementation ,o,s,s,es-- 7#a7 shall be conducted prior to the acquisition of major ,government-owned or ,government-leased operational observing systems1 including polar-orbiting and geostationary satellite systems1 with a lifecycle cost of more than #ejj1jjj1jjj2 and 7#b7 shall be conducted prior to the purchase of any major new commercially provided data with a lifecycle cost of more than #ejj1jjj1jjj4 7d7 ,priority ,o,s,s,es ,not later than ,june #cj1 #bjad1 the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar shall complete ,o,s,s,es to assess the value of data from both ,global ,positioning ,system radio occultation and a geostationary hyperspectral sounder global constellation4 7e7 ,results ,upon completion of all ,o,s,s,es1 results shall be publicly released and accompanied by an assessment of related private and public sector weather data sourcing options1 including their availability1 affordability1 and cost effectiveness4 ,such assessments shall be developed in accordance with section #ejejc of title #ea1 ,united ,states ,code4 #i4 ,computing resources prioritization report ,not later than #ab months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,,noaa ,chief ,information ,officer1 in coordination with the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar and the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,nws1 shall produce a report that explains how ,,noaa intends to-- 7#a7 aggressively pursue the newest1 fastest1 and most cost effective high performance computing technologies in support of its weather prediction mission2 7#b7 ensure a balance between the research requirements to develop the next generation of regional and global models and its highly reliable operational models2 7#c7 take advantage of advanced development concepts to1 as appropriate1 make its next generation weather prediction models available in beta-test mode to its operational forecasters1 the ,american weather industry1 and its partners in academic and government research2 7#d7 identify opportunities to reallocate existing advanced computing resources from lower priority uses to improve advanced research and operational weather prediction2 and 7#e7 harness new computing power in ,,oar and ,,nws for immediate improvement in forecasting and experimentation4 #aj4 ,commercial weather data 7a7 ,amendment ,section #fjafa of title #ea1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 ,this prohibition shall not extend to-- 7#a7 the purchase of weather data through contracts with commercial providers2 or 7#b7 the placement of weather satellite instruments on cohosted government or private payloads4 4 7b7 ,strategy 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #f months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,commerce1 in consultation with the ,under ,secretary1 shall transmit to the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate a strategy to enable the procurement of quality commercial weather data4 ,the strategy shall assess the range of commercial opportunities1 including public-private partnerships1 for obtaining both surface-based and space-based weather observations4 ,the strategy shall include the cost effectiveness of these opportunities1 as well as provide a plan for procuring data from these nongovernmental sources1 as appropriate4 7#b7 ,requirements ,the strategy shall include-- 7,a7 an analysis of financial or other benefits to1 and risks associated with1 acquiring commercial weather data or services1 including through multiyear acquisition approaches2 7,b7 an identification of methods to address planning1 programming1 budgeting1 and execution challenges to such approaches1 including-- 7i7 how standards will be set to ensure that data is reliable and effective2 7ii7 how data may be acquired from commercial experimental or innovative techniques and then evaluated for integration into operational use2 7iii7 how to guarantee public access to all forecast-critical data to ensure that the ,american weather industry and the public continue to have access to information critical to their work2 and 7iv7 in accordance with section #ejejc of title #ea1 ,united ,states ,code1 methods to address potential termination liability or cancellation costs associated with weather data or service contracts2 and 7,c7 an identification of any changes needed in the requirements development and approval processes of the ,department of ,commerce to facilitate effective and efficient implementation of such strategy4 #aa4 ,weather research and innovation advisory committee 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,under ,secretary shall establish a ,federal ,advisory ,committee to-- 7#a7 provide advice for prioritizing weather research initiatives at ,,noaa to produce real improvement in weather forecasting2 7#b7 provide advice on existing or emerging technologies or techniques that can be found in private industry or the research community that could be incorporated into forecasting at ,,nws to improve forecasting2 7#c7 identify opportunities to improve communications between weather forecasters1 emergency management personnel1 and the public2 and 7#d7 address such other matters as the ,under ,secretary or the ,advisory ,committee believes would improve innovation in weather forecasting4 7b7 ,composition 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,under ,secretary shall appoint leading experts and innovators from all relevant fields of science and engineering that inform meteorology1 including atmospheric chemistry1 atmospheric physics1 hydrology1 social science1 risk communications1 electrical engineering1 and computer modeling4 7#b7 ,number ,the ,advisory ,committee shall be composed of at least #ab members1 with the chair of the ,advisory ,committee chosen from among the members4 7#c7 ,restriction ,the ,under ,secretary may not appoint a majority of members who are employees of ,,noaa-funded research centers4 7c7 ,annual report ,the ,advisory ,committee shall transmit annually to the ,under ,secretary a report on progress made by ,,noaa in adopting the ,advisory ,committee's recommendations4 ,the ,under ,secretary shall transmit a copy of such report to the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate4 7d7 ,duration ,section #ad of the ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app47 shall not apply to the ,advisory ,committee until the date that is #e years after the date of enactment of this ,act4 #ab4 ,interagency weather research and innovation coordination 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,director of the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy shall establish an ,interagency ,committee for ,advancing ,weather ,services to improve coordination of relevant weather research and forecast innovation activities across the ,federal ,government4 ,the ,interagency ,committee shall-- 7#a7 include participation by the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration1 the ,federal ,aviation ,administration1 ,,noaa and its constituent elements1 the ,national ,science ,foundation1 and such other agencies involved in weather forecasting research as the ,president determines are appropriate2 7#b7 identify and prioritize top forecast needs and coordinate those needs against budget requests and program initiatives across participating offices and agencies2 and 7#c7 share information regarding operational needs and forecasting improvements across relevant agencies4 7b7 ,co-,chair ,the ,federal ,coordinator for ,meteorology shall serve as a co-chair of this panel4 7c7 ,further coordination ,the ,director shall take such other steps as are necessary to coordinate the activities of the ,federal ,government with those of the ,american weather industry1 ,state governments1 emergency managers1 and academic researchers4 #ac4 ,visiting ,,oar researchers program 7a7 ,in general ,the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar1 in collaboration with the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,nws1 may establish a program to detail ,,oar researchers to the ,,nws4 7b7 ,goal ,the goal of this program is to enhance forecasting innovation through regular1 direct interaction between ,,oar's world-class scientists and ,,nws's operational staff4 7c7 ,elements ,the program shall allow no fewer than #e and no more than #ae ,,oar staff to spend up to #a year on detail to the ,,nws4 ,such detail shall be at any of the ,national ,centers for ,environmental ,prediction or at any of the ,regional ,forecast ,offices where such interaction could be productive in improving forecasting capabilities4 ,candidates shall be jointly selected by the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,oar and the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,nws4 7d7 ,report ,the ,under ,secretary shall report annually to the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives and to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate on participation in such program and shall highlight any innovations that come from this interaction4 #ad4 ,visiting ,fellows at ,,nws 7a7 ,in general ,the ,assistant ,administrator for ,,nws may establish a program to host postdoctoral fellows and academic researchers at any of the ,national ,centers for ,environmental ,prediction4 7b7 ,goal ,this program shall be designed to provide direct interaction between forecasters and talented academic and private sector researchers in an effort to bring innovation to forecasting tools and techniques available to the ,,nws4 7c7 ,selection and appointment ,such fellows shall be competitively selected and appointed for a term not to exceed #a year4 #ae4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,,aoa ,the term ,,aoa means an ,analysis of ,alternatives4 7#b7 ,,nesdis ,the term ,,nesdis means the ,national ,environmental ,satellite1 ,data1 and ,information ,service4 7#c7 ,,noaa ,the term ,,noaa means the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration4 7#d7 ,,nws ,the term ,,nws means the ,national ,weather ,service4 7#e7 ,,oar ,the term ,,oar means the ,office of ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,research4 7#f7 ,,ose ,the term ,,ose means an ,observing ,system ,experiment4 7#g7 ,,osse ,the term ,,osse means an ,observing ,system ,simulation ,experiment4 7#h7 ,under ,secretary ,the term ,under ,secretary means the ,under ,secretary of ,commerce for ,oceans and ,atmosphere4 #af4 ,authorization of appropriations 7a7 ,fiscal year #bjad ,there are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year #bjad-- 7#a7 out of funds made available for operations1 research1 and facilities in ,,oar1 #hc1jjj1jjj to carry out section #c1 of which-- 7,a7 #fe1jjj1jjj is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes2 and 7,b7 #ah1jjj1jjj is authorized for weather and air chemistry research programs2 and 7#b7 out of funds made available for research and development in ,,nws1 an additional amount of #ad1jjj1jjj for ,,oar to carry out the joint technology transfer initiative described in section #c7;b77#d74 7b7 ,alternative funding for fiscal year #bjad ,if the ,budget ,control ,act of #bjaa 7,public ,law #aab-be7 is repealed or replaced with an ,act that increases allocations1 subsection 7a7 shall not apply1 and there are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year #bjad-- 7#a7 out of funds made available for operations1 research1 and facilities in ,,oar1 #if1ejj1jjj to carry out section #c1 of which-- 7,a7 #gg1ejj1jjj is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes2 and 7,b7 #ai1jjj1jjj is authorized for weather and air chemistry research programs2 and 7#b7 out of funds made available for research and development in ,,nws1 an additional amount of #af1jjj1jjj for ,,oar to carry out the joint technology transfer initiative described in section #c7;b77#d74 7c7 ,fiscal years #bjae through #bjag ,out of funds made available for operations1 research1 and facilities in ,,oar for each of fiscal years #bjae through #bjag1 there are authorized to be appropriated-- 7#a7 #ajj1jjj1jjj to carry out section #c1 of which-- 7,a7 #hj1jjj1jjj is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes2 and 7,b7 #bj1jjj1jjj is authorized for weather and air chemistry research programs2 and 7#b7 an additional amount of #bj1jjj1jjj for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section #c7;b77#d74 ,march #ba1 #bjad ,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed