,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bida  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bc1 #bjah
 ,mr4 ,thune introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to improve the ,cooperative ,observer
 ,program of the ,national ,weather     
,service1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,strengthening the ,cooperative    
,observer ,program ,act of #bjah4  #b4  
,improvements to ,cooperative ,observer 
,program of ,national ,weather ,service 
7a7 ,in general ,the ,under ,secretary  
of ,commerce for ,oceans and            
,atmosphere1 acting through the         
,national ,weather ,service1 shall      
improve the ,cooperative ,observer      
,program by--  7#a7 providing support   
to-- 7,a7 ,state-coordinated programs   
relating to the ,program2 and  7,b7     
,states and regions where observations  
provided through the ,program are       

scarce2  7#b7 working with ,state       
weather service headquarters to increase
 participation in the ,program and to   
add stations in ,states and regions     
described in paragraph 7#a77;,b72  7#c7 
where feasible1 ensuring that data      
streams from stations that have been    
contributing data to the ,program for   
more than #ej years are maintained and  
continually staffed by volunteers2  7#d7
 prioritizing the recruitment of new    
volunteers for the ,program2  7#e7      
ensuring that opportunities exist for   
automated reporting to lessen the burden
 on volunteers to collect and report    
data by hand2 and  7#f7 ensuring that   
integrated reporting is available for   
qualitative observations that cannot be 
automated1 such as snow observations and
 hazardous weather events1 to ensure    
that volunteers in the ,program can     
report and upload observations quickly  
and easily4  7b7 ,coordination with     
,states and regions ,not less frequently
 than every #ahj days1 the ,national    

,weather ,service shall coordinate with 
,state and regional offices with respect
 to the status of ,cooperative ,observer
 ,program stations4  7c7 ,coordination  
with ,federal agencies ,the ,national   
,weather ,service shall coordinate with 
other ,federal agencies1 including the  
,forest ,service1 the ,department of    
,agriculture1 and the ,united ,states   
,geological ,survey1 to leverage        
opportunities to grow the ,cooperative  
,observer ,program network and to more  
effectively use existing infrastructure1
 weather stations1 and staff of the     
,program4