,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hcfe  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #bc1      
#bjbj,mr4 ,thornberry introduced the    
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure1 and in addition to the 
,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and     
,technology1 for a period to be         
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to study the effects of new 
construction of obstructions on accurate
 weather forecasting1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,accurate ,weather  
for ,public ,safety ,act4  #b4          
,structures interfering with air        
commerce or national security ,section  
#ddgah7;a7 of title #di1 ,united ,states
 ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph  
7#b7 by striking 2 or and inserting a   
semicolon2  7#b7 by redesignating       

paragraph 7#c7 as paragraph 7#d72 and   
7#c7 by inserting after paragraph 7#b7  
the following3  7#c7 the ability of any 
,federal agency engaged in              
meteorological or atmospheric           
observations to accurately forecast     
weather2 or  4  #c4 ,study on effects of
 new construction of obstructions on    
accurate weather observations and       
forecasting  7a7 ,objective ,it shall be
 an objective of the ,department of     
,commerce to ensure that the robust     
development of renewable energy sources 
and the increased resiliency of the     
commercial electrical grid may move     
forward in the ,united ,states1 while   
minimizing or mitigating any adverse    
impacts on accurate weather forecasting 
and ensuring public safety4  7b7        
,designation of senior official and lead
 organization  7#a7 ,designation ,not   
later than #cj days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,commerce shall designate 
a senior official of the ,national      

,weather ,service1 and a lead           
organization of the ,national ,weather  
,service1 to-- 7,a7 serve as the        
executive agent to carry out the review 
required by subsection 7d72  7,b7 serve 
as a clearinghouse to coordinate        
,department of ,commerce review of      
applications for projects filed with the
 ,secretary of ,transportation on and   
after the date of enactment of this ,act
 and pursuant to section #ddgah of title
 #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 and        
received by the ,department of ,commerce
 from the ,secretary of ,transportation2
 and  7,c7 accelerate the development of
 planning tools necessary to determine  
the acceptability to the ,national      
,weather ,service of proposals included 
in an application for a project         
submitted pursuant to such section4     
7#b7 ,resources ,the ,secretary shall   
ensure that the senior official and lead
 organization designated under paragraph
 7#a7 are assigned such personnel and   
resources as the ,secretary considers   

appropriate to carry out this section4  
7c7 ,initial actions ,not later than    
#ahj days after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,commerce1 acting through the senior 
official and lead organization          
designated pursuant to subsection 7b71  
shall-- 7#a7 conduct a preliminary      
review of each application for a project
 filed with the ,secretary of           
,transportation pursuant to section     
#ddgah of title #di1 ,united ,states    
,code1 that may have an adverse impact  
on accurate weather observations or     
forecasting and public safety1 unless   
such project has been granted a         
determination of no hazard1 which shall1
 at a minimum include for each such     
project-- 7,a7 assess the likely scope  
of any adverse impact of such project on
 accurate weather observations or       
forecasting and public safety2 and  7,b7
 identify any corrective action plan and
 feasible mitigation actions that could 
be taken in the immediate future by the 

,national ,weather ,service1 the        
developer of such project1 or others to 
mitigate such adverse impact and to     
minimize risks to the ability of any    
,federal agency engaged in              
meteorological or atmospheric           
observations to accurately forecast     
weather and to ensure public safety1    
while allowing such project to proceed  
with development2  7#b7 develop1 in     
coordination with other departments and 
agencies of the ,federal ,government1 an
 integrated review process to ensure    
timely notification and consideration of
 projects filed with the ,secretary of  
,transportation pursuant to section     
#ddgah of title #di1 ,united ,states    
,code1 that may have an adverse impact  
on accurate weather observations or     
forecasting and public safety2  7#c7    
establish procedures for the ,national  
,weather ,service for the coordinated   
consideration of and response to a      
request for a review received from      
,state and local officials or the       

developer of a renewable energy         
development or other energy project1    
including guidance to personnel at each 
local ,national ,weather ,services      
facility in the ,united ,states on how  
to initiate such procedures and ensure a
 coordinated agency response while      
seeking to fulfil the objective under   
subsection 7a72 and  7#d7 develop       
procedures for conducting early outreach
 to parties carrying out projects filed 
with the ,secretary of ,transportation  
pursuant to section #ddgah of title #di1
 ,united ,states ,code1 that could have 
an adverse impact on accurate weather   
observations and forecasting and public 
safety1 and to the general public1 to   
clearly communicate notice on actions   
being taken by the ,national ,weather   
,service under this section and to      
receive comments from such parties and  
the general public on such actions4  7d7
 ,comprehensive review  7#a7 ,strategy  
required ,not later than #bgj days after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act1

 the ,secretary of ,commerce1 acting    
through the senior official and lead    
organization designated pursuant to     
subsection 7b71 shall develop a         
comprehensive strategy for addressing   
the weather forecasting and public      
safety impacts of projects filed with   
the ,secretary of ,transportation       
pursuant to section #ddgah of title #di1
 ,united ,states ,code4  7#b7 ,elements 
,in developing the strategy required by 
paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary of       
,commerce shall-- 7,a7 assess of the    
magnitude of interference posed by      
projects filed with the ,secretary of   
,transportation pursuant to section     
#ddgah of title #di1 ,united ,states    
,code2  7,b7 identify geographic areas  
selected as proposed locations for      
projects filed1 or which may be filed in
 the future1 with the ,secretary of     
,transportation pursuant to section     
#ddgah of title #di1 ,united ,states    
,code1 where such projects could have an
 adverse impact on accurate weather     

forecasting and public safety1 and      
categorize the risk of adverse impact in
 such areas as high1 medium1 or low for 
the purpose of informing early outreach 
efforts under subsection 7c77#d7 and    
preliminary assessments under subsection
 7e72 and  7,c7 specifically identify a 
corrective action plan and feasible     
mitigation longterm actions that may be 
taken to mitigate adverse impacts of    
projects filed1 or which may be filed in
 the future1 with the ,secretary of     
,transportation pursuant to section     
#ddgah of title #di1 ,united ,states    
,code1 on accurate weather observations 
and forecasting and public safety4  7e7 
,national weather service hazard        
assessment  7#a7 ,preliminary assessment
 ,the procedures established pursuant to
 subsection 7c7 shall ensure that not   
later than #fj days after receiving a   
proper application for a project filed  
with the ,secretary of ,transportation  
pursuant to section #ddgah of title #di1
 ,united ,states ,code1 the ,secretary  

of ,commerce shall review the project   
and provide a preliminary assessment of 
the level of risk of adverse impact on  
accurate weather observations or        
forecasting and public safety that would
 arise from the project and the extent  
of mitigation that may be needed to     
address such risk4  7#b7 ,determination 
of unacceptable risk ,the procedures    
established pursuant to subsection 7c7  
shall ensure that the ,secretary of     
,commerce does not object to a project  
filed with the ,secretary of            
,transportation pursuant to section     
#ddgah of title #di1 ,united ,states    
,code1 except in a case in which the    
,secretary of ,commerce determines1     
after giving full consideration to      
mitigation actions identified pursuant  
to this section1 that such project would
 result in an unacceptable risk to the  
ability of meteorological agencies to   
accurately observe and forecast weather 
and ensure public safety4  7#c7         
,congressional notice requirement ,not  

later than #cj days after making a      
determination of unacceptable risk under
 paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary of      
,commerce shall submit to the ,committee
 on ,energy and ,commerce of the ,house 
of ,representatives and the ,committee  
on ,energy and ,natural ,resources and  
the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1  
and ,transportation of the ,senate a    
report on such determination and the    
basis for such determination4 ,such a   
report shall include an explanation of  
the operational impact that led to the  
determination1 a discussion of the      
mitigation options considered1 and an   
explanation of why the mitigation       
options were not feasible or did not    
resolve the conflict4  7f7 ,reports     
7#a7 ,report to ,congress ,not later    
than ,march #ae each year following the 
year of the date of enactment of this   
,act through #bjbe1 the ,secretary of   
,commerce shall submit to the ,committee
 on ,energy and ,commerce of the ,house 
of ,representatives and the ,committee  

on ,energy and ,natural ,resources and  
the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1  
and ,transportation of the ,senate a    
report on the actions taken by the      
,department of ,commerce during the     
preceding year to implement this section
 and the comprehensive strategy         
developed pursuant to this section4     
7#b7 ,contents of report ,each report   
submitted under paragraph 7#a7 shall    
include-- 7,a7 the results of a review  
carried out by the ,national ,weather   
,service of any projects filed with the 
,secretary of ,transportation pursuant  
to section #ddgah of title #di1 ,united 
,states ,code-- 7i7 that the ,secretary 
of ,commerce has determined would result
 in an unacceptable risk to the ability 
of any ,federal agency engaged in       
meteorological or atmospheric           
observations to accurately observe and  
forecast weather and ensure public      
safety2 and  7ii7 for which the         
,secretary of ,commerce has recommended 
to the ,secretary of ,transportation    

that a hazard determination be issued2  
7,b7 an assessment of the risk to       
accurate weather observations and       
forecasting and ensure public safety1   
and a quantification of such risk2 and  
7,c7 mitigation options1 which the      
,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric     
,administration and the ,national       
,weather ,service have researched and   
analyzed1 and the results of such       
research and analysis4  7g7 ,authority  
,to accept contributions of funds ,the  
,secretary of ,commerce is authorized to
 accept a voluntary contribution of     
funds from an applicant for a project   
filed with the ,secretary of            
,transportation pursuant to section     
#ddgah of title #di1 ,united ,states    
,code4 ,amounts so accepted shall be    
available for the purpose of offsetting 
the cost of measures undertaken by the  
,secretary of ,commerce to mitigate     
adverse impacts of such project on      
accurate weather observations and       
forecasting and public safety4  7h7     

,effect of ,department of ,commerce     
hazard assessment ,an action taken      
pursuant to this section shall not be   
considered to be a substitute for any   
assessment or determination required of 
the ,secretary of ,transportation under 
section #ddgah of title #di1 ,united    
,states ,code4  7i7 ,savings provision  
,nothing in this section shall be       
construed to affect or limit the        
application of1 or any obligation to    
comply with1 any environmental law1     
including the ,national ,environmental  
,policy ,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#dcba et seq474  7j7 ,definitions ,in   
this section3 7#a7 ,accurate weather    
forecasting ,the term accurate weather  
forecasting means the ability of any    
person1 piece of equipment1 computer1   
building1 or other asset of the         
,national ,weather ,service that when   
utilized correctly and unimpeded is able
 to provide timely and accurate         
predictions of weather within the       
established range of that ,national     

,weather ,service asset4  7#b7 ,public  
safety ,the term public safety means the
 prevention and protection of the       
general public from dangers affecting   
safety1 such as disasters that are both 
man-made and those that are naturally   
occurring4