,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cgie  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #e1  
#bjbf,ms4 ,cantwell 7for herself and    
,mr4 ,budd7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to establish the ,radar ,next        
,program1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,radar ,next ,program ,act of #bjbf4
  #b4 ,radar next program  7a7 ,in      
general ,the ,under ,secretary1 in      
consultation with the ,director of the  
,national ,weather ,service1 shall      
establish a program to be known as the  
,radar ,next ,program 7in this section  
referred to as the program74  7b7       
,requirements ,in carrying out the      
program1 the ,under ,secretary shall--  
7#a7 develop performance and coverage   
requirements for the weather radar      
network of the ,united ,states1         
including for the territories of the    

,united ,states2  7#b7 collaborate with 
the weather enterprise to determine     
potential solutions to update the       
weather radar network of the ,united    
,states that meet the requirements      
developed under paragraph 7#a72 and     
7#c7 develop a plan in accordance with  
subsection 7c74  7c7 ,plan  7#a7 ,in    
general ,the ,under ,secretary shall    
develop a plan to replace the ,next     
,generation ,weather ,radar system of   
the ,national ,weather ,service in      
existence as of the date of the         
enactment of this ,act 7in this         
subsection referred to as the ,,nexrad  
system74  7#b7 ,elements ,the plan      
developed under this subsection shall   
seek to continue and improve weather    
radar coverage in the ,united ,states   
and its territories and include the     
following3 7,a7 ,estimates of           
quantifiable improvements in            
performance1 coverage1 and accuracy to  
be made from potential options for      
replacement of the ,,nexrad system4     

7,b7 ,development of a phased array     
radar to test and determine the         
specifications and requirements for such
 replacement4  7,c7 ,expected actions   
needed to implement the recommendations 
of the report published by the          
,environmental ,information ,services   
,working ,group of the ,science         
,advisory ,board of the ,national       
,oceanic and ,atmospheric               
,administration on ,november #ae1 #bjbc1
 and entitled ,a ,,nesdis ,observing    
,system ,backbone ,framework to assist  
in defining a radar backbone            
architecture that will best serve the   
,united ,states4  7,d7 ,establishment of
 a weather surveillance radar testbed   
for the following3 7i7 ,evaluation of   
commercial radars with the potential to 
replace or supplement the ,,nexrad      
system4  7ii7 ,providing technical      
assistance for the use of small1        
gap-filling radars with private and     
local partners in regions where         
geographical topography prevents the    

full use of large systems or in         
locations where such systems may not be 
commercially viable4  7,e7 ,consultation
 and input solicited from academia1     
meteorologists1 emergency managers1 and 
public safety or utility officials      
regarding the specifications and        
requirements for replacement of the     
,,nexrad system4  7,f7 ,prioritized     
locations for initial deployment of the 
system that will replace the ,,nexrad   
system4  7,g7 ,expected locations of the
 system that will replace the ,,nexrad  
system1 including sites located more    
than #ge miles away from an existing    
,,nexrad system station and additional  
appropriate locations4  7,h7 ,expected  
or planned improvements to data         
available for weather and water-related 
forecasts and warnings from the system  
that will replace the ,,nexrad system4  
7#c7 ,procurement deadline ,the ,under  
,secretary shall take such actions as   
may be necessary to ensure the plan     
developed under this subsection is fully

 implemented and executed by not later  
than ,september #cj1 #bjdj4  7d7        
,radar-,as-,a-,service  7#a7 ,in general
 ,the ,under ,secretary may partner or  
contract with entities outside of the   
,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric     
,administration to fill data gaps in    
weather radar coverage using weather    
radars and data assimilation            
technologies in order to--  7,a7        
supplement data gaps in weather radar   
coverage1 including at low levels and in
 wide areas1 in existence as of the date
 of the enactment of this ,act2  7,b7   
ensure the continued performance of the 
weather radar network of the ,united    
,states2 and  7,c7 better detect        
significant precipitation and severe    
weather over a greater area across a    
population4  7#b7  ,considerations  ,in 
carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the ,under 
,secretary may consider-- 7,a7          
partnering or contracting with entities 
that have participated in the testbed   
described in subsection 7c77#b77;,d71   

the ,national ,mesonet ,program1 or     
cooperative research and development    
agreements2 and  7,b7 weather camera    
systems and services1 including in      
consultation with the ,federal ,aviation
 ,administration1 as viable technologies
 to supplement weather forecasting and  
prediction needs4  7e7 ,updates to      
congress ,the ,under ,secretary shall   
provide to the ,committee on ,commerce1 
,science1 and ,transportation of the    
,senate and the ,committee on ,science1 
,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of
 ,representatives periodic updates on   
the implementation of this section4  7f7
 ,definitions ,in this ,act1 the terms  
,under ,secretary and weather enterprise
 have the meanings given such terms in  
section #b of the ,weather ,research and
 ,forecasting ,innovation ,act of #bjag 
7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #heja74