II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 572 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to study the coverage gaps of the 

Next Generation Weather Radar of the National Weather Service and 

to develop a plan for improving radar coverage and hazardous weather 

detection and forecasting, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 8, 2017 

Mr. BURR (for himself, Ms. CANTWELL, and Mr. TILLIS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to study the coverage 

gaps of the Next Generation Weather Radar of the National Weather Service and to develop a plan for improving radar coverage and hazardous weather detection and 

forecasting, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. STUDY ON GAPS IN NEXRAD COVERAGE AND 

4 REQUIREMENT FOR PLAN TO ADDRESS SUCH 

5 GAPS. 

6 (a) STUDY ON GAPS IN NEXRAD COVERAGE.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

2 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

3 of Commerce shall complete a study on gaps in the 

4 coverage of the Next Generation Weather Radar of 

5 the National Weather Service (referred to in this 

6 section as ‘‘NEXRAD’’). 

7 (2) ELEMENTS.—In conducting the study re8 quired under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 

9 (A) identify areas in the United States 

10 with limited or no NEXRAD coverage below 

11 6,000 feet above ground level of the sur12 rounding terrain; 

13 (B) for the areas identified under subpara14 graph (A)— 

15 (i) identify the key weather effects for 

16 which prediction would improve with im17 proved radar detection; 

18 (ii) identify additional sources of ob19 servations for high impact weather that 

20 were available and operational for such 

21 areas on the day before the date of the en22 actment of this Act, including Terminal 

23 Doppler Weather Radar (commonly known 

24 as ‘‘TDWR’’), air surveillance radars of 


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1 the Federal Aviation Administration, and 

2 cooperative network observers; and 

3 (iii) assess the feasibility and advis4 ability of efforts to integrate and upgrade 

5 Federal radar capabilities that are not 

6 owned or controlled by the National Oce7 anic and Atmospheric Administration, in8 cluding radar capabilities of the Federal 

9 Aviation Administration and the Depart10 ment of Defense; 

11 (C) assess the feasibility and advisability of 

12 incorporating State-operated and other non13 Federal radars into the operations of the Na14 tional Weather Service; 

15 (D) identify options to improve radar cov16 erage in the areas identified under subpara17 graph (A); and 

18 (E) estimate the cost of, and develop a 

19 timeline for, carrying out each of the options 

20 identified under subparagraph (D). 

21 (3) REPORT.—Upon the completion of the 

22 study required under paragraph (1), the Secretary 

23 shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 

24 Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Com25 mittee on Appropriations of the Senate, the ComVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:07 Mar 14, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S572.IS S572

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1 mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 

2 House of Representatives, and the Committee on 

3 Appropriations of the House of Representatives a re4 port on the findings of the Secretary with respect to 

5 the study. 

6 (b) PLAN TO IMPROVE RADAR COVERAGE.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 

8 the date on which the Secretary completes the plan 

9 required by subsection (a)(1), the Secretary of Com10 merce shall submit to the congressional committees 

11 referred to in subsection (a)(3) a plan for improving 

12 radar coverage in the areas identified under sub13 section (a)(2)(A) by integrating and upgrading, to 

14 the extent practicable, additional observation solu15 tions to improve hazardous weather detection and 

16 forecasting. 

17 (2) REQUIREMENT FOR THIRD-PARTY RE18 VIEWS.—The Secretary shall seek third-party re19 views on scientific methodology relating to, and the 

20 feasibility and advisability of, implementing the plan 

21 submitted under paragraph (1), including the extent 

22 to which warning and forecast services of the Na23 tional Weather Service would be improved by addi24 tional NEXRAD coverage. 

Æ 


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