I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2531 

To improve United States hurricane forecasting, monitoring, and warning 

capabilities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 24, 2007 

Mr. MELANCON (for himself and Mr. KLEIN of Florida) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science and Technology 

A BILL 

To improve United States hurricane forecasting, monitoring, 

and warning capabilities, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improved Hurricane 

5 Tracking and Forecasting Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) Scatterometers on satellites are state-of-the9 art radar instruments which operate by transmitting 

10 high-frequency microwave pulses to the ocean surVerDate Aug 31 2005 05:06 May 30, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2531.IH H2531

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1 face and measuring echoed radar pulses bounced 

2 back to the satellite. 

3 (2) Scatterometers can acquire hundreds of 

4 times more observations of surface wind velocity 

5 each day than can ships and buoys, and are the only 

6 remote-sensing systems able to provide continuous, 

7 accurate and high-resolution measurements of both 

8 wind speeds and direction regardless of weather con9 ditions. 

10 (3) The Quick Scatterometer satellite 

11 (QuikSCAT) is an ocean-observing satellite launched 

12 on June 19, 1999, to replace the capability of the 

13 National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

14 Scatterometer (NSCAT), an instrument which lost 

15 power in 1997, 9 months after launch in September 

16 1996. 

17 (4) The QuikSCAT satellite has the operational 

18 objective of improving weather forecasts near coast19 lines by using wind data in numerical weather-and20 wave prediction, as well as improve hurricane warn21 ing and monitoring and acting as the next ‘‘El Nin ̃o 

22 watcher’’ for the National Aeronautics and Space 

23 Administration. 

24 (5) The QuikSCAT satellite was built in just 12 

25 months and was launched with a 3-year design life, 


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1 but continues to perform per specifications, with its 

2 backup transmitter, as it enters into its 8th year— 

3 5 years past its projected lifespan. 

4 (6) The QuikSCAT satellite provides daily cov5 erage of 90 percent of the world’s oceans, and its 

6 data has been a vital contribution to National 

7 Weather Service forecasts and warnings over water 

8 since 2000. 

9 (7) Despite its continuing performance, the 

10 QuikSCAT satellite is well beyond its expected de11 sign life and a replacement is urgently needed be12 cause, according to the National Hurricane Center. 

13 Without the QuikSCAT satellite— 

14 (A) hurricane forecasting would be— 

15 (i) 16 percent less accurate 72 hours 

16 before hurricane landfall, and therefore the 

17 area expected to be under hurricane dan18 ger would rise from 197 miles to 228 miles 

19 on average; and 

20 (ii) 10 percent less accurate 48 hours 

21 before hurricane landfall, and therefore the 

22 area expected to be under hurricane dan23 ger would rise from 136 miles to 150 miles 

24 on average; and 


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1 (B) greater inaccuracy of this type would 

2 lead to more ‘‘false alarm’’ evacuations along 

3 the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coast and decrease 

4 the possibility of impacted populations suffi5 ciently heeding mandatory evacuations. 

6 (8) According to recommendations in the Na7 tional Academy of Science’s report entitled ‘‘Decadal 

8 Survey’’, a next generation ocean surface wind vec9 tor satellite mission is needed during the three-year 

10 period beginning in 2013. 

11 (9) According to the National Hurricane Cen12 ter, a next generation ocean surface vector wind sat13 ellite is needed to take advantage of current tech14 nologies that already exist to overcome current limi15 tations of the QuikSCAT satellite and enhance the 

16 capabilities of the National Hurricane Center to bet17 ter warn coastal residents of possible hurricanes. 

18 SEC. 3. PROGRAM FOR IMPROVED OCEAN SURFACE WINDS 

19 VECTOR SATELLITE. 

20 (a) REQUIREMENT.—The Administrator of the Na21 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall, in 

22 consultation with the Administrator of the National Aero23 nautics and Space Administration and the head of any 

24 other department or agency of the Federal Government 

25 designated by the President for purposes of this section, 


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1 carry out a program for an improved ocean surface winds 

2 vector satellite. 

3 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the program re4 quired under subsection (a) shall be to provide for the de5 velopment of an improved ocean surface winds vector sat6 ellite in order to— 

7 (1) address science and application questions 

8 related to air-sea interaction and coastal circulation; 

9 (2) improve forecasting for hurricanes, coastal 

10 winds and storm surge, and other weather-related 

11 disasters; 

12 (3) ensure continuity of quality for satellite 

13 ocean surface vector wind measurements so that ex14 isting weather forecasting and warning capabilities 

15 are not degraded; 

16 (4) advance satellite ocean surface vector wind 

17 data capabilities; and 

18 (5) address such other matters as the Adminis19 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad20 ministration, in consultation with the Administrator 

21 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administra22 tion, considers appropriate. 

23 (c) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 

24 (1) REPORTS REQUIRED.—Not later than six 

25 months after the date of the enactment of this Act 


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1 and annually thereafter until the termination of the 

2 program required under subsection (a), the Adminis3 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad4 ministration shall submit to the Committee on Com5 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 

6 and the Committee on Science and Technology of 

7 the House of Representatives a report on the pro8 gram required under subsection (a). 

9 (2) ELEMENTS.—Each report under paragraph 

10 (1) shall include the following: 

11 (A) A current description of the program 

12 required under subsection (a), including the 

13 amount of funds expended for the program dur14 ing the period covered by such report and the 

15 purposes for which such funds were expended. 

16 (B) A description of the operational status 

17 of the satellite developed under the program, in18 cluding a description of the current capabilities 

19 of the satellite and current estimate of the an20 ticipated lifespan of the satellite. 

21 (C) A description of current and proposed 

22 uses of the satellite by the Federal Government, 

23 and academic, research, and other private enti24 ties, during the period covered by such report. 


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1 (D) Any other matters that the Adminis2 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

3 Administration, in consultation with the Admin4 istrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 

5 Administration, considers appropriate. 

6 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

7 are authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic 

8 and Atmospheric Administration $375,000,000 to carry 

9 out the program required under subsection (a). 

Æ 


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