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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5361 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5361

 To improve the lead time, accuracy, and dissemination of forecasts of 
    atmospheric rivers throughout the United States, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 20, 2024

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To improve the lead time, accuracy, and dissemination of forecasts of 
    atmospheric rivers throughout the United States, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Atmospheric River 
Forecasts Act''.

SEC. 2. ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the 
weather enterprise in the United States and institutions of higher 
education, shall establish an atmospheric river forecast improvement 
program (in this section referred to as the ``program'').
    (b) Program Elements.--In carrying out the program, the Under 
Secretary shall seek to reduce the loss of life and property and 
economic losses from atmospheric rivers through the development and 
extension of, and research on, accurate, effective, and actionable 
forecasts and warnings, including by--
            (1) establishing quantitative atmospheric river forecast 
        skill metrics that include the benefits of dynamical modeling, 
        data assimilation, and machine learning improvements in the 
        probabilistic forecasts of landfall location, extreme wind and 
        precipitation, and cascading impacts;
            (2) developing an atmospheric river forecast system within 
        a unified forecast system, and advancing next-generation 
        coupled modeling systems, with the capability of providing 
        seasonal to short-range atmospheric river forecasts that 
        include forecast of snow accumulation and other hydrologic 
        components;
            (3) advancing scientific understanding of the roles of 
        atmospheric rivers in subseasonal to seasonal precipitation and 
        probabilistic predictions at subseasonal and seasonal scales;
            (4) developing tools and improved forecast products to 
        predict periods of active or inactive atmospheric river 
        landfalls and inland penetration over the United States with a 
        focus on addressing stakeholder and public needs related to 
        perceiving, comprehending, and responding to atmospheric river 
        forecast improvements;
            (5) enhancing the transition of research to operations 
        through the testbeds of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration, including the evaluation of physical and social 
        science, technology, and other research to develop products and 
        services for implementation and use by relevant stakeholders; 
        and
            (6) incorporating social, behavioral, risk, communication, 
        and economic sciences, including by collecting voluntary data 
        regarding hazardous weather or water events.
    (c) Innovative Observations, Data Assimilation, and Modeling.--The 
Under Secretary shall ensure the program periodically examines, tests, 
and evaluates the value of incorporating innovative observations, such 
as observations from radar, observations from crewed or uncrewed 
aircraft, novel airborne and satellite-based measurements, data from 
ocean buoys, data from soil moisture monitoring systems, reservoir 
storage data, observations from mesonets, or any observations, 
measurements, or data from other emerging technologies, with respect to 
the improvement of atmospheric river analysis, modeling, forecasts, 
predictions, and warnings.
    (d) Improved Modeling.--
            (1) In general.--Under the program, the Under Secretary may 
        improve modeling for precipitation forecasts, with an emphasis 
        on forecasting for complex terrain.
            (2) Improved precipitation forecasts.--Improved 
        precipitation forecasts pursuant to improved modeling under 
        paragraph (1) should support improved water resource management 
        and resilience to extreme water-related events, from floods to 
        drought, which may include the use of enhanced streamflow 
        prediction.
            (3) Elements.--In improving modeling under paragraph (1), 
        the Under Secretary may--
                    (A) develop, test, and operationalize prototype 
                high-resolution Atmospheric River Analysis and 
                Forecasting System models through a research and 
                operations partnership with partners outside the 
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
                    (B) enhance data assimilation of current and new 
                satellite and ocean observations;
                    (C) improve data processing techniques;
                    (D) use artificial intelligence and machine 
                learning methods as applicable;
                    (E) ensure the surface and subsurface observations 
                of the ocean meet the needs of atmospheric river 
                analysis and forecasting predictions on time scales 
                from days, to weeks, to months, to seasons; and
                    (F) improve or establish baseline weather 
                monitoring service in areas that have historically 
                experienced, or are predicted to experience, 
                atmospheric rivers.
    (e) Atmospheric River Reconnaissance.--
            (1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall acquire and 
        sustain adequate crewed and uncrewed aircraft, scientific 
        equipment, and personnel necessary to meet mission requirements 
        annually from November 1 through March 31 to--
                    (A) ensure atmospheric river air reconnaissance 
                observations are available throughout the expected 
                seasons of atmospheric rivers;
                    (B) meet air reconnaissance and research mission 
                requirements of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration, including with respect to tropical 
                cyclones, high-impact weather, sea ice, atmospheric 
                chemistry, climate, air quality for public health, fire 
                weather research and operations, and other missions, 
                including marine animal surveys, post-damage surveys, 
                and coastal erosion reconnaissance;
                    (C) ensure data and information collected by the 
                aircraft are made available to all users for research 
                and operations purposes;
                    (D) participate in the research and operations 
                partnership that guides flight planning and uses 
                research methods to improve and expand the capabilities 
                and effectiveness of atmospheric river reconnaissance 
                over time;
                    (E) develop data management strategies to ensure 
                that data and metadata are adequately stewarded, 
                maintained, and archived in accordance with collective 
                benefit, authority to control, responsibility, and 
                ethics principles (commonly known as ``CARE'' 
                principles), findable, accessible, interoperable, and 
                reusable principles (commonly known as ``FAIR'' 
                principles), and the Foundations for Evidence-Based 
                Policymaking Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-435; 132 Stat. 
                5529) and the amendments made by that Act, and preserve 
                and curate such data and metadata in accordance with 
                chapter 31 of title 44, United States Code (commonly 
                known as the ``Federal Records Act of 1950'');
                    (F) maintain or establish within the Office of 
                Oceanic and Atmospheric Research not fewer than one 
                atmospheric river observatory, which shall include 
                water vapor flux analyses and forecasts, radar and 
                disdrometer precipitation analyses, and snow level 
                radars in all States along the West Coast of the United 
                States, including Alaska, to ensure equal and 
                comprehensive coverage of that region; and
                    (G) undertake such other additional activities as 
                the Under Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary 
                of the Air Force, considers appropriate to improve and 
                grow the atmospheric river reconnaissance mission.
    (f) Improved Atmospheric River Hazard Communication.--Under the 
program, the Under Secretary shall consider research and development 
activities to--
            (1) as appropriate, develop and refine methods to 
        categorize the intensity of atmospheric rivers on a 
        quantitative scale and the impacts of such a scale in hazard 
        communication;
            (2) develop best practices for communication of atmospheric 
        river events and hazards across regions of the United States;
            (3) gather information from areas prone to atmospheric 
        rivers regarding levels of knowledge and preparedness, 
        including responses to early forecasts and warnings by the 
        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
            (4) explore strategies and effectiveness of communicating 
        that atmospheric river events are beneficial at lower 
        intensities versus hazardous at higher intensities.
    (g) Program Plan.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of the Air Force or the Commander of the 53rd Weather 
Reconnaissance Squadron of the Air Force Reserve Command, shall--
            (1) develop a plan that details the specific research, 
        development, data acquisition, partnerships with institutions 
        of higher education, and technology transfer activities, as 
        well as corresponding resources and timelines, necessary to 
        achieve the goals of the program under subsection (b);
            (2) submit that plan to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
        and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 
        Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives; and
            (3) make that plan available to the public.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (2) Seasonal; subseasonal; under secretary; weather 
        enterprise.--The terms ``seasonal'', ``subseasonal'', ``Under 
        Secretary'', and ``weather enterprise'' have the meanings given 
        those terms in section 2 of the Weather Research and 
        Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501).
                                 <all>
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