II 

Calendar No. 29 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 141 

[Report No. 115–21] 

To improve understanding and forecasting of space weather events, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 12, 2017 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. WICKER, Ms. 

KLOBUCHAR, and Mr. NELSON) introduced the following bill; which was 

read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

MARCH 30, 2017 

Reported by Mr. THUNE, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To improve understanding and forecasting of space weather 

events, 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 ‘‘Space Weather Re5 search and Forecasting Act’’. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 141 RS

1 SEC. 2. SPACE WEATHER. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle VI of title 51, United 

3 States Code, is amended by adding after chapter 605 the 

4 following: 

5 ‘‘CHAPTER 607—SPACE WEATHER 

‘‘60701. Space weather. 

‘‘60702. Observations and forecasting. 

‘‘60703. Research and technology. 

‘‘60704. Space weather data. 

6 ‘‘§ 60701. Space weather 

7 ‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find8 ings: 

9 ‘‘(1) Space weather events pose a significant 

10 threat to humans working in the space environment 

11 and to modern technological systems. 

12 ‘‘(2) The effects of severe space weather events 

13 on the electric power grid, satellites and satellite 

14 communications and information, airline operations, 

15 astronauts living and working in space, and space16 based position, navigation, and timing systems could 

17 have significant societal, economic, national security, 

18 and health impacts. 

19 ‘‘(3) Earth and space observations provide cru20 cial data necessary to predict and warn about space 

21 weather events. 

22 ‘‘(4) Clear roles and accountability of Federal 

23 departments and agencies are critical for an efficient 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 141 RS

1 and effective response to threats posed by space 

2 weather. 

3 ‘‘(5) In October 2015, the National Science and 

4 Technology Council published a National Space 

5 Weather Strategy and a National Space Weather 

6 Action Plan seeking to integrate national space 

7 weather efforts and add new capabilities to meet in8 creasing demand for space weather information. 

9 ‘‘(b) FEDERAL AGENCY ROLES.— 

10 ‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

11 ‘‘(A) the National Oceanic and Atmos12 pheric Administration provides operational 

13 space weather forecasting and monitoring for 

14 civil applications, maintains ground and space15 based assets to provide observations needed for 

16 forecasting, prediction, and warnings, and de17 velops requirements for space weather fore18 casting technologies and science; 

19 ‘‘(B) the Department of Defense provides 

20 operational space weather forecasting, moni21 toring, and research for the department’s 

22 unique missions and applications; 

23 ‘‘(C) the National Aeronautics and Space 

24 Administration provides increased under25 standing of the fundamental physics of the 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 141 RS

1 Sun-Earth system through space-based observa2 tions and modeling, develops new space-based 

3 technologies and missions, and monitors space 

4 weather for NASA’s space missions; 

5 ‘‘(D) the National Science Foundation pro6 vides increased understanding of the Sun-Earth 

7 system through ground-based measurements, 

8 technologies, and modeling; 

9 ‘‘(E) the Department of the Interior col10 lects, distributes, and archives operational 

11 ground-based magnetometer data in the United 

12 States and its territories, and works with the 

13 international community to improve global geo14 physical monitoring and develops crustal con15 ductivity models to assess and mitigate risk 

16 from space weather induced electric ground cur17 rents; and 

18 ‘‘(F) the Federal Aviation Administration 

19 provides operational requirements for space 

20 weather services in support of aviation and for 

21 coordination of these requirements with the 

22 International Civil Aviation Organization, inte23 grates space weather data and products into the 

24 Next Generation Air Transportation System, 

25 and conducts real-time monitoring of the 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 141 RS

1 charged particle radiation environment to pro2 tect the health and safety of crew and pas3 sengers during space weather events. 

4 ‘‘(2) OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5 POLICY.—The Director of the Office of Science and 

6 Technology Policy shall— 

7 ‘‘(A) coordinate the development and im8 plementation of Federal Government activities 

9 to improve the Nation’s ability to prepare, 

10 avoid, mitigate, respond to, and recover from 

11 potentially devastating impacts of space weath12 er events; and 

13 ‘‘(B) coordinate the activities of the Na14 tional Space Weather Program members. 

15 ‘‘(c) SPACE WEATHER INTERAGENCY WORKING

16 GROUP.—In order to continue coordination of executive 

17 branch efforts to understand, prepare, coordinate, and 

18 plan for space weather, the National Science and Tech19 nology Council shall establish an interagency working 

20 group on space weather that includes representatives of 

21 the Federal agencies participating in the National Space 

22 Weather Program, and of other Federal agencies, as ap23 propriate. 

24 ‘‘(d) NATIONAL SPACE WEATHER PROGRAM.—In 

25 order to understand and respond to the adverse effects 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 141 RS

1 of space weather, the National Space Weather Program 

2 shall leverage capabilities across participating Federal 

3 agencies, including— 

4 ‘‘(1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad5 ministration; 

6 ‘‘(2) the National Aeronautics and Space Ad7 ministration; 

8 ‘‘(3) the National Science Foundation; 

9 ‘‘(4) the Department of Defense; 

10 ‘‘(5) the Department of the Interior; 

11 ‘‘(6) the Department of Homeland Security; 

12 ‘‘(7) the Department of Energy; 

13 ‘‘(8) the Department of Transportation, includ14 ing the Federal Aviation Administration; and 

15 ‘‘(9) the Department of State. 

16 ‘‘(e) INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS.— 

17 ‘‘(1) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

18 Congress that the interagency collaboration between 

19 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

20 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis21 tration on terrestrial weather observations pro22 vides— 

23 ‘‘(A) an effective mechanism for improving 

24 weather and climate data collection while avoidVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S141.RS S141

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 141 RS

1 ing unnecessary duplication of capabilities 

2 across Federal agencies; and 

3 ‘‘(B) an agency collaboration model that 

4 could benefit space weather observations. 

5 ‘‘(2) INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS.—The Ad6 ministrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 

7 Administration and the Administrator of the Na8 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall 

9 enter into one or more interagency agreements pro10 viding for cooperation and collaboration in the devel11 opment of space weather spacecraft, instruments, 

12 and technologies in accordance with this chapter. 

13 ‘‘§ 60702. Observations and forecasting 

14 ‘‘(a) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States 

15 to establish and sustain a baseline capability for space 

16 weather observations. 

17 ‘‘(b) INTEGRATED STRATEGY.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office 

19 of Science and Technology Policy, in coordination 

20 with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 

21 Atmospheric Administration, the Administrator of 

22 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 

23 the Director of the National Science Foundation, 

24 and the Secretary of Defense, and in consultation 

25 with the academic and commercial communities, 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 141 RS

1 shall develop an integrated strategy for solar and 

2 solar wind observations beyond the lifetime of cur3 rent assets, that considers— 

4 ‘‘(A) the provision of solar wind measure5 ments and other measurements essential to 

6 space weather forecasting; and 

7 ‘‘(B) the provision of solar and space 

8 weather measurements important for scientific 

9 purposes. 

10 ‘‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing the 

11 strategy under paragraph (1), the Director of the 

12 Office of Science and Technology Policy shall con13 sider small satellite options, hosted payloads, com14 mercial options, international options, and prize au15 thority. 

16 ‘‘(c) CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS.—In order to sustain 

17 current space-based observational capabilities, the Admin18 istrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis19 tration shall— 

20 ‘‘(1) in cooperation with the European Space 

21 Agency, maintain operations of the Solar and 

22 Heliospheric Observatory/Large Angle and Spec23 trometric Coronagraph (referred to in this section as 

24 ‘SOHO/LASCO’) for as long as the satellite con25 tinues to deliver quality observations; and 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(2) prioritize the reception of LASCO data. 

2 ‘‘(d) ADDITIONAL CAPABILITY FOR SOLAR IMAG3 ING.— 

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

5 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

6 shall secure reliable secondary capability for near 

7 real-time coronal mass ejection imagery. 

8 ‘‘(2) OPTIONS.—The Administrator of the Na9 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 

10 coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the 

11 Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 

12 Space Administration, shall develop options to build 

13 and deploy one or more instruments for near real14 time coronal mass ejection imagery. 

15 ‘‘(3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing options 

16 under paragraph (2), the Administrator of the Na17 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall 

18 consider commercial solutions, prize authority, aca19 demic and international partnerships, microsatellites, 

20 ground-based instruments, and opportunities to de21 ploy the instrument or instruments as a secondary 

22 payload on an upcoming planned launch. 

23 ‘‘(4) COSTS.—In implementing paragraph (1), 

24 the Administrator of the National Oceanic and AtVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S141.RS S141

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
10 

•S 141 RS

1 mospheric Administration shall prioritize a cost-ef2 fective solution. 

3 ‘‘(5) OPERATIONAL PLANNING.—The Adminis4 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad5 ministration shall develop an operational contingency 

6 plan to provide continuous space weather forecasting 

7 in the event of a SOHO/LASCO failure. 

8 ‘‘(6) BRIEFING.—Not later than 120 days after 

9 the date of enactment of the Space Weather Re10 search and Forecasting Act, the Administrator of 

11 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra12 tion shall provide a briefing to the Committee on 

13 Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen14 ate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech15 nology of the House of Representatives on the op16 tions for building and deploying the instrument or 

17 instruments described in paragraph (2) and the 

18 operational contingency plan developed under para19 graph (5). 

20 ‘‘(e) FOLLOW-ON SPACE-BASED OBSERVATIONS.— 

21 The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos22 pheric Administration, in coordination with the Secretary 

23 of Defense, shall develop requirements and a plan for fol24 low-on space-based observations for operational purposes, 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
11 

•S 141 RS

1 in accordance with the integrated strategy developed 

2 under subsection (b). 

3 ‘‘(f) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 

4 date of enactment of the Space Weather Research and 

5 Forecasting Act, the Director of the Office of Science and 

6 Technology Policy shall submit to the Committee on Com7 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 

8 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 

9 House of Representatives a report on the integrated strat10 egy under subsection (b), including the plans for follow11 on space-based observations under subsection (e). 

12 ‘‘(g) GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS.—The Na13 tional Science Foundation, the Air Force, and where prac14 ticable in support of the Air Force, the Navy shall each— 

15 ‘‘(1) maintain and improve, as necessary and 

16 advisable, ground-based observations of the Sun in 

17 order to help meet the priorities identified in section 

18 60703(a); and 

19 ‘‘(2) provide space weather data by means of its 

20 set of ground-based facilities, including radars, 

21 lidars, magnetometers, radio receivers, aurora and 

22 airglow imagers, spectrometers, interferometers, and 

23 solar observatories. 

24 ‘‘(h) GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS DATA.—The 

25 National Science Foundation shall— 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
12 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(1) provide key data streams from the plat2 forms described in subsection (g) for research and to 

3 support space weather model development; 

4 ‘‘(2) develop experimental models for scientific 

5 purposes; and 

6 ‘‘(3) support the transition of the experimental 

7 models to operations where appropriate. 

8 ‘‘§ 60703. Research and technology 

9 ‘‘(a) USER NEEDS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

11 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

12 the Secretary of the Air Force, and where prac13 ticable in support of the Air Force, the Secretary of 

14 the Navy, in conjunction with the heads of other rel15 evant Federal agencies, shall conduct a comprehen16 sive survey to identify and prioritize the needs of 

17 space weather forecast users, including space weath18 er data and space weather forecast data needed to 

19 improve services and inform research priorities and 

20 technology needs. 

21 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—In conducting the com22 prehensive survey under paragraph (1), the Adminis23 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad24 ministration, the Secretary of the Air Force, and 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
13 

•S 141 RS

1 where practicable in support of the Air Force, the 

2 Secretary of the Navy, at a minimum, shall— 

3 ‘‘(A) consider the goals for forecast lead 

4 time, accuracy, coverage, timeliness, data rate, 

5 and data quality for space weather observa6 tions; 

7 ‘‘(B) identify opportunities to address the 

8 needs identified under paragraph (1) through 

9 collaborations with academia, the private sector, 

10 and the international community; 

11 ‘‘(C) identify opportunities for new tech12 nologies and instrumentation to address the 

13 needs identified under paragraph (1); and 

14 ‘‘(D) publish a report on the findings 

15 under subparagraphs (A) through (C). 

16 ‘‘(3) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 1 year 

17 after the date of enactment of the Space Weather 

18 Research and Forecasting Act, the Administrator of 

19 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra20 tion, the Secretary of the Air Force, and where prac21 ticable in support of the Air Force, the Secretary of 

22 the Navy, shall— 

23 ‘‘(A) make the results of the comprehen24 sive survey publicly available; and 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
14 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(B) notify the Committee on Commerce, 

2 Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 

3 the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech4 nology of the House of Representatives of the 

5 publication under subparagraph (A). 

6 ‘‘(b) RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.— 

7 ‘‘(1) BASIC RESEARCH.—As part of the Na8 tional Space Weather Program, the Director of the 

9 National Science Foundation, Administrator of the 

10 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and 

11 Secretary of Defense shall continue to carry out 

12 basic research activities on heliophysics, geospace 

13 science, and space weather and support competitive, 

14 merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for research, 

15 modeling, and monitoring of space weather and its 

16 impacts, including science goals outlined in Solar 

17 and Space Physics Decadal surveys conducted by the 

18 National Academy of Sciences. 

19 ‘‘(2) MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH.— 

20 ‘‘(A) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that the 

21 multidisciplinary nature of solar and space 

22 physics creates funding challenges that require 

23 coordination across scientific disciplines and 

24 Federal agencies. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
15 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(B) MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH.—As 

2 part of the National Space Weather Program, 

3 the Director of the National Science Founda4 tion, the Administrator of the National Oceanic 

5 and Atmospheric Administration, and the Ad6 ministrator of the National Aeronautics and 

7 Space Administration shall pursue multidisci8 plinary research in subjects that further our 

9 understanding of solar physics, space physics, 

10 and space weather. 

11 ‘‘(C) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the 

12 sense of Congress that the Administrator of the 

13 National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

14 and Director of the National Science Founda15 tion should support competitively awarded 

16 Heliophysics Science Centers. 

17 ‘‘(c) SCIENCE MISSIONS.—The Administrator of the 

18 National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall seek 

19 to implement missions that meet the science objectives 

20 identified in Solar and Space Physics Decadal surveys con21 ducted by the National Academy of Sciences. 

22 ‘‘(d) RESEARCH TO OPERATIONS.— 

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

24 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 

25 Director of the National Science Foundation, the 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
16 

•S 141 RS

1 Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos2 pheric Administration, the Secretary of the Air 

3 Force, and where practicable in support of the Air 

4 Force, the Secretary of the Navy, shall— 

5 ‘‘(A) develop a formal mechanism to tran6 sition National Aeronautics and Space Adminis7 tration, National Science Foundation, Air 

8 Force, and Navy research findings, models, and 

9 capabilities, as appropriate, to National Oceanic 

10 and Atmospheric Administration and Depart11 ment of Defense space weather operational fore12 casting centers; and 

13 ‘‘(B) enhance coordination between re14 search modeling centers and forecasting cen15 ters. 

16 ‘‘(2) OPERATIONAL NEEDS.—The Adminis17 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad18 ministration and the Secretary of Defense, in coordi19 nation with the Administrator of the National Aero20 nautics and Space Administration and the Director 

21 of the National Science Foundation, shall develop a 

22 formal mechanism to communicate the operational 

23 needs of space weather forecasters to the research 

24 community. 

25 ‘‘(e) TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT.— 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
17 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that observa2 tions and measurements closer to the Sun and ad3 vanced instrumentation would provide for more ad4 vanced warning of space weather disturbances (as 

5 defined in section 3 of the Space Weather Research 

6 and Forecasting Act). 

7 ‘‘(2) TECHNOLOGY AND INSTRUMENTATION DE8 VELOPMENT.—The Administrator of the National 

9 Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Di10 rector of the National Science Foundation shall sup11 port the development of technologies and instrumen12 tation to improve space weather forecasting lead13 time and accuracy to meet the needs identified by 

14 the Administrator of the National Oceanic and At15 mospheric Administration. 

16 ‘‘§ 60704. Space weather data 

17 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na18 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Di19 rector of the National Science Foundation shall— 

20 ‘‘(1) make space weather related data obtained 

21 for scientific research purposes available to space 

22 weather forecasters and operations centers; and 

23 ‘‘(2) support model development and model ap24 plications to space weather forecasting. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
18 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(b) RESEARCH.—The Administrator of the National 

2 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall make space 

3 weather related data obtained from operational forecasting 

4 available for scientific research.’’. 

5 (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

6 (1) REPEAL OF SECTION 809.—Section 809 of 

7 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

8 Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18388) and 

9 the item relating to that section in the table of con10 tents under section 1(b) of that Act (124 Stat. 

11 2806) are repealed. 

12 (2) TABLE OF CHAPTERS.—The table of chap13 ters of title 51, United States Code, is amended by 

14 adding after the item relating to chapter 605 the fol15 lowing: 

‘‘607. Space weather ................................................................................ 60701’’. 

16 SEC. 3. SPACE WEATHER METRICS. 

17 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

18 (1) SPACE WEATHER DISTURBANCE.—The term 

19 ‘‘space weather disturbance’’ includes geo-electric 

20 fields, ionizing radiation, ionospheric disturbances, 

21 solar radio bursts, and upper atmospheric expansion. 

22 (2) SPACE WEATHER BENCHMARK.—The term 

23 ‘‘space weather benchmark’’ means the physical 

24 characteristics and conditions describing the nature, 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
19 

•S 141 RS

1 frequency, and intensity of space weather disturb2 ances. 

3 (b) BENCHMARKS.— 

4 (1) PRELIMINARY.—Not later than 90 days 

5 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Space 

6 Weather Interagency Working Group, established 

7 under section 60701 of title 51, United States Code, 

8 in consultation with academic and commercial ex9 perts, shall— 

10 (A) assess existing data, the historical 

11 record, models, and peer-reviewed studies on 

12 space weather; and 

13 (B) develop preliminary benchmarks, based 

14 on current scientific understanding and the his15 torical record, for measuring solar disturbances. 

16 (2) FINAL.—Not later than 18 months after 

17 the date the preliminary benchmarks are developed 

18 under paragraph (1), the Space Weather Inter19 agency Working Group shall publish final bench20 marks. 

21 (3) REVIEW.—The Administrator of the Na22 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration shall 

23 contract with the National Academy of Sciences to 

24 review the benchmarks established under paragraph 

25 (2). 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
20 

•S 141 RS

1 (4) REVISIONS.—The Space Weather Inter2 agency Working Group shall update and revise the 

3 final benchmarks under paragraph (2), as necessary, 

4 based on— 

5 (A) the results of the review under para6 graph (3); 

7 (B) any significant new data or advances 

8 in scientific understanding that become avail9 able; or 

10 (C) the evolving needs of entities impacted 

11 by solar disturbances. 

12 SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na14 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in con15 sultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agen16 cies, shall provide information about space weather haz17 ards to the Secretary of Homeland Security for purposes 

18 of this section. 

19 (b) CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.—The Secretary of 

20 Homeland Security, in consultation with sector-specific 

21 agencies, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 

22 Atmospheric Administration, and the heads of other rel23 evant agencies, shall— 

24 (1) include, in meeting national critical infra25 structure reporting requirements, an assessment of 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
21 

•S 141 RS

1 the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to space 

2 weather events, as described by the space weather 

3 benchmarks under section 3; and 

4 (2) support critical infrastructure providers in 

5 managing the risks and impacts associated with 

6 space weather. 

7 (c) PROHIBITION ON NEW REGULATORY AUTHOR8 ITY.—Nothing in subsection (b) may be construed to grant 

9 the Secretary of Homeland Security any authority to pro10 mulgate regulations that was not in effect on the day be11 fore the date of enactment of this Act. 

12 (d) DEFINITION OF SECTOR-SPECIFIC AGENCY.—In 

13 this section, the term ‘‘sector-specific agency’’ has the 

14 meaning given the term in Presidential Policy Directive– 

15 21 of February 12, 2013 (Critical Infrastructure Security 

16 and Resilience), or any successor. 

17 SEC. 5. PROTECTION OF NATIONAL SECURITY ASSETS. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—The National Security Council, in 

19 consultation with the Office of the Director of National 

20 Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of 

21 other relevant Federal agencies, shall— 

22 (1) assess the vulnerability of the national secu23 rity community to space weather events, as described 

24 by the space weather benchmarks under section 3; 

25 and 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
22 

•S 141 RS

1 (2) develop national security mechanisms to 

2 protection national security assets from space weath3 er threats. 

4 (b) COOPERATION.—The Secretary of Defense, in 

5 consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal 

6 agencies, shall provide information about space weather 

7 hazards to the National Security Council, Director of Na8 tional Intelligence, and heads of Defense Agencies for pur9 poses of this section. 

10 SEC. 6. ENSURING THE SAFETY OF CIVIL AVIATION. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 

12 Aviation Administration, in consultation with the heads of 

13 other relevant Federal agencies, shall— 

14 (1) assess the safety implications and vulner15 ability of the national airspace system by space 

16 weather events, as described by the space weather 

17 benchmarks under section 3; 

18 (2) assess methods to mitigate the safety impli19 cations and effects of space weather on aviation 

20 communication systems, aircraft navigation systems, 

21 satellite and ground-based navigation systems, and 

22 potential health effects of radiation exposure; and 

23 (3) assess options for incorporating space 

24 weather into operational training for pilots, cabin 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
23 

•S 141 RS

1 crew, dispatchers, air traffic controllers, meteorolo2 gists, and engineers. 

3 (b) SPACE WEATHER COMMUNICATION.—The Ad4 ministrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in 

5 consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal 

6 agencies, shall develop methods to increase the interaction 

7 between the aviation community and the space weather re8 search and service provider community. 

9 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

10 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Space Weather Research 

11 and Forecasting Act’’. 

12 SEC. 2. SPACE WEATHER. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle VI of title 51, United 

14 States Code, is amended by adding after chapter 605 the 

15 following: 

16 ‘‘CHAPTER 607—SPACE WEATHER 

‘‘60701. Space weather. 

‘‘60702. Observations and forecasting. 

‘‘60703. Research and technology. 

‘‘60704. Space weather data. 

17 ‘‘§ 60701. Space weather 

18 ‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find19 ings: 

20 ‘‘(1) Space weather events pose a significant 

21 threat to humans working in the space environment 

22 and to modern technological systems. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
24 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(2) The effects of severe space weather events on 

2 the electric power grid, satellites and satellite commu3 nications and information, airline operations, astro4 nauts living and working in space, and space-based 

5 position, navigation, and timing systems could have 

6 significant societal, economic, national security, and 

7 health impacts. 

8 ‘‘(3) Earth and space observations provide cru9 cial data necessary to predict and warn about space 

10 weather events. 

11 ‘‘(4) Clear roles and accountability of Federal 

12 departments and agencies are critical for an efficient 

13 and effective response to threats posed by space weath14 er. 

15 ‘‘(5) In October 2015, the National Science and 

16 Technology Council published a National Space 

17 Weather Strategy and a National Space Weather Ac18 tion Plan seeking to integrate national space weather 

19 efforts and add new capabilities to meet increasing 

20 demand for space weather information. 

21 ‘‘(b) FEDERAL AGENCY ROLES.— 

22 ‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

23 ‘‘(A) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

24 Administration provides operational space 

25 weather forecasting and monitoring for civil apVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S141.RS S141

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
25 

•S 141 RS

1 plications, maintains ground and space-based 

2 assets to provide observations needed for fore3 casting, prediction, and warnings, and develops 

4 requirements for space weather forecasting tech5 nologies and science; 

6 ‘‘(B) the Department of Defense provides 

7 operational space weather forecasting, moni8 toring, and research for the department’s unique 

9 missions and applications; 

10 ‘‘(C) the National Aeronautics and Space 

11 Administration provides increased under12 standing of the fundamental physics of the Sun13 Earth system through space-based observations 

14 and modeling, develops new space-based tech15 nologies and missions, and monitors space 

16 weather for NASA’s space missions; 

17 ‘‘(D) the National Science Foundation pro18 vides increased understanding of the Sun-Earth 

19 system through ground-based measurements, 

20 technologies, and modeling; 

21 ‘‘(E) the Department of the Interior collects, 

22 distributes, and archives operational ground23 based magnetometer data in the United States 

24 and its territories, and works with the inter25 national community to improve global geoVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S141.RS S141

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
26 

•S 141 RS

1 physical monitoring and develops crustal con2 ductivity models to assess and mitigate risk from 

3 space weather induced electric ground currents; 

4 and 

5 ‘‘(F) the Federal Aviation Administration 

6 provides operational requirements for space 

7 weather services in support of aviation and for 

8 coordination of these requirements with the 

9 International Civil Aviation Organization, inte10 grates space weather data and products into the 

11 Next Generation Air Transportation System, 

12 and conducts real-time monitoring of the charged 

13 particle radiation environment to protect the 

14 health and safety of crew and passengers during 

15 space weather events. 

16 ‘‘(2) OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POL17 ICY.—The Director of the Office of Science and Tech18 nology Policy shall— 

19 ‘‘(A) coordinate the development and imple20 mentation of Federal Government activities to 

21 improve the Nation’s ability to prepare, avoid, 

22 mitigate, respond to, and recover from poten23 tially devastating impacts of space weather 

24 events; and 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
27 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(B) coordinate the activities of the space 

2 weather interagency working group established 

3 under subsection (c). 

4 ‘‘(c) SPACE WEATHER INTERAGENCY WORKING

5 GROUP.—In order to continue coordination of executive 

6 branch efforts to understand, prepare, coordinate, and plan 

7 for space weather, the National Science and Technology 

8 Council shall establish an interagency working group on 

9 space weather. 

10 ‘‘(d) MEMBERSHIP.—In order to understand and re11 spond to the adverse effects of space weather, the interagency 

12 working group established under subsection (c) shall lever13 age capabilities across participating Federal agencies, in14 cluding— 

15 ‘‘(1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad16 ministration; 

17 ‘‘(2) the National Aeronautics and Space Ad18 ministration; 

19 ‘‘(3) the National Science Foundation; 

20 ‘‘(4) the Department of Defense; 

21 ‘‘(5) the Department of the Interior; 

22 ‘‘(6) the Department of Homeland Security; 

23 ‘‘(7) the Department of Energy; 

24 ‘‘(8) the Department of Transportation, includ25 ing the Federal Aviation Administration; and 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
28 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(9) the Department of State. 

2 ‘‘(e) INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

4 Congress that the interagency collaboration between 

5 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

6 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis7 tration on terrestrial weather observations provides— 

8 ‘‘(A) an effective mechanism for improving 

9 weather and climate data collection while avoid10 ing unnecessary duplication of capabilities 

11 across Federal agencies; and 

12 ‘‘(B) an agency collaboration model that 

13 could benefit space weather observations. 

14 ‘‘(2) INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS.—The Admin15 istrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad16 ministration and the Administrator of the National 

17 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall enter 

18 into one or more interagency agreements providing 

19 for cooperation and collaboration in the development 

20 of space weather spacecraft, instruments, and tech21 nologies in accordance with this chapter. 

22 ‘‘§ 60702. Observations and forecasting 

23 ‘‘(a) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to 

24 establish and sustain a baseline capability for space weath25 er observations. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
29 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(b) INTEGRATED STRATEGY.— 

2 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of 

3 Science and Technology Policy, in coordination with 

4 the Administrator of the National Oceanic and At5 mospheric Administration, the Administrator of the 

6 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 

7 Director of the National Science Foundation, and the 

8 Secretary of Defense, and in consultation with the 

9 academic and commercial communities, shall develop 

10 an integrated strategy for solar and solar wind obser11 vations beyond the lifetime of current assets, that con12 siders— 

13 ‘‘(A) the provision of solar wind measure14 ments and other measurements essential to space 

15 weather forecasting; and 

16 ‘‘(B) the provision of solar and space weath17 er measurements important for scientific pur18 poses. 

19 ‘‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing the strat20 egy under paragraph (1), the Director of the Office of 

21 Science and Technology Policy shall consider small 

22 satellite options, hosted payloads, commercial options, 

23 international options, and prize authority. 

24 ‘‘(c) CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS.—In order to sustain 

25 current space-based observational capabilities, the AdminisVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S141.RS S141

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
30 

•S 141 RS

1 trator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administra2 tion shall— 

3 ‘‘(1) in cooperation with the European Space 

4 Agency, maintain operations of the Solar and 

5 Heliospheric Observatory/Large Angle and Spec6 trometric Coronagraph (referred to in this section as 

7 ‘SOHO/LASCO’) for as long as the satellite continues 

8 to deliver quality observations; and 

9 ‘‘(2) prioritize the reception of LASCO data. 

10 ‘‘(d) ADDITIONAL CAPABILITY FOR SOLAR IMAGING.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

12 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

13 shall secure reliable secondary capability for near 

14 real-time coronal mass ejection imagery. 

15 ‘‘(2) OPTIONS.—The Administrator of the Na16 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 

17 coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the 

18 Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 

19 Administration, shall develop options to build and de20 ploy one or more instruments for near real-time cor21 onal mass ejection imagery. 

22 ‘‘(3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing options 

23 under paragraph (2), the Administrator of the Na24 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall 

25 consider commercial solutions, prize authority, acaVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S141.RS S141

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
31 

•S 141 RS

1 demic and international partnerships, microsatellites, 

2 ground-based instruments, and opportunities to de3 ploy the instrument or instruments as a secondary 

4 payload on an upcoming planned launch. 

5 ‘‘(4) COSTS.—In implementing paragraph (1), 

6 the Administrator of the National Oceanic and At7 mospheric Administration shall prioritize a cost-effec8 tive solution. 

9 ‘‘(5) OPERATIONAL PLANNING.—The Adminis10 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad11 ministration shall develop an operational contingency 

12 plan to provide continuous space weather forecasting 

13 in the event of a SOHO/LASCO failure. 

14 ‘‘(6) BRIEFING.—Not later than 120 days after 

15 the date of enactment of the Space Weather Research 

16 and Forecasting Act, the Administrator of the Na17 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall 

18 provide a briefing to the Committee on Commerce, 

19 Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 

20 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 

21 House of Representatives on the options for building 

22 and deploying the instrument or instruments de23 scribed in paragraph (2) and the operational contin24 gency plan developed under paragraph (5). 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
32 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(e) FOLLOW-ON SPACE-BASED OBSERVATIONS.—The 

2 Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

3 Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of De4 fense, shall develop requirements and a plan for follow-on 

5 space-based observations for operational purposes, in ac6 cordance with the integrated strategy developed under sub7 section (b). 

8 ‘‘(f) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

9 of enactment of the Space Weather Research and Fore10 casting Act, the Director of the Office of Science and Tech11 nology Policy shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 

12 Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Com13 mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 

14 Representatives a report on the integrated strategy under 

15 subsection (b), including the plans for follow-on space-based 

16 observations under subsection (e). 

17 ‘‘(g) GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS.—The National 

18 Science Foundation, the Air Force, and where practicable 

19 in support of the Air Force, the Navy shall each— 

20 ‘‘(1) maintain and improve, as necessary and 

21 advisable, ground-based observations of the Sun in 

22 order to help meet the priorities identified in section 

23 60703(a); and 

24 ‘‘(2) provide space weather data by means of its 

25 set of ground-based facilities, including radars, lidars, 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
33 

•S 141 RS

1 magnetometers, radio receivers, aurora and airglow 

2 imagers, spectrometers, interferometers, and solar ob3 servatories. 

4 ‘‘(h) GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS DATA.—The Na5 tional Science Foundation shall— 

6 ‘‘(1) provide key data streams from the platforms 

7 described in subsection (g) for research and to support 

8 space weather model development; 

9 ‘‘(2) develop experimental models for scientific 

10 purposes; and 

11 ‘‘(3) support the transition of the experimental 

12 models to operations where appropriate. 

13 ‘‘§ 60703. Research and technology 

14 ‘‘(a) USER NEEDS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

16 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

17 the Secretary of the Air Force, and where practicable 

18 in support of the Air Force, the Secretary of the 

19 Navy, in conjunction with the heads of other relevant 

20 Federal agencies, shall conduct a comprehensive sur21 vey to identify and prioritize the needs of space 

22 weather forecast users, including space weather data 

23 and space weather forecast data needed to improve 

24 services and inform research priorities and technology 

25 needs. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
34 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—In conducting the comprehen2 sive survey under paragraph (1), the Administrator 

3 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra4 tion, the Secretary of the Air Force, and where prac5 ticable in support of the Air Force, the Secretary of 

6 the Navy, at a minimum, shall— 

7 ‘‘(A) consider the goals for forecast lead 

8 time, accuracy, coverage, timeliness, data rate, 

9 and data quality for space weather observations; 

10 ‘‘(B) identify opportunities to address the 

11 needs identified under paragraph (1) through 

12 collaborations with academia, the private sector, 

13 and the international community; 

14 ‘‘(C) identify opportunities for new tech15 nologies and instrumentation to address the 

16 needs identified under paragraph (1); and 

17 ‘‘(D) publish a report on the findings under 

18 subparagraphs (A) through (C). 

19 ‘‘(3) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 1 year after 

20 the date of enactment of the Space Weather Research 

21 and Forecasting Act, the Administrator of the Na22 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 

23 Secretary of the Air Force, and where practicable in 

24 support of the Air Force, the Secretary of the Navy, 

25 shall— 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
35 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(A) make the results of the comprehensive 

2 survey publicly available; and 

3 ‘‘(B) notify the Committee on Commerce, 

4 Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 

5 the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech6 nology of the House of Representatives of the 

7 publication under subparagraph (A). 

8 ‘‘(b) RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.— 

9 ‘‘(1) BASIC RESEARCH.—The Director of the Na10 tional Science Foundation, Administrator of the Na11 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, and 

12 Secretary of Defense shall continue to carry out basic 

13 research activities on heliophysics, geospace science, 

14 and space weather and support competitive, merit15 based, peer-reviewed proposals for research, modeling, 

16 and monitoring of space weather and its impacts, in17 cluding science goals outlined in Solar and Space 

18 Physics Decadal surveys conducted by the National 

19 Academy of Sciences. 

20 ‘‘(2) MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH.— 

21 ‘‘(A) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that the 

22 multidisciplinary nature of solar and space 

23 physics creates funding challenges that require 

24 coordination across scientific disciplines and 

25 Federal agencies. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
36 

•S 141 RS

1 ‘‘(B) MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH.—The 

2 Director of the National Science Foundation, the 

3 Administrator of the National Oceanic and At4 mospheric Administration, and the Adminis5 trator of the National Aeronautics and Space 

6 Administration shall pursue multidisciplinary 

7 research in subjects that further our under8 standing of solar physics, space physics, and 

9 space weather. 

10 ‘‘(C) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense 

11 of Congress that the Administrator of the Na12 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration 

13 and Director of the National Science Foundation 

14 should support competitively awarded 

15 Heliophysics Science Centers. 

16 ‘‘(c) SCIENCE MISSIONS.—The Administrator of the 

17 National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall seek 

18 to implement missions that meet the science objectives iden19 tified in Solar and Space Physics Decadal surveys con20 ducted by the National Academy of Sciences. 

21 ‘‘(d) RESEARCH TO OPERATIONS.— 

22 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

23 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 

24 Director of the National Science Foundation, the Ad25 ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
37 

•S 141 RS

1 Administration, the Secretary of the Air Force, and 

2 where practicable in support of the Air Force, the 

3 Secretary of the Navy, shall— 

4 ‘‘(A) develop a formal mechanism to transi5 tion National Aeronautics and Space Adminis6 tration, National Science Foundation, Air Force, 

7 and Navy research findings, models, and capa8 bilities, as appropriate, to National Oceanic and 

9 Atmospheric Administration and Department of 

10 Defense space weather operational forecasting 

11 centers; and 

12 ‘‘(B) enhance coordination between research 

13 modeling centers and forecasting centers. 

14 ‘‘(2) OPERATIONAL NEEDS.—The Administrator 

15 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra16 tion and the Secretary of Defense, in coordination 

17 with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 

18 and Space Administration and the Director of the 

19 National Science Foundation, shall develop a formal 

20 mechanism to communicate the operational needs of 

21 space weather forecasters to the research community. 

22 ‘‘(e) TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT.— 

23 ‘‘(1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that observa24 tions and measurements closer to the Sun and ad25 vanced instrumentation would provide for more adVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S141.RS S141

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
38 

•S 141 RS

1 vanced warning of space weather disturbances (as de2 fined in section 3 of the Space Weather Research and 

3 Forecasting Act). 

4 ‘‘(2) TECHNOLOGY AND INSTRUMENTATION DE5 VELOPMENT.—The Administrator of the National Aer6 onautics and Space Administration and the Director 

7 of the National Science Foundation shall support the 

8 development of technologies and instrumentation to 

9 improve space weather forecasting lead-time and ac10 curacy to meet the needs identified by the Adminis11 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad12 ministration. 

13 ‘‘§ 60704. Space weather data 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the National 

15 Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Director of 

16 the National Science Foundation shall— 

17 ‘‘(1) make space weather related data obtained 

18 for scientific research purposes available to space 

19 weather forecasters and operations centers; and 

20 ‘‘(2) support model development and model ap21 plications to space weather forecasting. 

22 ‘‘(b) RESEARCH.—The Administrator of the National 

23 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall make space 

24 weather related data obtained from operational forecasting 

25 available for scientific research.’’. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
39 

•S 141 RS

1 (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

2 (1) REPEAL OF SECTION 809.—Section 809 of the 

3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Au4 thorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18388) and the 

5 item relating to that section in the table of contents 

6 under section 1(b) of that Act (124 Stat. 2806) are 

7 repealed. 

8 (2) TABLE OF CHAPTERS.—The table of chapters 

9 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding 

10 after the item relating to chapter 605 the following: 

‘‘607. Space weather ........................................................................................ 60701’’. 

11 SEC. 3. SPACE WEATHER METRICS. 

12 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 (1) SPACE WEATHER DISTURBANCE.—The term 

14 ‘‘space weather disturbance’’ includes geo-electric 

15 fields, ionizing radiation, ionospheric disturbances, 

16 solar radio bursts, and upper atmospheric expansion. 

17 (2) SPACE WEATHER BENCHMARK.—The term 

18 ‘‘space weather benchmark’’ means the physical char19 acteristics and conditions describing the nature, fre20 quency, and intensity of space weather disturbances. 

21 (b) BENCHMARKS.— 

22 (1) PRELIMINARY.—Not later than 90 days after 

23 the date of enactment of this Act, the Space Weather 

24 Interagency Working Group, established under section 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
40 

•S 141 RS

1 60701 of title 51, United States Code, in consultation 

2 with academic and commercial experts, shall— 

3 (A) assess existing data, the historical 

4 record, models, and peer-reviewed studies on 

5 space weather; and 

6 (B) develop preliminary benchmarks, based 

7 on current scientific understanding and the his8 torical record, for measuring solar disturbances. 

9 (2) FINAL.—Not later than 18 months after the 

10 date the preliminary benchmarks are developed under 

11 paragraph (1), the Space Weather Interagency Work12 ing Group shall publish final benchmarks. 

13 (3) REVIEW.—The Administrator of the National 

14 Aeronautics and Space Administration shall contract 

15 with the National Academy of Sciences to review the 

16 benchmarks established under paragraph (2). 

17 (4) REVISIONS.—The Space Weather Interagency 

18 Working Group shall update and revise the final 

19 benchmarks under paragraph (2), as necessary, based 

20 on— 

21 (A) the results of the review under para22 graph (3); 

23 (B) any significant new data or advances 

24 in scientific understanding that become avail25 able; or 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
41 

•S 141 RS

1 (C) the evolving needs of entities impacted 

2 by solar disturbances. 

3 SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the National 

5 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation 

6 with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall pro7 vide information about space weather hazards to the Sec8 retary of Homeland Security for purposes of this section. 

9 (b) CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.—The Secretary of 

10 Homeland Security, in consultation with sector-specific 

11 agencies, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and At12 mospheric Administration, and the heads of other relevant 

13 agencies, shall— 

14 (1) include, in meeting national critical infra15 structure reporting requirements, an assessment of the 

16 vulnerability of critical infrastructure to space weath17 er events, as described by the space weather bench18 marks under section 3; and 

19 (2) support critical infrastructure providers in 

20 managing the risks and impacts associated with space 

21 weather. 

22 (c) PROHIBITION ON NEW REGULATORY AUTHOR23 ITY.—Nothing in subsection (b) may be construed to grant 

24 the Secretary of Homeland Security any authority to proVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S141.RS S141

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
42 

•S 141 RS

1 mulgate regulations that was not in effect on the day before 

2 the date of enactment of this Act. 

3 (d) DEFINITION OF SECTOR-SPECIFIC AGENCY.—In 

4 this section, the term ‘‘sector-specific agency’’ has the mean5 ing given the term in Presidential Policy Directive–21 of 

6 February 12, 2013 (Critical Infrastructure Security and 

7 Resilience), or any successor. 

8 SEC. 5. PROTECTION OF NATIONAL SECURITY ASSETS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The National Security Council, in 

10 consultation with the Office of the Director of National In11 telligence, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other 

12 relevant Federal agencies, shall— 

13 (1) assess the vulnerability of the national secu14 rity community to space weather events, as described 

15 by the space weather benchmarks under section 3; and 

16 (2) develop national security mechanisms to pro17 tection national security assets from space weather 

18 threats. 

19 (b) COOPERATION.—The Secretary of Defense, in con20 sultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, 

21 shall provide information about space weather hazards to 

22 the National Security Council, Director of National Intel23 ligence, and heads of Defense Agencies for purposes of this 

24 section. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
43 

•S 141 RS

1 SEC. 6. ENSURING THE SAFETY OF CIVIL AVIATION. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 

3 Aviation Administration, in consultation with the heads of 

4 other relevant Federal agencies, shall— 

5 (1) assess the safety implications and vulner6 ability of the national airspace system by space 

7 weather events, as described by the space weather 

8 benchmarks under section 3; 

9 (2) assess methods to mitigate the safety implica10 tions and effects of space weather on aviation commu11 nication systems, aircraft navigation systems, satellite 

12 and ground-based navigation systems, and potential 

13 health effects of radiation exposure; and 

14 (3) assess options for incorporating space weath15 er into operational training for pilots, cabin crew, 

16 dispatchers, air traffic controllers, meteorologists, and 

17 engineers. 

18 (b) SPACE WEATHER COMMUNICATION.—The Admin19 istrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in con20 sultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, 

21 shall develop methods to increase the interaction between 

22 the aviation community and the space weather research and 

23 service provider community. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 29 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 141 

[Report No. 115–21] 

A BILL 

To improve understanding and forecasting of space 

weather events, and for other purposes. 

MARCH 30, 2017 

Reported with an amendment 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS