IC 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2058 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 2, 2016 

Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

AN ACT 

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. 

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

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1 SECTION 1. STUDY ON GAPS IN NEXRAD COVERAGE AND 

2 REQUIREMENT FOR PLAN TO ADDRESS SUCH 

3 GAPS. 

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

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

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

7 of Commerce shall complete a study on gaps in the 

8 coverage of the Next Generation Weather Radar of 

9 the National Weather Service (referred to in this 

10 section as ‘‘NEXRAD’’). 

11 (2) ELEMENTS.—In conducting the study re12 quired under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 

13 (A) identify areas in the United States 

14 with limited or no NEXRAD coverage below 

15 6,000 feet above ground level of the sur16 rounding terrain; 

17 (B) for the areas identified under subpara18 graph (A)— 

19 (i) identify the key weather effects for 

20 which prediction would improve with im21 proved radar detection; 

22 (ii) identify additional sources of ob23 servations for high impact weather that 

24 were available and operational for such 

25 areas on the day before the date of the en26 actment of this Act, including Terminal 

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1 Doppler Weather Radar (commonly known 

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

3 the Federal Aviation Administration, and 

4 cooperative network observers; and 

5 (iii) assess the feasibility and advis6 ability of efforts to integrate and upgrade 

7 Federal radar capabilities that are not 

8 owned or controlled by the National Oce9 anic and Atmospheric Administration, in10 cluding radar capabilities of the Federal 

11 Aviation Administration and the Depart12 ment of Defense; 

13 (C) assess the feasibility and advisability of 

14 incorporating State-operated and other non15 Federal radars into the operations of the Na16 tional Weather Service; 

17 (D) identify options to improve radar cov18 erage in the areas identified under subpara19 graph (A); and 

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

21 timeline for, carrying out each of the options 

22 identified under subparagraph (D). 

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

24 study required under paragraph (1), the Secretary 

25 shall submit a report to the Committee on Commstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with BILLS

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1 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, 

2 the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the 

3 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 

4 House of Representatives, and the Committee on 

5 Appropriations of the House of Representatives that 

6 includes the findings of the Secretary with respect to 

7 the study. 

8 (b) PLAN TO IMPROVE RADAR COVERAGE.—Not 

9 later than 30 days after the completion of the study under 

10 subsection (a)(1), the Secretary of Commerce shall submit 

11 a plan to the congressional committees referred to in sub12 section (a)(3) for improving radar coverage in the areas 

13 identified under subsection (a)(2)(A) by integrating and 

14 upgrading, to the extent practicable, additional observa15 tion solutions to improve hazardous weather detection and 

16 forecasting. 

17 (c) REQUIREMENT FOR THIRD-PARTY REVIEWS RE18 GARDING PLAN TO IMPROVE RADAR COVERAGE.—The 

19 Secretary of Commerce shall seek third-party reviews on 

20 scientific methodology relating to, and the feasibility and 

21 advisability of, implementing the plan submitted under 

22 subsection (b), including the extent to which warning and 

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1 forecast services of the National Weather Service would 

2 be improved by additional NEXRAD coverage. 

Passed the Senate December 1, 2016. 

Attest: JULIE E. ADAMS, 

Secretary. 

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