II 

Calendar No. 629 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2058 

[Report No. 114–351] 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to maintain and operate at least 

one Doppler weather radar site within 55 miles of each city in the 

United States that has a population of more than 700,000 individuals, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 

Mr. BURR (for himself and Mr. TILLIS) introduced the following bill; which 

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

Transportation 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 

Reported by Mr. THUNE, with an amendment 

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

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to maintain and operate at least one Doppler weather radar site within 55 

miles of each city in the United States that has a population of more than 700,000 individuals, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Metropolitan Weather 

3 Hazards Protection Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR OPERATION OF DOPPLER 

5 WEATHER RADAR SITES NEAR LARGE CITIES. 

6 (a) REQUIREMENT.—Beginning not later than 450 

7 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec8 retary of Commerce shall— 

9 (1) maintain and operate at least one Doppler 

10 weather radar site within 55 miles of each city in 

11 the United States that has a population of more 

12 than 700,000 individuals; and 

13 (2) ensure that each radar maintained and op14 erated near a city described in paragraph (1) is 

15 available to the office of the National Weather Serv16 ice that provides services to such city. 

17 (b) STANDARDS.—The Secretary shall ensure that 

18 each radar maintained and operated under subsection (a) 

19 conforms with the same standards that apply to radars 

20 operated by the Secretary, acting through the Adminis21 trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis22 tration, on the day before the date of the enactment of 

23 this Act, including standards relating to the use of dual24 polarization technology or other technologies included in 

25 Weather Surveillance Radar, 1988, Doppler (WSR–88D) 

26 radars. 


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1 (c) CONSIDERATIONS.—When determining the loca2 tion for constructing a radar to meet the requirements of 

3 subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into consideration 

4 nearby counties that have populations of more than 

5 130,000 and do not otherwise have radar beam coverage 

6 below 10,000 feet from Weather Surveillance Radar, 

7 1988, Doppler (WSR–88D) radars. 

8 (d) REPORT.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

10 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec11 retary shall submit to Congress a report detailing 

12 the Doppler weather radar sites that need to be con13 structed or acquired in order to meet the require14 ment of subsection (a). 

15 (2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under 

16 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

17 (A) Feasible locations for placement and 

18 construction of radar sites, determined by the 

19 Secretary to provide the necessary meteorolog20 ical capabilities to best protect a city described 

21 in subsection (a). 

22 (B) A timeline for when construction or 

23 acquisition of each radar site will be complete. 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Metropolitan Weather 

3 Hazards Protection Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. STUDY ON GAPS IN NEXRAD COVERAGE AND RE5 QUIREMENT FOR PLAN TO ADDRESS SUCH 

6 GAPS. 

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

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

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

10 Commerce shall complete a study on gaps in the cov11 erage of the Next Generation Weather Radar of the 

12 National Weather Service (known as ‘‘NEXRAD’’). 

13 (2) ELEMENTS.—Under the study required by 

14 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 

15 (A) identify areas in the United States with 

16 limited or no Next Generation Weather Radar 

17 coverage below 6,000 feet above ground level of 

18 the surrounding terrain; 

19 (B) for the areas identified under subpara20 graph (A), Charlotte, North Carolina, and sur21 rounding counties, central Washington State, 

22 northwest New Mexico, and Columbus, Ohio, and 

23 surrounding counties— 

24 (i) identify the key weather effects for 

25 which prediction would improve with im26 proved radar detection; 


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1 (ii) identify additional sources of ob2 servations for high impact weather that 

3 were available and operational for such 

4 areas on the day before the date of the en5 actment of this Act, including Terminal 

6 Doppler Weather Radar (known as 

7 ‘‘TDWR’’), air surveillance radars of the 

8 Federal Aviation Administration, and coop9 erative network observers; and 

10 (iii) assess the feasibility and advis11 ability of efforts to integrate and upgrade 

12 Federal radar capabilities in such areas 

13 that are not owned or controlled by of the 

14 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin15 istration, including radar capabilities of the 

16 Federal Aviation Administration and the 

17 Department of Defense; 

18 (C) assess the feasibility and advisability of 

19 incorporating State-operated and other non-Fed20 eral radars into the operations of the National 

21 Weather Service; 

22 (D) identify options to improve radar cov23 erage in the areas identified under subparagraph 

24 (A); and 


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

2 timeline for, carrying out each of the options 

3 identified under subparagraph (D). 

4 (3) REPORT.—Upon the completion of the study 

5 required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit 

6 to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans7 portation of the Senate and the Committee on 

8 Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep9 resentatives a report on the findings of the Secretary 

10 with respect to the study. 

11 (b) PLAN TO IMPROVE RADAR COVERAGE.—Not later 

12 than 30 days after the completion of the study required by 

13 subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall develop and submit 

14 to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor15 tation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, 

16 and Technology of the House of Representatives a plan to 

17 improve radar coverage in the areas identified under sub18 section (a)(2)(A) by integrating, and upgrading where 

19 practicable, additional observation solutions to improve 

20 hazardous weather detection and forecasting. 

21 (c) REQUIREMENT FOR THIRD-PARTY REVIEWS RE22 GARDING PLAN TO IMPROVE RADAR COVERAGE.—The Sec23 retary shall seek third-party reviews on scientific method24 ology relating to, and the feasibility and advisability of, 

25 implementing the plan developed and submitted under subVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:24 Sep 15, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S2058.RS S2058

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1 section (b), including the extent to which warning and fore2 cast services of the National Weather Service would be im3 proved by additional Next Generation Weather Radar cov4 erage. 


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Calendar No. 629 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2058 

[Report No. 114–351] 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to maintain 

700,000 individuals, and for other purposes. States that has a population of more than site within 55 miles of each city in the United and operate at least one Doppler weather radar 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 

Reported with an amendment 


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