IB 

Union Calendar No. 40 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1482 

[Report No. 118–60] 

To provide guidance for and investment in the upgrade and modernization 

of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio 

All Hazards network, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 9, 2023 

Mrs. BICE (for herself, Ms. SHERRILL, Mr. MILLER of Ohio, Ms. BONAMICI, 

and Mr. KILMER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

MAY 16, 2023 

Additional sponsors: Mr. JACKSON of North Carolina and Ms. LEE of 

Pennsylvania 

MAY 16, 2023 

Reported from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; committed 

to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 1482 RH

A BILL 

To provide guidance for and investment in the upgrade and 

modernization of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration Weather Radio All Hazards network, and 

for other purposes. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 1482 RH

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 ‘‘NOAA Weather Radio 

5 Modernization Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘NWR Modernization 

6 Act of 2023’’. 

7 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 

9 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis10 trator’’ means the Under Secretary of Commerce for 

11 Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of 

12 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra13 tion. 

14 (2) NOAA WEATHER RADIO.—The term 

15 ‘‘NOAA Weather Radio’’ means the National Oce16 anic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio 

17 All Hazards network. 

18 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

19 Congress finds the following: 

20 (1) The NOAA Weather Radio is a nationwide 

21 network of transmitters that are critical to pro22 tecting life and property by broadcasting weather 

23 and other hazard alerts. 

24 (2) NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts currently 

25 reach 95 percent of the United States population. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 1482 RH

1 (3) NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts originate 

2 from all National Weather Service Offices, but are 

3 only available via a receiver located in sufficient 

4 proximity to a radio transmitting tower. 

5 (4) There are limited options to obtain NOAA 

6 Weather Radio broadcasts via the Internet or mobile 

7 device application, which are provided by volunteer 

8 mechanisms obtaining the audio feed in an ad hoc 

9 manner. 

10 (5) NOAA Weather Radio should provide equal 

11 access and availability to unimpeded broadcasts of 

12 weather and non-weather hazards to every person lo13 cated within the United States, its territories, and 

14 Tribal lands. 

15 SEC. 4. UPGRADING EXISTING SYSTEMS. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall, to the 

17 maximum extent practicable, expand coverage of the 

18 NOAA Weather Radio and ensure its reliability. In car19 rying out this subsection, the Administrator shall— 

20 (1) maintain support for existing systems serv21 ing areas not covered by or having poor quality cel22 lular service; 

23 (2) ensure consistent maintenance and oper24 ations monitoring, with timely repairs to broadcast 

25 transmitter site equipment and antennas; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HR 1482 RH

1 (3) enhance the ability to amplify Non-Weather 

2 Emergency Messages via NOAA Weather Radio as 

3 necessary. 

4 (b) EXPANDING ACCESS.—In carrying out subsection 

5 (a), the Administrator shall acquire additional transmit6 ters as required to expand coverage to rural and under7 served communities, national parks, and recreation areas. 

8 SEC. 5. MODERNIZATION INITIATIVE. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—In parallel to the activities under 

10 section 4, the Administrator shall, to the maximum extent 

11 practicable, enhance NOAA Weather Radio to ensure its 

12 capabilities and coverage remain valuable to the public. In 

13 carrying out this section, the Administrator shall— 

14 (1) upgrade telecommunications infrastructure 

15 to accelerate the transition of broadcasts to internet 

16 protocol-based communications over noncopper 

17 media; 

18 (2) accelerate software upgrades to the Ad19 vanced Weather Interactive Processing System, or 

20 the relevant system successors, to implement partial 

21 county notifications and alerts; 

22 (3) consult with relevant stakeholders, including 

23 the private sector, to enhance accessibility and 

24 usability of NOAA Weather Radio data and feeds; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HR 1482 RH

1 (4) develop options, including satellite backup 

2 capability and commercial provider partnerships, for 

3 NOAA Weather Radio continuity in the event of 

4 Weather Forecast Office outages; 

5 (5) research and develop alternative options, in6 cluding microwave capabilities, to transmit NOAA 

7 Weather Radio signals to transmitters that are re8 mote or do not have internet protocol capability; and 

9 (6) transition critical applications to the Inte10 grated Dissemination Program, or the relevant pro11 gram successors. 

12 (b) PRIORITY.—In carrying out subsection (a), the 

13 Administrator shall prioritize practices, capabilities, and 

14 technologies recommended in accordance with the assess15 ment under subsection (c) to maximize accessibility, par16 ticularly in remote and underserved areas of the country. 

17 (c) ASSESSMENT FOR MANAGEMENT AND DISTRIBU18 TION.—Not later than 12 months after the date of the 

19 enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall complete 

20 an assessment of access to NOAA Weather Radio. In con21 ducting such assessment, the Administrator shall take into 

22 consideration and provide recommendations on the fol23 lowing: 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•HR 1482 RH

1 (1) The need for continuous, adequate, and 

2 operational real-time broadcasts of the NOAA 

3 Weather Radio in both urban and rural areas. 

4 (2) Solicited inputs from relevant stakeholders 

5 on the compatibility of NOAA Weather Radio data 

6 for third party platforms that provide online serv7 ices, such as websites and mobile device applications, 

8 or deliver NOAA Weather Radio access. 

9 (3) Existing or new management systems that 

10 promote consistent, efficient, and compatible access 

11 to NOAA Weather Radio. 

12 (4) The ability of NOAA to aggregate real time 

13 broadcast feeds at one or more central locations. 

14 (5) Effective interagency coordination. 

15 (6) The potential effects of an electromagnetic 

16 pulse or geomagnetic disturbance on NOAA Weather 

17 Radio. 

18 (7) Any other function the Administrator deter19 mines necessary. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
Union Calendar No. 40 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1482 

[Report No. 118–60] 

A BILL 

To provide guidance for and investment in the upAll Hazards network, and for other purposes. and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio grade and modernization of the National Oceanic 

MAY 16, 2023 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB