116 
and Atmospheric Administration offices by consid-
ering the use of commercial cloud technologies, or 
similar hybrid structures, to host and transmit data 
and metadata. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL
PARTNERSHIPS.—In carrying 
out paragraph (1), the Under Secretary may partner 
with the heads of other Federal departments and 
agencies, including the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, the Department of Energy, 
the United States Space Force, the United States 
Coast Guard, the United States Navy, the Federal 
Aviation Administration, the United States Forest 
Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
National Science Foundation, and the United States 
Geological Survey, to collocate data with joint utility 
and support a transition to cloud architectures, in-
cluding commercial cloud networks. 
‘‘(3) LONG TERM DATA ARCHIVE.—The Under 
Secretary shall ensure the long-term management, 
maintenance, and stewardship of archival data and 
metadata acquired through the Commercial Data 
Program under section 302 is conducted within the 
National Centers for Environmental Information. 
‘‘(c) DATA SHARING WITH THE WEATHER ENTER-
PRISE.—To the greatest extent practicable, the Under
117 
Secretary shall make accessible to members of the weather 
enterprise that are United States persons data not subject 
to redistribution contract permissions and purchased 
through the Commercial Data Program under section 302 
or shared through international government partners. If 
purchased data must be assimilated into numerical weath-
er prediction models or automated forecast guidance to 
satisfy redistribution contract permissions, the Under Sec-
retary shall make accessible without delay to members of 
the weather enterprise that are United States persons the 
numerical weather prediction model or automated forecast 
guidance output, as the case may be. 
‘‘(d) DATA ASSIMILATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in 
coordination with the Commercial Data Program 
under section 302, the National Centers for Envi-
ronmental Information, and any other offices within 
the Administration, shall establish a program to 
test, advance, and implement data assimilation 
methods, which may include artificial intelligence, 
machine learning, data pre- and post-processing, ef-
ficient input and output, and next-generation algo-
rithms. 
‘‘(2) DATA ASSIMILATION UNIVERSITY CONSOR-
TIUM.—Through the program established pursuant
118 
to paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall estab-
lish a consortium consisting of institutions of higher 
education (as such term is defined in section 101 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001)) to address critical research challenges for 
data assimilation and foster a growing data assimi-
lation workforce. The consortium shall seek to— 
‘‘(A) solve critical research issues for data 
assimilation through innovative research; 
‘‘(B) increase significantly the number of 
students, including graduate level and Ph.D. 
candidates, in data assimilation; 
‘‘(C) utilize modern software and frame-
works, such as the Joint Effort for Data As-
similation Integration, to conduct data assimila-
tion research and development and facilitate re-
search to operations efforts; 
‘‘(D) identify and prioritize critical re-
search areas in data assimilation and facilitate 
operations to research efforts; 
‘‘(E) establish and enable an effective col-
laboration infrastructure between National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration facilities, 
such as labs, centers, or joint agency institutes, 
and the research community, including a mech-
119 
anism for external partners to host Administra-
tion employees; and 
‘‘(F) establish mechanisms to enable all 
members of the consortium to archive and ac-
cess data required to support the work under 
this subsection. 
‘‘(3) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Under Secretary shall ensure the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 
its associated activities focus on research to oper-
ations and operations to research, including by co-
ordinating and collaborating with the Joint Center 
for Satellite Data Assimilation. 
‘‘(4) DATA ASSIMILATION, MANAGEMENT, AND 
SHARING PRACTICES SECURITY.—The activities au-
thorized under this subsection shall be applied in a 
manner consistent with subtitle D of title VI of the 
Research and Development, Competition, and Inno-
vation Act (enacted as division B of Public Law 
117–167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.). 
‘‘(e) STUDY ON DATA MANAGEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days 
after the data of the enactment of this section, the 
Under Secretary shall seek to enter into an agree-
ment with a non-Federal entity to conduct a study
120 
on matters concerning data practices and manage-
ment needs at the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration. In conducting the study, the 
outside entity shall— 
‘‘(A) assess the costs and benefits of cur-
rent data management needs for observational 
and operational mission requirements; 
‘‘(B) develop recommendations regarding 
how to make more robust and cost-effective the 
data portfolio of the Administration; 
‘‘(C) identify data infrastructure tech-
nologies and needs that are essential to the per-
formance of modeling systems of the Adminis-
tration; 
‘‘(D) assess the sharing needs and prac-
tices of the Administration for both internal 
and external sharing dissemination; and 
‘‘(E) develop recommendations for methods 
of data infrastructure sharing, including data 
purchased from the commercial sector. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
From amounts authorized to be appropriated to the 
Commercial Data Program under section 302, there 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the
121 
study under paragraph (1) $1,000,000, to remain 
available until expended.’’. 
SEC. 305. CLERICAL AMENDMENT. 
The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Weather 
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is 
amended by striking the items relating to sections 302 and 
303 and inserting the following new items: 
‘‘Sec. 302. Commercial Data Program. 
‘‘Sec. 303. Commercial Data Pilot Program. 
‘‘Sec. 304. Contracting authority and avoidance of duplication. 
‘‘Sec. 305. Data assimilation, management, and sharing practices.’’. 
TITLE IV—COMMUNICATING 
WEATHER TO THE PUBLIC 
SEC. 401. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) 
HAZARDOUS
WEATHER
OR
WATER 
EVENTS.—The term ‘‘hazardous weather or water 
events’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
406 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Inno-
vation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–25; 131 Stat. 
109), as amended by section 402 of this Act. 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(3) 
NOAA 
WEATHER
RADIO.—The 
term 
‘‘NOAA Weather Radio’’ means the National Oce-
122 
anic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio 
All Hazards network. 
(4) PUBLIC CLOUD.—The term ‘‘public cloud’’ 
means an information technology model in which 
service providers make computing services, including 
compute and storage and develop-and-deploy envi-
ronments and applications, available on-demand to 
organizations and individuals over the public inter-
net or other means that allows for the widest dis-
semination of information. 
(5) WATCH; WARNING.—The terms ‘‘watch’’ 
and ‘‘warning’’ have the meanings given such terms 
in section 406 of the Weather Research and Fore-
casting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–25; 
131 Stat. 109), as amended by section 402 of this 
Act. 
SEC. 402. HAZARDOUS WEATHER OR WATER EVENT RISK 
COMMUNICATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 406 of the Weather Re-
search and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public 
Law 115–25; 131 Stat. 109) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘SEC. 406. HAZARDOUS WEATHER OR WATER EVENT RISK 
COMMUNICATION. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
123 
‘‘(1) 
HAZARDOUS
WEATHER
OR
WATER 
EVENTS.—The term ‘hazardous weather or water 
events’ means weather or water events that have a 
high risk of loss of life or property, including the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) Severe storms, such as hurricanes 
and short-fused, small-scale hazardous weather 
or hydrologic events produced by thunder-
storms, including large hail, damaging winds, 
tornadoes, and flash floods. 
‘‘(B) Winter storms, such as freezing or 
frozen precipitation (including freezing rain, 
sleet, and snow), or combined effects of freezing 
or frozen precipitation and strong winds. 
‘‘(C) Other weather hazards, such as ex-
treme heat or cold, wildfire, drought, dense fog, 
high winds, and river, coastal, or lakeshore 
flooding. 
‘‘(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
‘‘(3) WATCH; WARNING.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The terms ‘watch’ and 
‘warning’, with respect to a hazardous weather
124 
or water event, mean products issued by the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, intended for consumption by the general 
public, to alert the general public to the poten-
tial for or presence of such event and to inform 
action to prevent loss of life or property. 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—The terms ‘watch’ and 
‘warning’ do not include technical or specialized 
meteorological or hydrological forecasts, out-
looks, or model guidance products. 
‘‘(b) SYSTEM COMMUNICATIONS.—The Under Sec-
retary shall maintain and improve the system of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by which 
the risks of hazardous weather or water events are com-
municated to the general public, with the goal of informing 
response to prevent loss of life or property. 
‘‘(c) HAZARD RISK COMMUNICATION IMPROVEMENT 
AND SIMPLIFICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—To carry out subsection 
(b), the Under Secretary shall maintain a social, be-
havioral, risk, communication, and economic sciences 
program (in this section referred to as the ‘Pro-
gram’), for the purpose of simplifying and improving 
the communication of hazardous weather or water 
events.
125 
‘‘(2) TERMINOLOGY.—The Program, in coordi-
nation with social, behavioral, risk, communication, 
and economic science community and user feedback, 
shall identify, eliminate, or modify unnecessary, re-
dundant, or confusing terms for communications re-
garding hazardous weather or water events and add 
new terminology, as appropriate. 
‘‘(3) COMMUNICATIONS
IMPROVEMENT.—The 
Program shall improve the form, content, and meth-
ods of communications regarding hazardous weather 
or water events and associated risks to more clearly 
inform response to prevent the loss of life or prop-
erty. 
‘‘(4) EVALUATIONS.—The Program, in coordi-
nation 
with 
the 
performance 
and 
evaluation 
branches of the National Weather Service and Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Research, shall develop 
metrics for such branches to track and evaluate the 
degree to which communications regarding haz-
ardous weather or water events inform response. 
‘‘(5) SUPPORT PLAN.—The Program shall de-
velop a plan for the purpose of carrying out para-
graph (3). Such plan shall be periodically updated 
and informed by internal and extramural research 
and the results of the evaluation of communications
126 
regarding hazardous weather or water events and as-
sociated risks under paragraph (4). 
‘‘(6) METHODS.—In carrying out this section, 
the Program shall develop and implement rec-
ommendations that— 
‘‘(A) are based on the best and most re-
cent understanding from social, behavioral, eco-
nomic, risk, and communications science re-
search; 
‘‘(B) are validated by social, behavioral, 
risk, and communications science, taking into 
account the importance of methods that support 
reproduction and replication of scientific stud-
ies, use of rigorous statistical analyses, and, as 
applicable, data analysis supported by artificial 
intelligence and machine learning technologies; 
‘‘(C) account for the needs of various de-
mographics, vulnerable populations, and geo-
graphic regions; 
‘‘(D) account for the differences between 
various types of hazardous weather or water 
events; 
‘‘(E) respond to the needs of Federal, 
State, and local government partners and media 
partners; and
127 
‘‘(F) account for necessary changes in the 
infrastructure, technology, and protocols for de-
veloping and disseminating watches and warn-
ings. 
‘‘(7) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Program shall coordinate with the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) Federal partners, including National 
Laboratories, cooperative institutes, and re-
gional integrated sciences and assessments pro-
grams. 
‘‘(B) State and local government partners. 
‘‘(C) Tribal governments. 
‘‘(D) Institutions of higher education or a 
consortia thereof. 
‘‘(E) Media partners. 
‘‘(8) TIMELINESS
AND
CONSISTENCY.—The 
Program shall develop best practices and guidance 
for ensuring timely and consistent communications 
across public facing platforms that disseminate in-
formation related to hazardous weather or water 
events.’’. 
(b) TABLE
OF CONTENTS.—Section 1(b) of the 
Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of
128 
2017 is amended by amending the item relating to section 
406 to read as follows: 
‘‘Sec. 406. Hazardous Weather or Water Event Risk Communication.’’. 
SEC. 403. HAZARD COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AND EN-
GAGEMENT. 
Section 406 of the Weather Research and Fore-
casting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–25; 131 
Stat. 109), as amended by section 402 of this Act, is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
sections: 
‘‘(d) HAZARD COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AND EN-
GAGEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 
maintain, as appropriate, a program to— 
‘‘(A) modernize the development and com-
munication of risk-based, statistically reliable, 
probabilistic hazard information, with the goal 
of informing appropriate responses to haz-
ardous weather or water events; and 
‘‘(B) improve the fundamental social, be-
havioral, economic, risk, and communication 
science relating to communications, including 
by means of collecting voluntary data, regarding 
hazardous weather or water events. 
‘‘(2) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the pro-
gram under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary
129 
shall coordinate and communicate with States, Trib-
al governments, localities, and emergency managers 
regarding research priorities and results. 
‘‘(3) PILOT PROGRAM FOR TORNADO HAZARD 
COMMUNICATION
REQUIRED.—To further research 
into communications regarding hazardous weather 
or water events, the Under Secretary, in coordina-
tion with the VORTEX program under section 103 
and in collaboration with one or more eligible insti-
tutions (or a consortia thereof), shall establish a 
pilot program for tornado hazard communication to 
test the effectiveness of implementing research into 
operations with respect to tornadoes. 
‘‘(4) PILOT
STUDY
FOR
HURRICANE
HAZARD 
COMMUNICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—To further research 
into 
communications 
regarding 
hazardous 
weather or water events, the Under Secretary, 
in coordination with the hurricane forecast im-
provement program under section 104, shall 
seek to enter into an agreement with an appro-
priate entity, as determined by the Under Sec-
retary, to conduct a pilot study using a mixed 
methods approach, such as surveys, focus 
groups, and interviews, to gather information
130 
from hurricane prone population areas regard-
ing the levels of preparedness of such areas for 
hurricanes or in response to the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration’s early 
forecasts and warnings. Such study shall evalu-
ate the following: 
‘‘(i) Possession of disaster supplies. 
‘‘(ii) Evacuation decisions. 
‘‘(iii) Levels of trust of tropical cy-
clone information and hurricane path pre-
diction from various sources. 
‘‘(iv) Access to tropical cyclone and 
hurricane warnings in such study partici-
pant’s first language. 
‘‘(v) Determination regarding such 
study participant’s reasoning that may 
hinder the ability of such a participant to 
evacuate or willingness to evacuate. 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL
CRITERIA.—The pilot 
study described in subparagraph (A) shall de-
fine its methodology and be made publicly avail-
able on a website of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration.
131 
‘‘(5) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION DEFINED.—In this 
subsection, the term ‘eligible institution’ means any 
of the following: 
‘‘(A) An institution of higher education, 
nonprofit organization, or other institution lo-
cated in a jurisdiction eligible to participate in 
the program under section 113 of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 
(42 U.S.C. 1862g). 
‘‘(B) An institution of higher education, 
nonprofit organization, or other institution lo-
cated in proximity to a Weather Forecast Office 
of the National Weather Service. 
‘‘(e) HURRICANE SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND ECO-
NOMIC SCIENCES.—As part of the program carried out 
under subsection (d), the Under Secretary shall carry out 
research and development activities to improve how the 
public receives, interprets, responds to, and values hurri-
cane forecasts and warnings. In conducting such activities, 
the Under Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) conduct a comprehensive review of what is 
known about how the public receives, interprets, re-
sponds to, and makes decisions regarding hurricane 
forecasts and warnings, including—
132 
‘‘(A) how the connections between weather 
observations, downstream models, and processes 
affect the decision tools or products derived 
from such hurricane forecasts and warnings; 
‘‘(B) how such hurricane forecasts and 
warnings generated by decision tools and prod-
ucts are used by emergency managers, govern-
ments, and other users to benefit the public and 
stakeholder groups; 
‘‘(C) how past experiences with hurricanes 
impacts decision making; 
‘‘(D) how the source of such hurricane 
forecasts and warnings affects interpretation; 
‘‘(E) how tropical cyclone warnings and 
watches are received and interpreted; 
‘‘(F) how understanding of and response 
to such hurricane forecasts and warnings vary 
across demographic groups, including the elder-
ly, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable 
populations; 
‘‘(G) language barriers; and 
‘‘(H) how understanding and response to 
such hurricane forecasts and warnings varies 
across geographic areas, including rural, urban, 
and suburban areas;
133 
‘‘(2) identify communication data gaps based on 
the review conducted pursuant to paragraph (1); 
‘‘(3) carry out research, including data collec-
tion and baseline assessments, in coordination with 
the hurricane forecast improvement program under 
section 104 to evaluate and quantify the economic 
value of extending lead times of tropical cyclone and 
hurricane warnings and watches, including identi-
fying the most effected or vulnerable populations 
and potential impacts to those populations; 
‘‘(4) as part of post-storm surveys and assess-
ments conducted under section 406 of the Weather 
Act Reauthorization Act of 2023, conduct retrospec-
tive or ex ante assessments of previous hurricane 
forecasts and warnings with improvements to better 
understand the key components, including expected 
actions or behavior changes, of the value of the fore-
casts and warnings provided; 
‘‘(5) conduct cost benefit analysis of forecasts 
and warnings improvement alternatives developed 
through the hurricane forecast improvement pro-
gram under section 104; and 
‘‘(6) conduct risk assessments for pre-, during, 
and post-storm periods in regions and communities
134 
with significant elderly populations, including retire-
ment communities.’’. 
SEC. 404. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS 
IMPROVEMENT. 
(a) IMPROVEMENT OF NWS INSTANT MESSAGING 
SERVICE.—The Director of the National Weather Service 
shall improve the instant messaging service used by per-
sonnel of the National Weather Service by implementing, 
not later than October 1, 2027, a commercial off-the-shelf 
communications solution that replaces the instant mes-
saging service commonly referred to as ‘‘NWSChat’’. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The communications solution 
implemented under this section shall— 
(1) be hosted on the public cloud; and 
(2) satisfy requirements set forth by the Direc-
tor to ensure such solution— 
(A) best accommodates future growth; 
(B) performs successfully with increased 
numbers of users; 
(C) is easy to use for the majority of users; 
and 
(D) is similar to systems already in com-
mercial use. 
(c) FUNDING.—From amounts made available for 
Operations, Research, and Facilities, the Director of the
135 
National Weather Service shall allocate up to $3,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2027 to carry out 
this section. 
SEC. 405. NOAA WEATHER RADIO MODERNIZATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall, to the 
maximum extent practicable, expand coverage of the 
NOAA Weather Radio and ensure its reliability. In car-
rying out this subsection, the Under Secretary shall— 
(1) maintain support for existing systems serv-
ing areas not covered by or having poor quality cel-
lular service; 
(2) ensure consistent maintenance and oper-
ations monitoring, with timely repairs to broadcast 
transmitter site equipment and antennas; 
(3) enhance the ability to amplify Non-Weather 
Emergency Messages via NOAA Weather Radio as 
necessary; and 
(4) acquire additional transmitters as required 
to expand coverage to rural and underserved com-
munities, units of the National Park System, and 
National Recreation Areas. 
(b) MODERNIZATION INITIATIVE.—To the maximum 
extent practicable, the Under Secretary shall enhance 
NOAA Weather Radio to ensure its capabilities and cov-
136 
erage remain valuable to the public. In carrying out this 
section, the Under Secretary shall— 
(1) upgrade telecommunications infrastructure 
of NOAA Weather Radio to accelerate the transition 
of broadcasts to internet protocol-based communica-
tions over non-copper media; 
(2) accelerate software upgrades to the Ad-
vanced Weather Interactive Processing System, or 
the relevant system successors, to implement partial 
county notifications and alerts; 
(3) consult with relevant stakeholders, including 
the private sector, to enhance accessibility and 
usability of NOAA Weather Radio data and feeds; 
(4) develop options, including satellite backup 
capability and commercial provider partnerships, for 
NOAA Weather Radio continuity in the event of 
Weather Forecast Office outages; 
(5) research and develop alternative options, in-
cluding microwave capabilities, to transmit NOAA 
Weather Radio signals to transmitters that are re-
mote or do not have internet protocol capability; and 
(6) transition critical applications to the Inte-
grated Dissemination Program, or the relevant pro-
gram successors.
137 
(c) PRIORITY.—In carrying out subsection (b), the 
Under Secretary shall prioritize practices, capabilities, and 
technologies recommended in accordance with the assess-
ment under subsection (d) to maximize accessibility, par-
ticularly in remote and underserved areas of the United 
States. 
(d) ASSESSMENT FOR MANAGEMENT AND DISTRIBU-
TION.—Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall complete an 
assessment of access to NOAA Weather Radio. In con-
ducting such assessment, the Under Secretary shall take 
into consideration and provide recommendations regarding 
the following: 
(1) The need for continuous, adequate, and 
operational real-time broadcasts of the NOAA 
Weather Radio in both urban and rural areas. 
(2) Solicited inputs from relevant stakeholders 
on the compatibility of NOAA Weather Radio data 
for third party platforms that provide online serv-
ices, such as websites and mobile device applications, 
or deliver NOAA Weather Radio access. 
(3) Existing or new management systems that 
promote consistent, efficient, and compatible access 
to NOAA Weather Radio.
138 
(4) The ability of NOAA to aggregate real time 
broadcast feeds at one or more central locations. 
(5) Effective interagency coordination. 
(6) The potential effects of an electromagnetic 
pulse or geomagnetic disturbance on NOAA Weather 
Radio. 
(7) Any other function the Under Secretary de-
termines necessary. 
SEC. 406. POST-STORM SURVEYS AND ASSESSMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall con-
tinue to perform one or more post-storm surveys and as-
sessments following every hazardous weather or water 
event determined by the Under Secretary to be of suffi-
cient societal importance to warrant a post-event survey 
and assessment. 
(b) COORDINATION.—The Under Secretary shall co-
ordinate with Federal, State, local and Tribal govern-
ments, private entities, and relevant institutions of higher 
education (or a consortia thereof) when conducting post- 
storm surveys and assessments under this section to opti-
mize data collection, sharing, integration, archiving, and 
access, as appropriate for research needs. 
(c) DATA AVAILABILITY.—The Under Secretary shall 
make the appropriate data obtained from each post-storm 
survey and assessment conducted under this section avail-
139 
able to the public as soon as practicable after conducting 
each such survey and assessment. 
(d) IMPROVEMENT.—In carrying out this section, the 
Under Secretary shall— 
(1) examine the role of uncrewed aerial and ma-
rine systems in data collection during post-storm 
surveys and assessments conducted under this sec-
tion; 
(2) identify gaps in and update tactics and pro-
cedures to enhance the efficiency and reliability of 
data obtained from post-storm surveys and assess-
ments; 
(3) to the maximum extent practicable, increase 
the number of post-storm community impact studies, 
particularly among under-observed, underserved, or 
highly vulnerable populations, including— 
(A) surveying-individual responses; 
(B) conducting review of the accuracy of 
prior risk evaluations; 
(C) evaluating the efficacy of prior mitiga-
tion activity; and 
(D) gathering survivability statistics; and 
(4) as appropriate, integrate community-based, 
social, behavioral, risk, communication, and eco-
nomic sciences elements into existing post-storm sur-
140 
veys and assessments, including relating to efficacy 
of forecast and warning information, barriers to ac-
tion, and messaging challenges. 
(e) SUPPORT
FOR EMPLOYEES.—The Under Sec-
retary shall provide training, resources, and access to pro-
fessional counseling to support the emotional and mental 
health and well-being of employees conducting post-storm 
surveys and assessments under this section. 
(f) EXEMPTION.—Subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 
44, United States Code, shall not apply to the collection 
of information during the conduct of a survey or assess-
ment authorized under subsection (a). 
SEC. 407. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORT 
ON ALERT DISSEMINATION FOR HAZARDOUS 
WEATHER OR WATER EVENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 540 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall submit to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives a report that examines the infor-
mation technology infrastructure of the National Weather 
Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration, specifically regarding the system for timely public
142 
alerts and updates for hazardous weather or water 
events that may be vulnerable to disruption or fail-
ure in the event of communication, technologic, or 
computational failure. 
(6) The geographical differences in availability 
and effectiveness of rural systems, including an esti-
mated number of rural areas affected by unreliable 
or unavailable accurate systems and barriers to ob-
tain or upgrade such systems. 
SEC. 408. DATA COLLECTION MANAGEMENT AND PROTEC-
TION. 
(a) DATA COLLECTION.—The Under Secretary may 
collect social, behavioral, and economic data, including 
Federal communication and related public response to 
hazardous weather or water events. Where appropriate, 
the Under Secretary shall encourage use of secondary 
data, purchase data, or partner with the private sector. 
(b) DATA MANAGEMENT.—The Under Secretary 
shall establish a central repository system for the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for social, be-
havioral, and economic data related to the communication 
of and related public response to hazardous weather or 
water events, including data developed or received pursu-
ant to this title.
143 
(c) PROTECTION OF DATA.—The Under Secretary 
shall ensure that all data collected and managed by the 
Administration is done within with all legal, regulatory, 
and contractual obligations and in accordance with chap-
ter 31 of title 44, United States Code, and the Federal 
Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Public Law 
115–435). 
(d) DIGITAL WATERMARKING.—The Under Secretary 
shall develop methods to reduce the likelihood of unauthor-
ized tampering with online public notifications of haz-
ardous weather or water events, such as developing digital 
watermarks. 
(e) POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.—The Under Sec-
retary shall establish policies and procedures for the collec-
tion, archiving, and stewardship of data on community re-
sponse, including the response of effected or vulnerable 
populations, to hazardous weather or water events. 
TITLE V—IMPROVING WEATHER 
INFORMATION 
FOR 
AGRI-
CULTURE AND WATER MAN-
AGEMENT 
SEC. 501. WEATHER AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IN AGRI-
CULTURE AND WATER MANAGEMENT. 
Section 1762 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (15 
U.S.C. 8521) is amended—
144 
(1) by amending subsection (h) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(h) SUBSEASONAL
TO SEASONAL FORECASTING 
PILOT PROJECTS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Under Secretary 
shall establish not fewer than two pilot projects, in 
accordance with paragraph (2), within the U.S. 
Weather Research Program of the Oceanic and At-
mospheric Research office of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration to support im-
proved subseasonal to seasonal precipitation fore-
casts for the following: 
‘‘(A) Water management in the western 
United States. 
‘‘(B) Agriculture in the central United 
States. 
‘‘(2) OBJECTIVES.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Under Secretary shall ensure the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) A pilot project under subparagraph 
(A) of paragraph (1) addresses key science 
challenges to improving forecasts and devel-
oping related products for water management 
in the western United States, including the fol-
lowing:
145 
‘‘(i) Improving operational model reso-
lution, both horizontal and vertical, to re-
solve issues associated with mountainous 
terrain, such as intensity of precipitation 
and relative fraction of rain versus snow 
precipitation. 
‘‘(ii) Improving fidelity in the oper-
ational modeling of the atmospheric bound-
ary layer in mountainous regions. 
‘‘(iii) Resolving challenges in pre-
dicting winter atmospheric circulation and 
storm tracks, including periods of blocked 
versus unblocked flow over the eastern 
North Pacific Ocean and western United 
States. 
‘‘(iv) Utilizing outcomes from the At-
mospheric Rivers Forecast Improvement 
Program as authorized in section 204 of 
the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 
2023 to produce operational tools and 
services. 
‘‘(v) Improving the quality and tem-
poral and spatial resolution of observations 
and accurate operational modeling of air- 
sea interactions, and the influence of
146 
oceans on subseasonal and seasonal fore-
casting. 
‘‘(B) A pilot project under subparagraph 
(B) of paragraph (1) addresses key science 
challenges to improving forecasts and devel-
oping related products for agriculture in the 
central United States, including the following: 
‘‘(i) Improving the quality and tem-
poral and spatial resolution of observations 
and accurate operational modeling of the 
land surface and hydrologic cycle, includ-
ing soil moisture and flash drought proc-
esses. 
‘‘(ii) Improving fidelity in the oper-
ational modeling of warm season precipita-
tion processes. 
‘‘(iii) Understanding and predicting 
large-scale 
upper-level 
dynamical 
flow 
anomalies that occur in spring and sum-
mer. 
‘‘(3) ACTIVITIES.—A pilot project under this 
subsection shall include activities that carry out the 
following: 
‘‘(A) Best implement recommendations of 
the National Weather Service’s 2020 Report,
147 
entitled ‘Subseasonal and Seasonal Forecasting 
Innovation: Plans for the Twenty-First Cen-
tury’. 
‘‘(B) Achieve measurable objectives for 
operational forecast improvement. 
‘‘(C) Engage with, and leverage the re-
sources of, institutions of higher education (as 
such term is defined in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), or 
a consortia thereof, and entities within the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
in existence as of the date of the enactment of 
this subsection, including Regional Climate 
Centers and the National Centers for Environ-
mental Information. 
‘‘(D) Are carried out in coordination with 
the Assistant Administrator for the Office of 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the Di-
rector of the National Weather Service. 
‘‘(4) SUNSET.—The authority under this sub-
section shall terminate on the date that is five years 
after the date of the enactment of this subsection.’’; 
and 
(2) by amending subsection (j) to read as fol-
lows: