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. 
‘‘(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. 
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‘‘(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 
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-
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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 
‘‘(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: 
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‘‘(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 
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-
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ther amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(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 
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-
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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) 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.’’. 
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, 
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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 
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— 
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(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-
erage remain valuable to the public. In carrying out this 
section, the Under Secretary shall— 
(1) upgrade telecommunications infrastructure 
to accelerate the transition of broadcasts to internet 
protocol-based 
communications 
over 
non-copper 
media; 
(2) accelerate software upgrades to the Ad-
vanced Weather Interactive Processing System, or 
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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. 
(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 
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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. 
(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. 
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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-
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; 
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(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, 
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-
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. 
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(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 
notification via alerts and updates regarding hazardous 
weather or water events. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subsection 
(a) shall include the following: 
(1) An analysis of the information technology 
infrastructure of the National Weather Service, in-
cluding software and hardware capabilities and limi-
tations, including an examination of server and data 
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storage methods, broadband, data management, and 
data sharing. 
(2) An identification of secondary and tertiary 
fail-safes for the timely distribution to the public of 
notifications via alerts and updates regarding haz-
ardous weather or water events. 
(3) A process analysis to determine the source 
and extent to which public notifications via alerts 
and updates regarding hazardous weather or water 
events have been delayed and an identification of 
possible improvements or corrective measures to ad-
dress latency in the notification process. 
(4) An assessment of whether collaboration with 
other Federal offices, States, or private entities 
could reduce delays in notifications to the public. 
(5) A description of actions being undertaken to 
better identify critical steps in public notification via 
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 
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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. 
(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). 
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‘‘(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: 
‘‘(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 
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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 
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-
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