114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1561 
AN ACT 
To improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration’s weather research through a focused program 
of investment on affordable and attainable advances in 
observational, computing, and modeling capabilities to 
support substantial improvement in weather forecasting 
and prediction of high impact weather events, to expand 
commercial opportunities for the provision of weather 
data, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITY. 
In accordance with NOAA’s critical mission to pro-
vide science, service, and stewardship, the Under Sec-
retary shall prioritize weather research, across all weather 
programs, to improve weather data, forecasts, and warn-
ings for the protection of life and property and the en-
hancement of the national economy. 
SEC. 3. WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING INNOVA-
TION. 
(a) PROGRAM.—The Assistant Administrator for 
OAR shall conduct a program to develop improved under-
standing of and forecast capabilities for atmospheric 
events and their impacts, placing priority on developing 
more accurate, timely, and effective warnings and fore- 
casts of high impact weather events that endanger life and 
property. 
(b) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—The program described 
in subsection (a) shall focus on the following activities: 
(1) Improving the fundamental understanding 
of weather consistent with section 2, including the
boundary layer and other atmospheric processes af-
fecting high impact weather events. 
(2) Improving the understanding of how the 
public receives, interprets, and responds to warnings 
and forecasts of high impact weather events that en-
danger life and property. 
(3) Research and development, and transfer of 
knowledge, technologies, and applications to the 
NWS and other appropriate agencies and entities, 
including the American weather industry and aca-
demic partners, related to— 
(A) advanced radar, radar networking 
technologies, and other ground-based tech-
nologies, including those emphasizing rapid, 
fine-scale sensing of the boundary layer and 
lower troposphere, and the use of innovative, 
dual-polarization, phased array technologies; 
(B) aerial weather observing systems; 
(C) high performance computing and infor-
mation technology and wireless communication 
networks; 
(D) advanced numerical weather prediction 
systems and forecasting tools and techniques 
that improve the forecasting of timing, track,
intensity, and severity of high impact weather, 
including through— 
(i) the development of more effective 
mesoscale models; 
(ii) more effective use of existing, and 
the development of new, regional and na-
tional cloud-resolving models; 
(iii) enhanced global weather models; 
and 
(iv) integrated assessment models; 
(E) quantitative assessment tools for meas-
uring the impact and value of data and observ-
ing systems, including OSSEs (as described in 
section 8), OSEs, and AOAs; 
(F) atmospheric chemistry and interactions 
essential to accurately characterizing atmos-
pheric composition and predicting meteorolog-
ical processes, including cloud microphysical, 
precipitation, and atmospheric electrification 
processes, to more effectively understand their 
role in severe weather; and 
(G) additional sources of weather data and 
information, including commercial observing 
systems.
(4) A technology transfer initiative, carried out 
jointly and in coordination with the Assistant Ad-
ministrator for NWS, and in cooperation with the 
American weather industry and academic partners, 
to ensure continuous development and transition of 
the latest scientific and technological advances into 
NWS operations and to establish a process to sunset 
outdated and expensive operational methods and 
tools to enable cost-effective transfer of new methods 
and tools into operations. 
(c) EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program 
under this section, the Assistant Administrator for 
OAR shall collaborate with and support the non- 
Federal weather research community, which includes 
institutions of higher education, private entities, and 
nongovernmental organizations, by making funds 
available through competitive grants, contracts, and 
cooperative agreements. 
(2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
Congress that not less than 30 percent of the funds 
for weather research and development at OAR 
should be made available for the purpose described 
in paragraph (1).
(d) REPORT.—The Under Secretary shall transmit to 
Congress annually, concurrently with NOAA’s budget re-
quest, a description of current and planned activities 
under this section. 
SEC. 4. TORNADO WARNING IMPROVEMENT AND EXTEN-
SION PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in collabo-
ration with the American weather industry and academic 
partners, shall establish a tornado warning improvement 
and extension program. 
(b) GOAL.—The goal of such program shall be to re-
duce the loss of life and economic losses from tornadoes 
through the development and extension of accurate, effec-
tive, and timely tornado forecasts, predictions, and warn-
ings, including the prediction of tornadoes beyond one 
hour in advance. 
(c) PROGRAM PLAN.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Adminis-
trator for OAR, in coordination with the Assistant Admin-
istrator for NWS, shall develop a program plan that de-
tails the specific research, development, and technology 
transfer activities, as well as corresponding resources and 
timelines, necessary to achieve the program goal. 
(d) BUDGET FOR PLAN.—Following completion of 
the plan, the Under Secretary, acting through the Assist-
ant Administrator for OAR, in coordination with the As-
sistant Administrator for NWS, shall transmit annually 
to Congress a proposed budget corresponding to the activi-
ties identified in the plan. 
SEC. 5. HURRICANE FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in collabo-
ration with the American weather industry and academic 
partners, shall maintain the Hurricane Forecast Improve-
ment Program (HFIP). 
(b) GOAL.—The goal of such program shall be to de-
velop and extend accurate hurricane forecasts and warn-
ings in order to reduce loss of life, injury, and damage 
to the economy. 
(c) PROGRAM PLAN.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Adminis-
trator for OAR, in consultation with the Assistant Admin-
istrator for NWS, shall develop a program plan that de-
tails the specific research, development, and technology 
transfer activities, as well as corresponding resources and 
timelines, necessary to achieve the program goal. 
(d) BUDGET FOR PLAN.—Following completion of 
the plan, the Under Secretary, acting through the Assist-
ant Administrator for OAR, in consultation with the As-
sistant Administrator for NWS, shall transmit annually
to Congress a proposed budget corresponding to the activi-
ties identified in the plan. 
SEC. 6. WEATHER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN-
NING. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Under Secretary, 
acting through the Assistant Administrator for OAR, in 
coordination with the Assistant Administrators for NWS 
and NESDIS, shall issue a research and development and 
research to operations plan to restore and maintain 
United States leadership in numerical weather prediction 
and forecasting that— 
(1) describes the forecasting skill and tech-
nology goals, objectives, and progress of NOAA in 
carrying out the program conducted under section 3; 
(2) identifies and prioritizes specific research 
and development activities, and performance metrics, 
weighted to meet the operational weather mission of 
NWS to achieve a weather-ready Nation; 
(3) describes how the program will collaborate 
with stakeholders, including the American weather 
industry and academic partners; and 
(4) identifies, through consultation with the Na-
tional Science Foundation, American weather indus-
try, and academic partners, research necessary to
enhance the integration of social science knowledge 
into weather forecast and warning processes, includ-
ing to improve the communication of threat informa-
tion necessary to enable improved severe weather 
planning and decisionmaking on the part of individ-
uals and communities. 
SEC. 7. OBSERVING SYSTEM PLANNING. 
The Under Secretary shall— 
(1) develop and maintain a prioritized list of 
observation data requirements necessary to ensure 
weather forecasting capabilities to protect life and 
property to the maximum extent practicable; 
(2) undertake, using OSSEs, OSEs, AOAs, and 
other appropriate assessment tools, ongoing system-
atic evaluations of the combination of observing sys-
tems, data, and information needed to meet the re-
quirements listed under paragraph (1), assessing 
various options to maximize observational capabili-
ties and their cost-effectiveness; 
(3) identify current and potential future data 
gaps in observing capabilities related to the require-
ments listed under paragraph (1); and 
(4) determine a range of options to address 
gaps identified under paragraph (3).
SEC. 8. OBSERVING SYSTEM SIMULATION EXPERIMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In support of the requirements of 
section 7, the Assistant Administrator for OAR shall un-
dertake OSSEs to quantitatively assess the relative value 
and benefits of observing capabilities and systems. Tech-
nical and scientific OSSE evaluations— 
(1) may include assessments of the impact of 
observing capabilities on— 
(A) global weather prediction; 
(B) hurricane track and intensity fore-
casting; 
(C) tornado warning lead times and accu-
racy; 
(D) prediction of mid-latitude severe local 
storm outbreaks; and 
(E) prediction of storms that have the po-
tential to cause extreme precipitation and flood-
ing lasting from 6 hours to 1 week; and 
(2) shall be conducted in cooperation with other 
appropriate entities within NOAA, other Federal 
agencies, the American weather industry, and aca-
demic partners to ensure the technical and scientific 
merit of OSSE results. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—OSSEs shall quantitatively— 
(1) determine the potential impact of proposed 
space-based, suborbital, and in situ observing sys-
tems on analyses and forecasts, including potential 
impacts on extreme weather events across all parts 
of the Nation; 
(2) evaluate and compare observing system de-
sign options; and 
(3) assess the relative capabilities and costs of 
various observing systems and combinations of ob-
serving systems in providing data necessary to pro-
tect life and property. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—OSSEs— 
(1) shall be conducted prior to the acquisition 
of major Government-owned or Government-leased 
operational observing systems, including polar-orbit-
ing and geostationary satellite systems, with a 
lifecycle cost of more than $500,000,000; and 
(2) shall be conducted prior to the purchase of 
any major new commercially provided data with a 
lifecycle cost of more than $500,000,000. 
(d) PRIORITY OSSES.— 
(1) GLOBAL
NAVIGATION
SATELLITE
SYSTEM 
RADIO OCCULTATION.—Not later than December 31, 
2015, the Assistant Administrator for OAR shall 
complete an OSSE to assess the value of data from 
Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occulta-
tion.
(2) GEOSTATIONARY HYPERSPECTRAL SOUND-
ER GLOBAL CONSTELLATION.—Not later than De-
cember 31, 2016, the Assistant Administrator for 
OAR shall complete an OSSE to assess the value of 
data from a geostationary hyperspectral sounder 
global constellation. 
(e) RESULTS.—Upon completion of all OSSEs, re-
sults shall be publicly released and accompanied by an as-
sessment of related private and public sector weather data 
sourcing options, including their availability, affordability, 
and cost effectiveness. Such assessments shall be devel-
oped in accordance with section 50503 of title 51, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 9. COMPUTING RESOURCES PRIORITIZATION REPORT. 
Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Under Secretary, 
acting through the NOAA Chief Information Officer, in 
coordination with the Assistant Administrator for OAR 
and the Assistant Administrator for NWS, shall produce 
and make publicly available a report that explains how 
NOAA intends to— 
(1) continually support upgrades to pursue the 
fastest, most powerful, and cost effective high per-
formance computing technologies in support of its 
weather prediction mission;
(2) ensure a balance between the research to 
operations requirements to develop the next genera-
tion of regional and global models as well as highly 
reliable operational models; 
(3) take advantage of advanced development 
concepts to, as appropriate, make next generation 
weather prediction models available in beta-test 
mode to operational forecasters, the American 
weather industry, and partners in academic and gov-
ernment research; and 
(4) use existing computing resources to improve 
advanced research and operational weather pre-
diction. 
SEC. 10. COMMERCIAL WEATHER DATA. 
(a) AMENDMENT.—Section 60161 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘This prohibition shall not extend to— 
‘‘(1) the purchase of weather data through con-
tracts with commercial providers; or 
‘‘(2) the placement of weather satellite instru-
ments on cohosted government or private payloads.’’. 
(b) STRATEGY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Commerce, in consultation with the Under
Secretary, shall transmit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a strategy 
to enable the procurement of quality commercial 
weather data. The strategy shall assess the range of 
commercial opportunities, including public-private 
partnerships, for obtaining surface-based, aviation- 
based, and space-based weather observations. The 
strategy shall include the expected cost effectiveness 
of these opportunities as well as provide a plan for 
procuring data, including an expected implementa-
tion timeline, from these nongovernmental sources, 
as appropriate. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The strategy shall in-
clude— 
(A) an analysis of financial or other bene-
fits to, and risks associated with, acquiring 
commercial weather data or services, including 
through multiyear acquisition approaches; 
(B) an identification of methods to address 
planning, programming, budgeting, and execu-
tion challenges to such approaches, including— 
(i) how standards will be set to ensure 
that data is reliable and effective;
(ii) how data may be acquired through 
commercial experimental or innovative 
techniques and then evaluated for integra-
tion into operational use; 
(iii) how to guarantee public access to 
all forecast-critical data to ensure that the 
American weather industry and the public 
continue to have access to information crit-
ical to their work; and 
(iv) in accordance with section 50503 
of title 51, United States Code, methods to 
address potential termination liability or 
cancellation costs associated with weather 
data or service contracts; and 
(C) an identification of any changes needed 
in the requirements development and approval 
processes of the Department of Commerce to 
facilitate effective and efficient implementation 
of such strategy. 
(3) AUTHORITY FOR AGREEMENTS.—The As-
sistant Administrator for NESDIS may enter into 
multiyear agreements necessary to carry out the 
strategy developed under this subsection. 
(c) PILOT PROGRAM.—
(1) CRITERIA.—Not later than December 31, 
2015, NOAA shall publish data standards and speci-
fications for space-based commercial weather data. 
(2) PILOT CONTRACT.— 
(A) CONTRACT.—Not later than October 
1, 2016, NOAA shall, through an open competi-
tion, enter into at least one pilot contract with 
a private sector entity capable of providing data 
that meet the standards and specifications set 
by NOAA to provide commercial weather data 
in a manner that allows NOAA to calibrate and 
evaluate the data. 
(B) ASSESSMENT
OF
DATA
VIABILITY.— 
Not later than October 1, 2019, NOAA shall 
transmit to Congress the results of a deter-
mination of the extent to which data provided 
under the contract entered into under subpara-
graph (A) meet the criteria published under 
paragraph (1). 
(3) OBTAINING FUTURE DATA.—NOAA shall, 
to the extent feasible, obtain commercial weather 
data from private sector providers. 
(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated out of funds 
made available for procurement, acquisition, and
construction at NESDIS, $9,000,000 for carrying 
out this subsection. 
SEC. 11. ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SERVICES WORK-
ING GROUP. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The NOAA Science Advisory 
Board shall continue to maintain a standing working 
group named the Environmental Information Services 
Working Group (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Work-
ing Group’’) to— 
(1) provide advice for prioritizing weather re-
search initiatives at NOAA to produce real improve-
ment in weather forecasting; 
(2) provide advice on existing or emerging tech-
nologies or techniques that can be found in private 
industry or the research community that could be in-
corporated into forecasting at NWS to improve fore-
casting skill; 
(3) identify opportunities to improve commu-
nications between weather forecasters, Federal, 
State, local, tribal, and other emergency manage-
ment personnel, and the public; and to improve com-
munications and partnerships among NOAA and the 
private and academic sectors; and 
(4) address such other matters as the Science 
Advisory Board requests of the Working Group.
(b) COMPOSITION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Working Group shall be 
composed of leading experts and innovators from all 
relevant fields of science and engineering including 
atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric physics, meteor-
ology, hydrology, social science, risk communica-
tions, electrical engineering, and computer sciences. 
In carrying out this section, the Working Group may 
organize into subpanels. 
(2) NUMBER.—The Working Group shall be 
composed of no fewer than 15 members. Nominees 
for the Working Group may be forwarded by the 
Working Group for approval by the Science Advisory 
Board. Members of the Working Group may choose 
a chair (or co-chairs) from among their number with 
approval by the Science Advisory Board. 
(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Working Group shall 
transmit annually to the Science Advisory Board for sub-
mission to the Under Secretary a report on progress made 
by NOAA in adopting the Working Group’s recommenda-
tions. The Science Advisory Board shall transmit this re-
port to the Under Secretary. Within 30 days of receipt 
of such report, the Under Secretary shall transmit it to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 12. INTERAGENCY WEATHER RESEARCH AND INNOVA-
TION COORDINATION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall establish an Inter- 
agency Committee for Advancing Weather Services to im-
prove coordination of relevant weather research and fore-
cast innovation activities across the Federal Government. 
The Interagency Committee shall— 
(1) include participation by the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration, the Federal Avia-
tion Administration, NOAA and its constituent ele-
ments, the National Science Foundation, and such 
other agencies involved in weather forecasting re-
search as the President determines are appropriate; 
(2) identify and prioritize top forecast needs 
and coordinate those needs against budget requests 
and program initiatives across participating offices 
and agencies; and 
(3) share information regarding operational 
needs and forecasting improvements across relevant 
agencies. 
(b) CO-CHAIR.—The Federal Coordinator for Meteor-
ology shall serve as a co-chair of this panel.
(c) FURTHER COORDINATION.—The Director shall 
take such other steps as are necessary to coordinate the 
activities of the Federal Government with those of the 
American weather industry, State governments, emer-
gency managers, and academic researchers. 
SEC. 13. OAR AND NWS EXCHANGE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Administrator for 
OAR and the Assistant Administrator for NWS may es-
tablish a program to detail OAR personnel to the NWS 
and NWS personnel to OAR. 
(b) GOAL.—The goal of this program is to enhance 
forecasting innovation through regular, direct interaction 
between OAR’s world-class scientists and NWS’s oper-
ational staff. 
(c) ELEMENTS.—The program shall allow up to 10 
OAR staff and NWS staff to spend up to 1 year on detail. 
Candidates shall be jointly selected by the Assistant Ad-
ministrator for OAR and the Assistant Administrator for 
NWS. 
(d) REPORT.—The Under Secretary shall report an-
nually to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate on participation in such program and shall high-
light any innovations that come from this interaction.
SEC. 14. VISITING FELLOWS AT NWS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Administrator for 
NWS may establish a program to host postdoctoral fellows 
and academic researchers at any of the National Centers 
for Environmental Prediction. 
(b) GOAL.—This program shall be designed to pro-
vide direct interaction between forecasters and talented 
academic and private sector researchers in an effort to 
bring innovation to forecasting tools and techniques avail-
able to the NWS. 
(c) SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT.—Such fellows 
shall be competitively selected and appointed for a term 
not to exceed 1 year. 
SEC. 15. NOAA WEATHER READY ALL HAZARDS AWARD 
PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM.—The Assistant Administrator for 
NWS is authorized to establish the NOAA Weather Ready 
All Hazards Award Program. This award program shall 
provide annual awards to honor individuals or organiza-
tions that use or provide NOAA Weather Radio All Haz-
ards receivers or transmitters to save lives and protect 
property. Individuals or organizations that utilize other 
early warning tools or applications also qualify for this 
award. 
(b) GOAL.—This award program draws attention to 
the life-saving work of the NOAA Weather Ready All Haz-
ards Program, as well as emerging tools and applications, 
that provide real-time warning to individuals and commu-
nities of severe weather or other hazardous conditions. 
(c) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.— 
(1) 
NOMINATIONS.—Nominations 
for 
this 
award shall be made annually by the Weather Field 
Offices to the Assistant Administrator for NWS. 
Broadcast meteorologists, weather radio manufactur-
ers and weather warning tool and application devel-
opers, emergency managers and public safety offi-
cials may nominate individuals and/or organizations 
to their local Weather Field Offices, but the final list 
of award nominees must come from the Weather 
Field Offices. 
(2) SELECTION OF AWARDEES.—Annually, the 
Assistant Administrator for NWS shall choose win-
ners of this award whose timely actions, based on 
NOAA weather radio all hazards receivers or trans-
mitters or other early warning tools and applica-
tions, saved lives and/or property or demonstrated 
public service in support of weather or all hazard 
warnings. 
(3) AWARD CEREMONY.—The Assistant Admin-
istrator for NWS shall establish a means of making 
these awards to provide maximum public awareness