I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3538 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 
Mr. PITTENGER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Commerce to maintain and oper-
ate at least one Doppler weather radar site within 55 
miles of each city in the United States that has a popu-
lation of more than 700,000 individuals, 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 ‘‘Metropolitan Weather 
Hazards Protection Act of 2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR OPERATION OF DOPPLER 
WEATHER RADAR SITES NEAR LARGE CITIES. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Beginning not later than 450 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Commerce shall— 
(1) 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 
(2) ensure that each radar maintained and op-
erated near a city described in paragraph (1) is 
available to the office of the National Weather Serv-
ice that provides services to such city. 
(b) STANDARDS.—The Secretary shall ensure that 
each radar maintained and operated under subsection (a) 
conforms with the same standards that apply to radars 
operated by the Secretary, acting through the Adminis-
trator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration, on the day before the date of the enactment of 
this Act, including standards relating to the use of dual- 
polarization technology or other technologies included in 
Weather Surveillance Radar, 1988, Doppler (WSR–88D) 
radars. 
(c) CONSIDERATIONS.—When determining the loca-
tion for constructing a radar to meet the requirements of 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into consideration 
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nearby counties that have populations of more than 
130,000 and do not otherwise have radar beam coverage 
below 10,000 feet from Weather Surveillance Radar, 
1988, Doppler (WSR–88D) radars. 
(d) REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress a report detailing 
the Doppler weather radar sites that need to be con-
structed or acquired in order to meet the require-
ment of subsection (a). 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under 
paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) Feasible locations for placement and 
construction of radar sites, determined by the 
Secretary to provide the necessary meteorolog-
ical capabilities to best protect a city described 
in subsection (a). 
(B) A timeline for when construction or 
acquisition of each radar site will be complete. 
Æ 
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