I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2811
To authorize certain atmospheric, weather, and satellite programs and func-
tions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 30, 1993
Mr. HALL of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
A BILL
To authorize certain atmospheric, weather, and satellite pro-
grams and functions of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration, 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 ‘‘National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Atmospheric and Satellite
Program Authorization Act of 1993’’.
TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION OF
APPROPRIATIONS
SEC. 101. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
(a) OPERATIONS AND RESEARCH.—There are au-
thorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce
(in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) to enable the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to
carry out the operations and research duties of the Na-
tional Weather Service, $473,256,000 for fiscal year 1994
and $492,185,000 for fiscal year 1995. Such duties in-
clude meteorological, hydrological, and oceanographic pub-
lic warnings and forecasts, as well as applied research in
support of such warnings and forecasts.
(b) SYSTEMS ACQUISITION.—There are authorized to
be appropriated to the Secretary to enable the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out the
public warning and forecast systems duties of the National
Weather Service, $76,299,000 for fiscal year 1994 and
$71,115,000 for fiscal year 1995. Such duties include the
development, acquisition, and implementation of major
public warning and forecast systems. Funds authorized
under this subsection shall be in addition to funds author-
ized under section 102(b) of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992
(Public Law 102–567). No funds may be expended for
essed, or expected to be collected and processed, by
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion and other appropriate Federal departments and
agencies;
(2) the mission of the Environment Research
Laboratories to provide solar-terrestrial services to
the Nation;
(3) the ability of the Environmental Research
Laboratories to provide continued support for the
modernization of weather services;
(4) the responsibilities of the Environmental
Research Laboratories to monitor, assess, and pre-
dict changes in the Earth’s climate; and
(5) the capability of the Environmental Re-
search Laboratories to integrate and interpret sci-
entific data in order to provide information useful to
policy makers for responding to national and global
environmental concerns.
(b) COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLAN.—Not later
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall develop and 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 comprehensive strategic plan,
based on the assessment conducted under subsection (a),
to modernize and improve the Environmental Research
Laboratories of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. The assessment conducted under sub-
section (a) shall be submitted along with such plan.
SEC. 202. HYDROLOGICAL RESEARCH AND FLOOD FORE-
CAST MODERNIZATION REPORT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies,
shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House
of Representatives a report identifying the actions re-
quired to improve the hydrological research programs and
to modernize the Flood Forecasting System of the Na-
tional Weather Service.
(b) REPORT CONTENTS.—The report required under
subsection (a) shall include consideration of—
(1) current, planned, and potential technological
improvements in the collection of observational
hydrological data;
(2) use of additional satellite remote-sensing
data and airborne surveys, including those systems
operated by other Federal agencies, for hydrological
data collection;
(3) improvements in data analysis and com-
puter modeling in support of flood forecasts and pre-
dictions; and
(4) full integration of the River Forecast Cen-
ters in the National Weather Service Modernization
Plan.
SEC. 203. NOTICE OF REPROGRAMMING.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide notice
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate and to the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives,
not less than 15 days before reprogramming funds avail-
able for a program, project, or activity of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in an amount
greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 5 percent of the
total funding of such program, project, or activity, if the
reprogramming—
(1) augments an existing program, project, or
activity;
(2) reduces by 5 percent or more (A) the fund-
ing for an existing program, project, or activity, or
(B) the numbers of personnel therefor as approved
by Congress; or
(3) results from any general savings from a re-
duction in personnel which would result in a change
in an existing program, project, or activity.
(b) NOTICE OF REORGANIZATION.—The Secretary
shall provide notice to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House
of Representatives not later than 15 days before any
major reorganization of any program, project, or activity
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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