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Oceanic 
and 
Atmospheric 
Administration’s 
water research and operational activities with 
existing Federal centers and networks, includ-
ing the Department of Agriculture, the Army 
Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, 
the United States Geological Survey, and the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency.’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (b) and redesignating 
subsections (c) through (e) as subsections (b) 
through (d) respectively; and 
(3) by amending subsection (c), as so redesig-
nated, to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated $46,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this section.’’. 
SEC. 506. SATELLITE TRANSFERS REPORT. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit 
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives a report 
describing the Department of Commerce’s authorities, 
policies, and Federal Government-wide policies related to 
transferring any portion of the weather satellite systems 
operated by the Department of Commerce to any other 
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Federal department or agency. The report shall also in-
clude the following: 
(1) A description of the process for decommis-
sioning a Department of Commerce operational 
weather satellite, any existing agreements related to 
transfers of weather satellites, whether decommis-
sioned or not, and any reimbursable agreements re-
lated to the transfer of physical property or the op-
eration of Department of Commerce weather sat-
ellites on behalf of any other Federal department or 
agency. 
(2) A summary of any Department of Com-
merce plans for potential transfer of existing or fu-
ture weather satellite systems to any other Federal 
department or agency. 
SEC. 507. PRECIPITATION FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VI of the Weather Research 
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501 
et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 603 as section 604; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 602 the following 
new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 603. PRECIPITATION FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in collabo-
ration with the United States weather industry, other Fed-
eral agencies, and academic partners, shall maintain a 
program to improve precipitation forecasting across 
timescales. 
‘‘(b) GOAL.—The goal of the program under sub-
section (a) shall be to provide more accurate, reliable, and 
timely precipitation forecasts across timescales through 
the development and application of a fully coupled Earth 
system prediction model in order to reduce the loss of life 
or property related to precipitation extremes, with a focus 
on the following: 
‘‘(1) Improving the understanding and pre-
diction of precipitation extremes from a variety of 
weather systems, including atmospheric rivers. 
‘‘(2) Evaluating and incorporating, as appro-
priate, innovative observations into operational moni-
toring and forecast systems to improve precipitation 
forecasts. 
‘‘(3) Improving earth system model predictions 
of precipitation extremes from atmospheric rivers, 
tropical cyclones, summer-time thunderstorms, win-
ter storms, and other phenomena, in coordination 
with relevant programs. 
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‘‘(4) Enhancing research transition to oper-
ations through testbeds, including the evaluation of 
physical and social science, technology, and other re-
search to develop products and services for imple-
mentation and use by relevant stakeholders. 
‘‘(5) Incorporating social, behavioral, and eco-
nomic sciences best practices into operations for 
more effective and actionable watch and warning 
products that help drive public safety and damage 
mitigation decisions in coordination with the pro-
grams established in accordance with this Act. 
‘‘(6) Ensuring data and metadata management 
processes are in place to support data access and ar-
chive for long term research and operations among 
multiple partners. 
‘‘(c) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the program 
under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall support 
research-to-operations work, including relating to the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) Implementing key strategies and following 
priorities and objectives outlined by the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ‘Precipi-
tation Prediction Grand Challenge Strategy’. 
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‘‘(2) Improving the physical science, operational 
modeling and tools, and technology related to better 
forecasting precipitation extremes across timescales. 
‘‘(3) Improving the social, behavioral, risk, com-
munications, and economic sciences related to 
vulnerabilities, risk communication, and delivery of 
information critical for reducing the loss of life or 
property related to extreme precipitation. 
‘‘(4) Conducting the research necessary to de-
velop and deploy probabilistic weather forecast guid-
ance technology relating to precipitation extremes in 
operational practice. 
‘‘(5) Enhancing the operational capacity of the 
National Weather Service to deliver decision support 
for increasing precipitation extremes. 
‘‘(6) Expanding computational resources to im-
prove precipitation modeling. 
‘‘(d) ANNUAL BUDGET.—The Under Secretary shall, 
not less frequently than annually, submit to Congress a 
proposed budget corresponding with carrying out this sec-
tion.’’. 
(b) 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 item 
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relating to section 603 and inserting the following new 
items: 
‘‘Sec. 603. Precipitation forecast improvement program. 
‘‘Sec. 604. Definitions.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives April 30, 2024. 
Attest: 
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 
Clerk. 
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