102 
looks, flood inundation mapping, coastal inun-
dation, and flood warnings. 
(C) Collaborate with the National Water 
Center, River Forecast Centers, other Weather 
Forecast Offices, the National Integrated 
Drought Information System, Administration 
offices, and Federal, State, local, and Tribal 
government agencies, as the Director considers 
appropriate, in developing, proposing, and im-
plementing plans to develop, modify, or tailor 
such products and services to improve the use-
fulness of such products and services. 
(D) Engage in interagency partnerships 
with Federal, State, local, and Tribal govern-
ment agencies to explore the use of forecast-in-
formed reservoir operations to reduce flood risk 
and inform decisions related to water resources 
management. 
(E) Ensure the maintenance and accuracy 
of flooding and water resource management 
partner call lists, appropriate office hydrologic 
service policy or procedures, and other hydro-
logic information or dissemination methodolo-
gies or strategies. 
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(F) Work closely with Federal, State, local, 
and Tribal emergency and floodplain manage-
ment agencies, and other agencies relating to 
disaster management, to ensure a planned, co-
ordinated, and effective preparedness and re-
sponse effort. 
(5) ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.—A service 
coordination hydrologist designated under this sub-
section may, with respect to hydrology, carry out the 
following: 
(A) Work with a State agency to develop 
plans for promoting more effective use of prod-
ucts and services of the National Weather Serv-
ice throughout the State concerned. 
(B) Identify priority community prepared-
ness objectives. 
(C) Develop plans to carry out the respon-
sibilities described in paragraph (4). 
(D) Conduct flooding event preparedness 
planning and citizen education efforts with and 
through various State, local, and Tribal govern-
ment agencies and other disaster management- 
related organizations. 
(e) PILOT PROJECTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Weather Service shall carry out the following: 
(A) Perform pilot projects for trans-
formational services related to decision support 
services and technology, transitioning data and 
services to the cloud, provision of on-site deci-
sion support for emergency management oper-
ations, and transition to and communication of 
probabilistic models, forecasts, and hazard in-
formation. 
(B) Conduct a study to assess the capabili-
ties needed to scale such pilot projects toward 
a new, more efficient and effective operations 
model. 
(2) SUNSET.—The authority under paragraph 
(1) shall terminate two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 211. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR WEATHER FORE-
CASTING. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.—The term ‘‘ar-
tificial intelligence’’— 
(A) has the meaning given that term in 
section 5002 of the National Artificial Intel-
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ligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401); 
and 
(B) includes machine learning, neural net-
works, and natural language processing. 
(2) 
ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
WEATHER 
MODEL.—The term ‘‘artificial intelligence weather 
model’’ means a weather model based primarily on 
artificial intelligence technology to project future 
Earth system conditions based on machine learning 
using weather forecasting training datasets. 
(3) CURATE.—The term ‘‘curate’’, with respect 
to a dataset, means the following: 
(A) To collect and maintain the dataset to 
accomplish the following: 
(i) Ensure and document its quality. 
(ii) Provide metadata on its prove-
nance. 
(B) To update the dataset periodically, as 
appropriate and practicable. 
(4) NUMERICAL WEATHER MODEL.—The term 
‘‘numerical weather model’’ means a weather model 
based primarily on coupled Earth system processes 
that uses numerical computation to forecast future 
Earth system conditions. 
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(5) OBSERVATIONAL DATA.—The term ‘‘obser-
vational data’’ means data and metadata from ac-
tual observations of environmental conditions, in-
cluding remote sensing and in situ platforms. 
(6) SYNTHETIC
DATA.—The term ‘‘synthetic 
data’’ means data produced from a model or statis-
tical method in order to fill gaps in observational 
data. 
(7) 
WEATHER
FORECASTING
TRAINING 
DATASET.—The term ‘‘weather forecasting training 
dataset’’— 
(A) means a dataset that contains contin-
uous global observational data and synthetic 
data for Earth system variables relevant to 
weather forecasting, aviation weather, marine 
weather, and hydrology and water management; 
and 
(B) may include model reanalysis and fore-
casts initialized through a data assimilation sys-
tem. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 
carry out the following: 
(1) Improve accuracy and timeliness of weather, 
water, and space weather forecasts and effective dis-
semination of critical information. 
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(2) Strengthen analytic capacity to inform re-
source deployments in response to and to mitigate 
harm from weather, water, and space weather haz-
ards through the mandated exploration and use of 
artificial intelligence by Federal agencies. 
(3) Strengthen public-private partnerships to 
accelerate adoption and outcomes of the use of arti-
ficial intelligence in response to and to mitigate such 
harm. 
(4) Strengthen public-private partnerships in 
highly technical, high-risk, and high-reward fields re-
lated to weather, water, and space weather forecasts. 
(c) EARTH SYSTEM FORECASTING AND INFORMA-
TION DELIVERY.— 
(1) TRAINING DATASETS.—Not later than four 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Under Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary 
of Energy, the Administrator of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration, the Director of 
the National Science Foundation, the Director of the 
National Center for Atmospheric Research, the 
Interagency Council on Advancing Meteorological 
Services, other appropriate Federal advisory commit-
tees as determined by the Under Secretary, and such 
other technical experts as the Under Secretary con-
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siders appropriate, shall develop and curate com-
prehensive weather forecasting training datasets 
with relevant Earth system data, quality informa-
tion, and metadata necessary for weather fore-
casting. 
(2) USE OF EXISTING DATASETS.—In order to 
speed the development of the weather forecasting 
training datasets required under paragraph (1), the 
Under Secretary shall assess, and to the greatest ex-
tent practicable build on, existing Earth system rea-
nalysis datasets of the Federal Government. 
(3) 
ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
WEATHER 
MODEL.— 
(A) GLOBAL MODEL.—In carrying out this 
subsection, the Under Secretary, in consultation 
with appropriate Federal advisory committees 
as determined by the Under Secretary, may de-
velop and test a global weather model based on 
artificial intelligence technologies utilizing data 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration to the extent possible. 
(B) REGIONAL AND LOCAL MODELS.—In 
addition to a global weather model under sub-
paragraph (A), the Under Secretary may exper-
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iment with regional and local weather models 
based on artificial intelligence technologies. 
(4) USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO DIS-
SEMINATE INFORMATION.—In coordination with an 
artificial intelligence weather model or models devel-
oped under paragraph (3), the Under Secretary may 
explore the use of artificial intelligence to enhance 
the dissemination of information with respect to 
weather and evaluate the effectiveness of commu-
nication for improved public understanding and pre-
paredness. 
(5) CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR OBSERVATIONS, 
BASIC RESEARCH, AND NUMERICAL WEATHER MOD-
ELS.—Notwithstanding the requirements of this sub-
section, the Under Secretary shall continue to sup-
port and advance the activities of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out 
the following: 
(A) Collect and acquire traditional and 
novel observational data relevant for artificial 
intelligence and numerical weather, water, and 
space weather forecasting. 
(B) Advance research on the Earth system 
and numerical weather model forecasting. 
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(C) Develop and advance numerical Earth 
system modeling for predictions. 
(D) Develop weather model data post-proc-
essing techniques. 
(E) Improve data assimilation techniques. 
(6) OBSERVING
SYSTEM
COVERAGE.—In car-
rying out this subsection, the Under Secretary may 
evaluate the use of cost functions in data-driven ma-
chine learning model training to balance inequities 
in observing system coverage and data poor areas. 
(7) 
UNCERTAINTY
QUANTIFICATION
RE-
SEARCH.—In carrying out this subsection, the Under 
Secretary may develop uncertainty quantification re-
search for the purpose of accurate environmental 
risk and hazard communications of probabilistic pre-
dictions and forecasts. 
(8) REPORT.—Not later than two years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act and not less 
frequently than every two years thereafter through 
2035, the Under Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives a 
report on the activities conducted under this sub-
section. 
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(d) ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE APPLICA-
TIONS FOR WEATHER AND INFORMATION DELIVERY.— 
The Under Secretary shall explore advanced applications 
of artificial intelligence to improve weather forecasts and 
information delivery, such as by carrying out the following: 
(1) Improving data assimilation. 
(2) Accounting for coupled Earth system proc-
esses. 
(3) Using artificial intelligence weather models 
to generate ensemble forecasts to more accurately 
assess flow-dependent forecast uncertainties. 
(4) Improving impact-based decision support to 
diverse users and communities for greater societal 
benefits based on those forecasts. 
(e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON USE OF ARTIFICIAL 
INTELLIGENCE WEATHER, WATER, AND SPACE WEATH-
ER MODELS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 
provide the following: 
(A) Technical assistance, data access, and 
support for forecasters, scientists, social sci-
entists, and engineers to test and evaluate the 
use and effectiveness of the artificial intel-
ligence models of the National Oceanic and At-
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112 
mospheric Administration, including within the 
testbeds of the Administration. 
(B) Best practices on providing forecasts 
based on outputs from artificial intelligence 
weather models and numerical weather models, 
or a combination thereof. 
(C) Support for emergency managers to 
make operational decisions based on outputs 
from artificial intelligence weather models and 
numerical weather models, or a combination 
thereof. 
(2) ASSESSMENT OF WEATHER MODELS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary 
shall support the development of a common 
framework for the assessment of numerical 
weather models and artificial intelligence weath-
er models by comparing model output and ob-
servational data over a period of time in the 
past through the use of such methodologies as 
the Under Secretary considers appropriate. 
(B) BEST
PRACTICES.—In carrying out 
this paragraph, the Under Secretary may de-
velop and disseminate best practices in collabo-
ration with the following; 
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(i) The National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology, the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration, the Na-
tional Science Foundation, and the De-
partment of Energy. 
(ii) Academic and research institu-
tions. 
(iii) The private sector. 
(3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—In carrying out 
this subsection, the Under Secretary may provide 
technical assistance, best practices, and support re-
quired under paragraph (1) through the National 
Weather Service. 
(4) INDEPENDENT STUDY ON THE IMPACTS OF 
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WEATHER, WATER, AND 
SPACE
WEATHER
MODELS.—The Under Secretary 
may enter into an agreement with the National 
Academy of Sciences or another entity as determined 
appropriate by the Under Secretary to assess the 
impacts of artificial intelligence weather models on 
the weather enterprise and make recommendations 
to improve the integration of such models in oper-
ational forecasting. 
(f) PARTNERSHIPS FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL INNO-
VATION.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary may 
explore novel structures for partnerships with pri-
vate, academic, and international entities for re-
search and development of transformative innovation 
in weather forecasting and other environmental fore-
casts to accomplish the following: 
(A) Further the understanding of weather, 
water, and space weather, and their societal im-
pact. 
(B) Advance the science of weather and 
water forecasting, including seasonal and sub-
seasonal forecasting. 
(C) Develop, evaluate, and transition artifi-
cial intelligence weather, water, and hazard 
forecasting applications to operations. 
(2) CO-INVESTMENT.—Subject to applicable 
law, the Under Secretary may consider and adopt 
novel co-investment strategies with the private aca-
demic and international sectors to carry out para-
graph (1), including the following: 
(A) Non-Federal Government contributions 
to resource and support high-risk, high-return 
research and development in environmental 
forecasting, data science, artificial intelligence, 
and related fields. 
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(B) Shared rights to intellectual property 
from research and development activities under 
this subsection. 
(C) Other approaches to sharing resources 
and results under this subsection. 
(g) AVAILABILITY OF DATASET.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 
develop and implement a plan to make available to 
the public, at no cost and subject to applicable law 
and policy, the following: 
(A) 
Operational 
artificial 
intelligence 
weather models developed by the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(B) Artificial intelligence weather models 
that are not operational models, including ex-
perimental and developmental models, as the 
Under Secretary determines appropriate. 
(C) Applicable information and documenta-
tion for artificial intelligence weather models 
described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), includ-
ing a description of intended model outputs. 
(D) Subject to subsection (i), all data 
owned by the Federal Government and data 
that the Under Secretary has the legal right to 
redistribute that are associated with artificial 
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intelligence weather models made available to 
the public pursuant to the plan and used in 
operational forecasting by the Administration, 
including the following: 
(i) Relevant metadata. 
(ii) Data used for operational artificial 
intelligence weather models used by the 
Administration. 
(2) ACCOMMODATIONS.—In developing and im-
plementing the plan under paragraph (1), the Under 
Secretary may make such accommodations as the 
Under Secretary considers appropriate to ensure 
that the public release of any artificial intelligence 
weather model, information, documentation, or data 
pursuant to the plan does not jeopardize the fol-
lowing: 
(A) National security. 
(B) Intellectual property or redistribution 
rights, including under titles 17 and 35, United 
States Code. 
(C) Any trade secret or commercial or fi-
nancial information subject to section 552(b)(4) 
of title 5, United States Code. 
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(D) Any models or data that are otherwise 
restricted by contract or other written agree-
ment. 
(E) The mission of the Administration to 
protect lives and property. 
(3) REPORT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a re-
port, in both unclassified and classified form, 
regarding the risks to the economic and intellec-
tual security of the United States from foreign 
countries of concern through access by such 
countries to weather data in the United States. 
(B) 
ELEMENTS.—The 
report 
required 
under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(i) A full analysis of the national, in-
tellectual, and economic security implica-
tions for the United States with respect to 
intellectual property theft or cyber or 
human espionage through access to weath-
er data. 
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(ii) Conclusions of the Under Sec-
retary and recommendations for legislative 
and administrative action, if any. 
(C) FOREIGN COUNTRY OF CONCERN DE-
FINED.—In this paragraph, the term ‘‘foreign 
country of concern’’ has the meaning given that 
term in section 9901 of the William M. (Mac) 
Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4651). 
(h) RETENTION OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EXPER-
TISE.—Subject to applicable law, the Under Secretary 
may consider novel methods to recruit, retrain, and retain 
expert personnel to support activities under this section, 
including by carrying out the following: 
(1) Using methods to be competitive with sala-
ries outside the Federal Government. 
(2) Developing staff exchange programs and 
training programs. 
(3) Leveraging diverse hiring strategies. 
(i) PROTECTION
OF NATIONAL SECURITY INTER-
ESTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this section, the Under Secretary, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, as ap-
propriate, may withhold models or data used under 
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this section if the Under Secretary determines doing 
so to be necessary to protect the national security 
interests of the United States. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
section may be construed to supersede any other 
provision of law governing the protection of the na-
tional security interests of the United States. 
SEC. 212. COMPOSITION OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND ATMOS-
PHERIC OBSERVATIONS. 
(a) ASSESSMENTS.—Not later than two years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
a report that includes the following: 
(1) An identification of Federal observation ca-
pabilities and data gaps related to the composition 
of Earth’s atmosphere, including the troposphere 
and stratosphere. 
(2) An analysis of Federal efforts that advance 
scientific understanding of the effects on the Earth’s 
radiation budget of direct or indirect actions that 
may change the composition of Earth’s atmosphere. 
(3) The current and projected use of ground- 
based, space-based, and maritime-based remote and 
in situ sensing capabilities, autonomous and manned 
aerial platforms, and other commercially available 
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technologies and platforms of opportunity to accel-
erate research and increase observations and moni-
toring of Earth’s atmosphere. 
(4) Recommendations for the adaptation or ex-
pansion of technologies and platforms identified 
under paragraph (3). 
(5) An identification and prioritization of addi-
tional observation and analysis capabilities needed to 
ensure comprehensive monitoring that detects future 
changes in atmospheric composition. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In preparing an assessment 
required under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall 
consider and use, as appropriate, reports and studies con-
ducted by Federal agencies, the National Research Coun-
cil, or other entities. 
(c) PILOT PROJECTS.— 
(1) PILOT
PROJECTS.—The Under Secretary 
may conduct pilot projects of atmospheric composi-
tion observational systems and platforms, including 
the following: 
(A) The use of atmospheric observing in-
struments on commercial and uncrewed air-
craft. 
(B) The use of atmospheric and oceanic 
observing instruments on uncrewed ocean sur-
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face platforms or deployed on commercial or 
other nondedicated ocean vessels. 
(C) In-situ observation capability to con-
duct regular atmospheric observations of the 
troposphere and stratosphere. 
(2) CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION.—The 
Under Secretary shall consult and coordinate with 
relevant Federal agencies to develop processes for 
the appropriate deployment of systems and plat-
forms pursuant to pilot projects required under 
paragraph (1). 
(d) AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Under 
Secretary may enter into agreements, to the extent nec-
essary to carry out this section, with governmental and 
nongovernmental entities for the following purposes: 
(1) Purchase of atmospheric composition data 
from commercial providers, 
(2) Hosting of observational instruments on 
government or private platforms, and 
(3) Leveraging data from international plat-
forms, as appropriate. 
(e) DEFINITION OF APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF 
CONGRESS.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate com-
mittees of Congress’’ means— 
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(1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate; and 
(2) the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives. 
SEC. 213. PROJECT TO IMPROVE FORECASTS OF COASTAL 
MARINE FOG. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall con-
duct a project to improve forecasts of coastal marine fog. 
(b) GOAL.—The goal of the project under subsection 
(a) is to enhance vessel safety and reduce the economic 
impact of coastal marine fog events, with a focus on the 
following: 
(1) Increasing the number of marine-based ob-
servations through additional Federal platforms and 
commercially acquired observations in locations 
where impacts from marine fog and reduced visi-
bility have major safety and economic impacts, in-
cluding through the use of the following: 
(A) Buoys. 
(B) Meteorological stations measuring visi-
bility, temperature, dewpoint, and wind speed 
and direction as a stand-alone or co-located 
with water level sensors, such as those that are 
part of the physical oceanographic observation 
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system program of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration. 
(C) Stationary platforms or drifting instru-
ments. 
(D) Vessels. 
(E) Unmanned systems. 
(F) Remote sensing technologies, including 
rapid refresh hyperspectral satellite imagery. 
(G) Advanced algorithms that extract ac-
tionable information from observational data, 
including early detection and regular moni-
toring of marine fog. 
(2) Advancing geographic coverage, resolution, 
skill, and accuracy of marine fog modeling, includ-
ing, when feasible, additional locations and advance-
ments in marine channel forecast capability. 
(3) Improving communication of marine fog 
advisories by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration. 
(4) Communicating risks posed by hazardous 
marine fog events in a way that maximizes informed 
decisionmaking by the public. 
(5) Providing decision support services based on 
environmental information that is actionable to the 
recipient of a marine fog advisory. 
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(c) STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.—In implementing 
the project under subsection (a), the Under Secretary 
shall meet with public and private stakeholders regarding 
the planning, development, and implementation of the 
project. 
(d) TRIBAL ENGAGEMENT.—The Under Secretary 
shall meet with Indian tribes (as such term is defined in 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) regarding the planning, 
development, and implementation of the project required 
under subsection (a). 
(e) PROJECT PLAN.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary 
shall develop a plan for the project required subsection (a) 
that details the specific research, development, and tech-
nology transfer activities, as well as corresponding re-
sources and timelines, necessary to achieve the goal speci-
fied in subsection (b). 
TITLE III—COMMERCIAL WEATH-
ER AND ENVIRONMENTAL OB-
SERVATIONS 
SEC. 301. COMMERCIAL DATA PROGRAM. 
The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation 
Act of 2017 is amended by amending section 302 (15 
U.S.C. 8532) to read as follows: 
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‘‘SEC. 302. COMMERCIAL DATA PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.—The Under Sec-
retary, in coordination with the heads of appropriate of-
fices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration, shall maintain a Commercial Data Program to co-
ordinate and execute acquisition of weather and environ-
mental data and services from private sector entities for 
operational use. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—The Under Secretary 
may acquire satellite, ground-based, airborne, or marine- 
based in situ, remote sensing, or crowd-sourced data and 
services for operational use relating to weather and envi-
ronmental forecasting and modeling. 
‘‘(c) COORDINATION
AND
COLLABORATION.—The 
Under Secretary shall ensure the Commercial Data Pro-
gram coordinates, collaborates, and ensures access to data 
across the Administration, including among the following: 
‘‘(1) The National Mesonet Program. 
‘‘(2) The Aircraft-Based Observation Program. 
‘‘(3) The National Integrated Drought Informa-
tion System, including the National Coordinated Soil 
Moisture Monitoring Network. 
‘‘(4) The National Integrated Flood Informa-
tion System. 
‘‘(5) The Global Ocean Monitoring and Observ-
ing Program. 
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126 
‘‘(6) The National Data Buoy Center. 
‘‘(7) The Uncrewed Systems Operation Center. 
‘‘(8) The Ocean Exploration Program. 
‘‘(9) Any other program or office the Under 
Secretary determines appropriate. 
‘‘(d) STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS.—Not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this sec-
tion and on a continuous basis thereafter, the Under Sec-
retary shall publish data, metadata, and service standards 
and specifications required for acquired observation serv-
ices and data for use, licensing, and attribution to ensure 
quality, impact, and compatibility of such services and 
data with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion modeling capabilities, meteorological situational 
awareness, and forecasting. 
‘‘(e) PRIORITIZATION.—In acquiring data and serv-
ices from private sector entities, the Under Secretary shall 
prioritize obtaining surface-based, airborne-based, space- 
based, and coastal- and ocean-based data, metadata, and 
services for operational use from entities that participate 
in the Commercial Data Pilot Program or other programs 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
that acquire commercial data or observations. 
‘‘(f) NOAA OBSERVING SYSTEMS COUNCIL
AND 
FLEET COUNCIL.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 
maintain the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration Observing Systems Council and the 
NOAA Fleet Council (in this subsection referred to 
as the ‘Councils’) to provide strategic recommenda-
tions and guidance regarding the prioritization, de-
sign, development, acquisition, upgrading, lifecycle, 
performance monitoring, and retiring of major com-
ponents of observing systems and portfolios, includ-
ing related to the acquisition of commercial weather 
and environmental data and services. 
‘‘(2) LINE OFFICE COORDINATION.—The Coun-
cils shall ensure coordination and adherence to uni-
form policies by providing guidance to all line offices 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration engaged in observing systems portfolio de-
sign, technology, development, execution, and oper-
ation. 
‘‘(3) COMMITTEE.—The Under Secretary shall 
maintain a Committee within the Councils to develop 
and approve procedural directives, guides, or hand-
books relevant to management of data and informa-
tion, including commercial data, and coordinate data 
governance and management practices across the 
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
to promote consistent processes. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2026 through 2030 to carry out this section. 
‘‘(2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
Congress that the Under Secretary should seek to 
enter into contracts or other appropriate agreements 
that enable the expenditure, to the maximum extent 
practicable, of amounts authorized to be appro-
priated or otherwise made available in a fiscal year 
to carry out this section. 
‘‘(h) DATA
AND
HOSTED
PAYLOADS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, the Secretary of Com-
merce may enter into agreements relating to the following: 
‘‘(1) The purchase of weather and environ-
mental data and services through contracts with pri-
vate sector commercial data and service providers. 
‘‘(2) The placement of weather instruments on 
co-hosted Federal, international, or private space, 
airborne, maritime, or ground platforms. 
‘‘(i) OMBUDSMAN.—The Under Secretary shall estab-
lish or designate at least one Ombudsman position within 
the Commercial Data Program to implement the rec-
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ommendations of the Observing System Council under 
subsection (f) related to commercial weather and environ-
mental data and services acquisitions. Such an Ombuds-
man shall act as the liaison between private sector data 
and service providers and the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration with respect to receiving rec-
ommendations and resolving issues related to engagement, 
testing, contracting, or other areas related to the Adminis-
tration’s efforts to acquire commercial weather and envi-
ronmental data and services. 
‘‘(j) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Under Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate a report evaluating the activities and needed au-
thorities related to data governance and management 
practices, including acquisition, collection, documentation, 
quality control, validation, reprocessing, storage, retrieval, 
dissemination, and long-term preservation activities across 
all National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration line, 
staff, and corporate offices.’’. 
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SEC. 302. COMMERCIAL DATA PILOT PROGRAM. 
The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation 
Act of 2017 is amended by amending section 303 (15 
U.S.C. 8533) to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 303. COMMERCIAL DATA PILOT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.—Within the Com-
mercial Data Program under section 302, there shall, to 
the maximum extent practicable, be a Commercial Data 
Pilot Program to engage with external partners and pro-
viders to test and develop shared standards and meth-
odologies for quality, use, licensing, and attribution of ob-
servation services and data, and to ensure quality, impact, 
and compatibility of such services and data with National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration modeling capa-
bilities, meteorological situational awareness, and fore-
casting. The Program is authorized to test and evaluate 
all sources and types of observation services, imagery, 
products, and data from private sector entities, including 
new and innovative surface-based, airborne-based, space- 
based, and coastal- and ocean-based data, metadata, and 
model components. 
‘‘(b) CRITERIA.—The Under Secretary shall ensure 
that data acquired through the Commercial Data Pilot 
Program described in subsection (a) meets the most recent 
standards and specifications required for observation serv-
ices and data as published pursuant to section 302(d). 
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‘‘(c) PILOT CONTRACTS.—The Under Secretary shall, 
through an open competition, regularly enter into pilot 
contracts with private sector entities capable of providing 
observation services and data referred to in subsection (a) 
that meet the standards and specifications published pur-
suant to section 302(d) for so providing such services and 
data in a manner that allows the Under Secretary to cali-
brate and evaluate such services and data for use in Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration activities. 
‘‘(d) ASSESSMENT OF VIABILITY.—The Under Sec-
retary shall annually assess 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 summary of the pilot con-
tracts entered into pursuant to subsection (c), an assess-
ment of the extent to which such contracts meet the stand-
ards and specifications published pursuant to section 
302(d), and any additional information determined nec-
essary related to the following: 
‘‘(1) The viability of integrating observation 
services and data from private sector entities into 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
forecasts and models. 
‘‘(2) The expected value added or improvements 
from such services and data if integrated into Na-
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132 
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fore-
casts and models. 
‘‘(3) The accuracy, quality, timeliness, validity, 
reliability, usability, information technology security, 
and cost-effectiveness of obtaining observation serv-
ices and data from private sector entities. 
‘‘(4) If the Under Secretary determines it is 
viable to integrate such services and data into the 
forecasts and models of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, the steps to integrate, 
not later than one year after the date of such deter-
mination, such services and data into operational use 
by the Administration, or any associated challenges 
in doing so. 
‘‘(e) OBTAINING FUTURE DATA.—If an assessment 
under subsection (d) demonstrates the ability of services 
and data from private sector entities to meet the stand-
ards and specifications published pursuant to section 
302(d), the Under Secretary shall carry out the following: 
‘‘(1) When cost-effective and feasible, obtain ob-
servation services and data from private sector enti-
ties through the Commercial Data Program under 
section 302. 
‘‘(2) As early as possible in the acquisition 
process for any future National Oceanic and Atmos-
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pheric Administration satellite system, determine 
whether there is a suitable, cost-effective, commer-
cial capability available or that will be available to 
meet applicable instrument, spacecraft, or system re-
quirements before completion of the critical design 
phase of such planned satellite system. 
‘‘(3) If the Under Secretary determines under 
paragraph (2) that a suitable, cost-effective, com-
mercial capability is or will be available, determine 
whether and how such capability is in the national 
interest if developed as a solely governmental sys-
tem. 
‘‘(4) 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 detailing any de-
terminations made under paragraphs (2) and (3). 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—From 
amounts authorized to be appropriated pursuant to sec-
tion 302 to carry out such section, not less than 15 per-
cent of such amounts each fiscal year are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this section.’’. 
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SEC. 303. CONTRACTING AUTHORITY AND AVOIDANCE OF 
DUPLICATION. 
Title III of the Weather Research and Forecasting 
Innovation Act of 2017 is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 304. CONTRACTING AUTHORITY AND AVOIDANCE OF 
DUPLICATION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Consistent with the authorities 
of other Federal agencies that contract and partner with 
private sector entities, including under section 3903 of 
title 41, United States Code, the Under Secretary is au-
thorized to use contracting mechanisms and enter into 
agreements that use multiyear contract options. In car-
rying out sections 302 and 303, the Under Secretary shall, 
to the greatest extent possible, carry out the following: 
‘‘(1) Enter into year-long or multiyear contracts 
using contracting mechanisms that foster resiliency 
of service and data purchased. 
‘‘(2) Partner and contract with multiple obser-
vation service and data providers simultaneously to 
reduce risks of data gaps and improve mission 
robustness. 
‘‘(3) Use authorities, such as additional forms 
of transaction agreements under section 301, that 
allow for innovative partnerships with private sector 
entities. 
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‘‘(b) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this title may be 
construed as infringing on the acquisition authority or 
strategy of Federal entities authorized under title 10, 
United States Code. 
‘‘(c) UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION.—In meeting the 
requirements under this title, the Under Secretary shall 
avoid unnecessary duplication between the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration, other Federal depart-
ments and agencies, and private sector entities, including 
relating to corresponding expenditures of funds and em-
ployment of personnel by carrying out the following: 
‘‘(1) Coordinating existing activities with other 
civilian Federal departments and agencies which 
provide, contract, or partner with private sector enti-
ties to acquire, weather and environmental observa-
tions and data. 
‘‘(2) Coordinating and soliciting weather and 
environmental observations and data requirements 
and needs from other civilian Federal departments 
and agencies to be acquired by the Commercial Data 
Program under section 302. 
‘‘(d) FAIR
COMPENSATION
FOR
INTERAGENCY 
NEEDS.—The Under Secretary, to the maximum extent 
practicable, shall ensure that Federal departments and 
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136 
agencies utilizing services and data under sections 302 
and 303 fairly compensate the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration, or the non-Federal entities pro-
viding such services or data, as appropriate, for use.’’. 
SEC. 304. DATA ASSIMILATION, MANAGEMENT, AND SHAR-
ING PRACTICES. 
Title III of the Weather Research and Forecasting 
Innovation Act of 2017, as amended by section 303 of this 
Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 305. DATA ASSIMILATION, MANAGEMENT, AND SHAR-
ING PRACTICES. 
‘‘(a) DATA STANDARDS.—The Under Secretary, in 
collaboration with the weather enterprise, shall seek to es-
tablish consistent and open data and metadata standards 
to support open science, including simple cloud-optimized 
data formats and application programming interfaces that 
support 
findability, 
accessibility, 
usability, 
and 
preservability. 
‘‘(b) DATA INFRASTRUCTURE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in 
consultation with the Chief Information Officer and 
appropriate program heads, shall consolidate and ar-
range data infrastructure needs to ensure efficient 
and effective data transfer between National Oceanic 
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137 
and Atmospheric Administration offices by consid-
ering the use of commercial cloud technologies, or 
similar hybrid structures, to host and transmit data 
and metadata. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL
PARTNERSHIPS.—In carrying 
out paragraph (1), the Under Secretary may partner 
with the heads of other Federal departments and 
agencies, including the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, the Department of Energy, 
the United States Space Force, the United States 
Coast Guard, the United States Navy, the Federal 
Aviation Administration, the United States Forest 
Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
National Science Foundation, and the United States 
Geological Survey, to collocate data with joint utility 
and support a transition to cloud architectures, in-
cluding commercial cloud networks. 
‘‘(3) LONG-TERM DATA ARCHIVE.—The Under 
Secretary shall ensure the long-term management, 
maintenance, and stewardship of archival data and 
metadata acquired through the Commercial Data 
Program under section 302 is conducted within the 
National Centers for Environmental Information. 
‘‘(c) DATA SHARING WITH THE WEATHER ENTER-
PRISE.— 
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‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—To the greatest extent 
practicable, the Under Secretary shall carry out the 
following: 
‘‘(A) Continue to ensure the delivery of 
data through sound and robust infrastructure, 
such as data sharing capabilities of the industry 
proving grounds. 
‘‘(B) Make accessible to members of the 
weather enterprise that are United States per-
sons data that is— 
‘‘(i) not subject to redistribution con-
tract permissions; or 
‘‘(ii) purchased through the Commer-
cial Data Program under section 302 or 
shared through international government 
partners. 
‘‘(2) DATA
ASSIMILATED
INTO
MODELS
OR 
FORECASTS.—If data described in paragraph (1)(B) 
must be assimilated into numerical weather pre-
diction models or automated forecast guidance to 
satisfy terms of a redistribution contract, the Under 
Secretary shall make accessible without delay to 
members of the weather enterprise that are United 
States persons the numerical weather prediction 
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139 
model or automated forecast guidance output, as the 
case may be. 
‘‘(d) DATA ASSIMILATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in 
coordination with the Commercial Data Program 
under section 302, the National Centers for Envi-
ronmental Prediction, the National Centers for Envi-
ronmental Information, the Office of Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Research, and any other relevant of-
fices within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, shall establish a program to test, 
advance, and implement data assimilation methods, 
which may include artificial intelligence, machine 
learning, data pre- and post-processing, efficient 
input and output, and next-generation algorithms. 
‘‘(2) DATA ASSIMILATION UNIVERSITY CONSOR-
TIUM.—Through the program established pursuant 
to paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall estab-
lish a consortium consisting of institutions of higher 
education (as such term is defined in section 101 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001)) to address critical research challenges for 
data assimilation and foster a growing data assimi-
lation workforce. The consortium shall seek to ac-
complish the following: 
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‘‘(A) Solve critical research issues for data 
assimilation through innovative research. 
‘‘(B) Increase significantly the number of 
students, including Ph.D. candidates and other 
graduate level students, in data assimilation. 
‘‘(C) Use modern software and frame-
works, such as the Joint Effort for Data As-
similation 
Integration, 
or 
emerging 
tech-
nologies, such as artificial intelligence and ma-
chine learning techniques, to conduct data as-
similation research and development and facili-
tate research-to-operations efforts to improve 
weather modeling and prediction. 
‘‘(D) Identify and prioritize critical re-
search areas in data assimilation and facilitate 
operations-to-research efforts. 
‘‘(E) Establish and enable an effective col-
laboration infrastructure between National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration facilities, 
such as laboratories, centers, or joint agency in-
stitutes, and the research community, including 
a mechanism for external partners to host Ad-
ministration employees. 
‘‘(F) Establish mechanisms to enable all 
members of the consortium to archive and ac-
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141 
cess data required to support the work under 
this subsection. 
‘‘(3) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Under Secretary shall ensure the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 
its associated activities focus on research-to-oper-
ations and operations-to-research efforts, including 
by coordinating and collaborating with the Joint 
Center for Satellite Data Assimilation. 
‘‘(4) DATA ASSIMILATION, MANAGEMENT, AND 
SHARING PRACTICES SECURITY.—The activities au-
thorized under this subsection shall be conducted in 
a manner consistent with subtitle D of title VI of 
the Research and Development, Competition, and 
Innovation Act (enacted as division B of Public Law 
117–167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.). 
‘‘(e) STUDY ON DATA MANAGEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Under Secretary shall seek to enter into an agree-
ment with a non-Federal entity to conduct a study 
on matters concerning data practices and manage-
ment needs at the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration. In conducting the study, the 
outside entity shall carry out the following: 
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‘‘(A) Assess the costs and benefits of cur-
rent data management needs for observational 
and operational mission requirements. 
‘‘(B) Develop recommendations regarding 
how to make more robust and cost-effective the 
data portfolio of the Administration. 
‘‘(C) Identify data infrastructure tech-
nologies and needs that are essential to the per-
formance of modeling systems of the Adminis-
tration. 
‘‘(D) Assess the sharing needs and prac-
tices of the Administration for both internal 
and external dissemination. 
‘‘(E) Develop recommendations for meth-
ods of data infrastructure sharing, including 
data purchased from the commercial sector. 
‘‘(F) Develop recommendations for data 
standards, formats, and protocols to support ar-
tificial intelligence and machine learning tech-
niques. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of 
amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Com-
mercial 
Data 
Program 
under 
section 
302, 
$1,000,000 shall be available to carry out the study 
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143 
under paragraph (1) to remain available until ex-
pended.’’. 
SEC. 305. 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 items relating to sections 302 and 
303 and inserting the following new items: 
‘‘Sec. 302. Commercial Data Program. 
‘‘Sec. 303. Commercial Data Pilot Program. 
‘‘Sec. 304. Contracting authority and avoidance of duplication. 
‘‘Sec. 305. Data assimilation, management, and sharing practices.’’. 
TITLE IV—COMMUNICATING 
WEATHER TO THE PUBLIC 
SEC. 401. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) 
HAZARDOUS
WEATHER
OR
WATER 
EVENTS.—The term ‘‘hazardous weather or water 
events’’ means weather or water events that have a 
high-risk of loss of life or property, including the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Severe storms, such as hurricanes and 
short-fused, small-scale hazardous weather or 
hydrologic events produced by thunderstorms, 
including large hail, damaging winds, torna-
does, and flash floods. 
(B) Winter storms, such as freezing or fro-
zen precipitation (including freezing rain, sleet, 
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144 
and snow), or combined effects of freezing or 
frozen precipitation and strong winds. 
(C) Other weather hazards, such as ex-
treme heat or cold, wildfire, drought, dense fog, 
high winds, and river, coastal, or lakeshore 
flooding. 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(3) 
NOAA 
WEATHER
RADIO.—The 
term 
‘‘NOAA Weather Radio’’ means the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio 
All Hazards network. 
(4) PUBLIC CLOUD.—The term ‘‘public cloud’’ 
means an information technology model in which 
service providers make computing services, including 
compute and storage and develop-and-deploy envi-
ronments and applications, available on-demand to 
organizations and individuals over the public inter-
net or other means that allows for the widest dis-
semination of information. 
(5) WATCH; WARNING.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The terms ‘‘watch’’ and 
‘‘warning’’, with respect to a hazardous weather 
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or water event, mean products issued by the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, intended for consumption by the general 
public, to alert the general public to the poten-
tial for or presence of such event and to inform 
action to prevent loss of life or property. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—The terms ‘‘watch’’ and 
‘‘warning’’ do not include technical or special-
ized meteorological or hydrological forecasts, 
outlooks, or model guidance products. 
SEC. 402. HAZARDOUS WEATHER OR WATER EVENT RISK 
COMMUNICATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall main-
tain and improve the system of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration by which the risks of haz-
ardous weather and water events are communicated to the 
general public, with the goal of informing action and en-
couraging response to prevent loss of life and property. 
(b) HAZARD RISK COMMUNICATION IMPROVEMENT 
AND SIMPLIFICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 
maintain a hazard risk communication program (in 
this subsection referred to as the ‘‘Program’’), for 
the purposes of simplifying and improving the com-
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munication of hazardous weather and water event 
risks. 
(2) TERMINOLOGY.—The Program shall iden-
tify, eliminate, or modify unnecessary, redundant, or 
confusing terms for hazardous weather and water 
event communications and add new terminology, as 
appropriate. 
(3) 
COMMUNICATIONS
IMPROVEMENT.—The 
Program shall improve the form, content, and meth-
ods of hazardous weather and water event commu-
nications to more clearly inform action and increase 
the likelihood that the public takes such action to 
prevent the loss of life or property. 
(4) EVALUATIONS.—The Program shall, in co-
ordination with the performance branch of the Na-
tional Weather Service, develop metrics for such 
branch to track and evaluate the degree to which 
hazardous weather and water event communications 
inform action and encourage response. 
(5) SUPPORT
PLAN.—The Program shall de-
velop a plan for the purpose of supporting the activi-
ties described in paragraph (3). The plan shall be 
periodically updated and informed by internal and 
extramural research and the results of the evalua-
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tion of hazardous weather and water event commu-
nications conducted under paragraph (4). 
(6) METHODS.—In carrying out this subsection, 
the Program shall develop and implement rec-
ommendations that satisfy the following: 
(A) Are based on the best and most recent 
understanding from social, behavioral, risk, and 
communication science research. 
(B) Are validated by social, behavioral, 
risk, and communication science, taking into ac-
count 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 demo-
graphics, vulnerable populations, and geo-
graphic regions. 
(D) Account for the differences between 
various types of weather and water hazards. 
(E) Respond to the needs of Federal, 
State, and local government partners and media 
partners. 
(F) Account for necessary changes in the 
infrastructure, technology, and protocols for 
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148 
creating and disseminating federally operated 
watches and warnings. 
(7) COORDINATION.—The Program shall co-
ordinate with the following: 
(A) Federal partners, including National 
Laboratories, cooperative institutes, and re-
gional integrated sciences and assessments pro-
grams. 
(B) State and local government partners. 
(C) Indian Tribes (as such term is defined 
in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
5304)). 
(D) Institutions of higher education. 
(E) Media partners. 
(8) TIMELINESS AND CONSISTENCY.—The Pro-
gram shall develop best practices and guidance for 
ensuring timely and consistent communication 
across public facing platforms that disseminate haz-
ardous weather and water event information. 
SEC. 403. HAZARD COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AND EN-
GAGEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary may main-
tain, as appropriate, a program to carry out the following: 
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(1) Modernize the development and communica-
tion of risk-based, statistically reliable, probabilistic 
hazard information, with the goal of informing ap-
propriate responses to hazardous weather or water 
events. 
(2) Improve the fundamental social, behavioral, 
economic, risk, and communication science relating 
to communications, including by means of collecting 
voluntary data, regarding hazardous weather or 
water events. 
(b) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the program 
under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall coordinate 
and communicate with States, Tribal governments, local-
ities, and emergency managers regarding research prior-
ities and results. 
(c) PILOT PROGRAM FOR TORNADO HAZARD COMMU-
NICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in co-
ordination with the VORTEX–USA program under 
section 103 of the Weather Research and Fore-
casting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8513), as 
amended by section 103 of this Act, and in collabo-
ration with one or more eligible institutions (or con-
sortia thereof), shall establish a pilot program for 
tornado hazard communications to test incorporation 
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of research into operations with respect to torna-
does. 
(2) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION DEFINED.—In this 
subsection, the term ‘‘eligible institution’’ means any 
of the following: 
(A) A historically Black college or univer-
sity located in an area of persistent poverty 
that is subjected to frequent severe weather, 
such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods. 
(B) An institution of higher education in 
proximity to a Weather Forecast Office of the 
National Weather Service. 
(d) PILOT STUDY FOR HURRICANE HAZARD COMMU-
NICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in co-
ordination with the hurricane forecast improvement 
program under section 104 of the Weather Research 
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 
8514), as amended by section 104 of this Act, and 
in collaboration with one or more eligible institutions 
(or consortia thereof), shall enter into an agreement 
with an appropriate entity, as determined by the 
Under Secretary, to conduct a pilot study using a 
mixed methods approach, including surveys, focus 
groups, and interviews, to gather information from 
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151 
hurricane-prone population areas regarding the lev-
els of preparedness of such areas for hurricanes or 
in response to the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration’s early forecasts and warn-
ings. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The pilot study under para-
graph (1) shall evaluate the following: 
(A) Possession of disaster supplies. 
(B) Evacuation decisions. 
(C) Levels of trust of tropical cyclone in-
formation and hurricane path prediction from 
various sources. 
(D) Access to tropical cyclone and hurri-
cane forecasts and warnings in such study par-
ticipant’s first language. 
(E) Any reasoning or deliberation by the 
individuals interviewed as part of the study that 
may hinder the ability or willingness of the indi-
viduals to evacuate. 
(3) ADDITIONAL
CRITERIA.—The Under Sec-
retary shall publish the methodology of the pilot 
study under paragraph (1) on a publicly accessible 
website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration. 
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(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. 
(e) HURRICANE SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND ECO-
NOMIC SCIENCES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 
carry out research and development activities to im-
prove how the public receives, interprets, responds 
to, and values hurricane forecasts and warnings. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—In conducting activities under 
paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall carry out 
the following: 
(A) Conduct a comprehensive review of the 
manner by which the public receives, interprets, 
responds to, and makes decisions regarding 
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153 
hurricane forecasts and warnings, including re-
lating to the following: 
(i) How weather observations, down-
stream models, and processes affect the de-
cision tools or products derived from hurri-
cane forecasts and warnings. 
(ii) How hurricane forecasts and 
warnings generated by decision tools and 
products are used by emergency managers, 
governments, and other users to benefit 
the public and stakeholder groups. 
(iii) How past experiences with hurri-
canes impact the decisionmaking of the 
general public. 
(iv) How the source of such hurricane 
forecasts and warnings affects interpreta-
tion. 
(v) How tropical cyclone forecasts and 
warnings are received and interpreted by 
the general public. 
(vi) How understanding of and re-
sponse to hurricane forecasts and warnings 
varies across demographic groups, includ-
ing the elderly, people with disabilities, and 
other vulnerable populations. 
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(vii) The effect of language barriers 
on the accessibility of hurricane forecasts 
and warnings. 
(viii) How understanding of and re-
sponse to such hurricane forecasts and 
warnings varies across geographic areas, 
including rural, urban, and suburban 
areas. 
(B) Identify communication data gaps 
based on the review conducted pursuant to sub-
paragraph (A). 
(C) Carry out research, including data col-
lection and baseline assessments, in coordina-
tion with the hurricane forecast improvement 
program under section 104 of the Weather Re-
search and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 
(15 U.S.C. 8514), as amended by section 104 
of this Act, to evaluate and quantify the eco-
nomic value of extending lead times of tropical 
cyclone and hurricane forecasts and warnings, 
including identifying the most affected or vul-
nerable populations and potential impacts to 
those populations of extending leads times. 
(D) Using the post-storm surveys and as-
sessments conducted under section 406 of this 
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Act to conduct retrospective or ex ante assess-
ments of previous hurricane forecasts and 
warnings to better understand the key compo-
nents of such forecasts and warnings that af-
fected actions or initiated behavior changes. 
(E) Conduct cost-benefit analyses of fore-
casts and warnings improvement alternatives 
developed through the hurricane forecast im-
provement program under section 104 of the 
Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation 
Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514), as amended by 
section 104 of this Act. 
(F) Conduct assessments of the risk to the 
elderly for pre-, during, and post-storm periods 
in regions and communities with significant el-
derly populations, including retirement commu-
nities. 
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, 
not later than October 1, 2027, a commercial off-the-shelf 
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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 of the National Weather Service 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. 
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 carry 
out the following: 
(1) Maintain support for existing systems serv-
ing areas not covered by or having poor quality cel-
lular service. 
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(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. 
(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 modernize 
NOAA Weather Radio to ensure its capabilities and cov-
erage remain valuable to the public. In carrying out this 
subsection, the Under Secretary shall carry out the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Upgrade telecommunications infrastructure 
of NOAA Weather Radio to accelerate the transition 
of broadcasts to internet protocol-based communica-
tions over non-copper media. 
(2) Accelerate software upgrades to the Ad-
vanced Weather Interactive Processing System, or 
any relevant system successors, in order to imple-
ment partial county notifications and alerts. 
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(3) Enhance accessibility and usability of 
NOAA Weather Radio data and feeds with feedback 
from relevant stakeholders, including the private sec-
tor. 
(4) Develop options, including satellite backup 
capability and commercial provider partnerships, for 
NOAA Weather Radio continuity of service in the 
event of Weather Forecast Office outages. 
(5) Research and develop alternative options, 
including microwave capabilities, to transmit NOAA 
Weather Radio signals to transmitters that are re-
mote or do not have internet protocol capability. 
(6) Transition critical applications to the Inte-
grated Dissemination Program, or any 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 the accessibility 
of NOAA Weather Radio, particularly in remote and un-
derserved 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 
assessment of access to NOAA Weather Radio. In con-
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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) Input from relevant stakeholders on the 
compatibility of NOAA Weather Radio data with 
third-party platforms that provide online services, 
such as websites and mobile device applications, or 
provide NOAA Weather Radio access. 
(3) The manner by which existing or new man-
agement systems may promote consistent, efficient, 
and compatible access to NOAA Weather Radio. 
(4) The ability of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration to aggregate real-time 
broadcast feeds at one or more central locations. 
(5) Effective coordination between agencies 
with responsibilities relating to emergencies and nat-
ural disasters. 
(6) The potential effects of an electromagnetic 
pulse or geomagnetic disturbance on NOAA Weather 
Radio. 
(7) Any other function or element the Under 
Secretary considers appropriate. 
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171 
land surface and hydrologic cycle, includ-
ing soil moisture and flash drought proc-
esses. 
‘‘(ii) Improving fidelity in the oper-
ational modeling of warm season precipita-
tion processes. 
‘‘(iii) Understanding and predicting 
large-scale 
upper-level 
dynamical 
flow 
anomalies that occur in spring and sum-
mer. 
‘‘(iv) Improving modeling of interstate 
or cross-boundary water movement and 
storage through rivers, tributaries, and 
aquifers with relation to water availability 
for agriculture. 
‘‘(3) ACTIVITIES.—A pilot project under this 
subsection shall include activities that carry out the 
following: 
‘‘(A) Best implement recommendations of 
the 2020 Report of the National Weather Serv-
ice, entitled ‘Subseasonal and Seasonal Fore-
casting Innovation: Plans for the Twenty-First 
Century’. 
‘‘(B) Achieve measurable objectives for 
operational forecast improvement. 
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‘‘(H) to support sustained observations to 
provide State and local entities, Indian tribes, 
and other entities access to real-time or near 
real-time observations data for decisionmaking 
to protect human and ecological health and 
local economies; and 
‘‘(I) to assess the combined effects of 
harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and stressors 
such as runoff and infrastructure changes on 
marine, freshwater, or estuarine ecosystems and 
living resources;’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘agen-
cies’’ and inserting ‘‘entities, regional coastal 
observing systems (as such term is defined in 
section 12303 of the Integrated Coastal and 
Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 
U.S.C. 3602)),’’; 
(D) in paragraph (6), by inserting ‘‘and 
communities’’ after ‘‘ecosystems’’; 
(E) in paragraph (8), by inserting ‘‘and 
Indian tribes’’ after ‘‘managers’’; 
(F) in paragraph (9)(A), by striking ‘‘, 
tribal, and local stakeholders’’ and inserting 
‘‘and local stakeholders and Indian tribes, Trib-
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200 
al organizations, and Native Hawaiian organi-
zations’’; 
(G) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), 
(5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), and (11) as para-
graphs (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (12), 
and (13), respectively; 
(H) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) consult with entities that are most depend-
ent on coastal and water resources that may be im-
pacted by marine and freshwater harmful algal 
blooms and hypoxia, including— 
‘‘(A) State and local entities; 
‘‘(B) Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, 
and Native Hawaiian organizations; 
‘‘(C) island communities; 
‘‘(D) low-population rural communities; 
‘‘(E) subsistence communities; and 
‘‘(F) fisheries and recreation industries;’’; 
and 
(I) by inserting after paragraph (10), as 
redesignated by subparagraph (G), the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(11) expand access to testing for harmful algal 
bloom toxins, including for subsistence and rec-
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(v) The Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency. 
(vi) The Department of Defense. 
(vii) The Department of Agriculture. 
(viii) The Department of Housing and 
Urban Development. 
(ix) The Department of Transpor-
tation. 
(x) The Department of Energy. 
(xi) The Department of Labor, includ-
ing the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration. 
(xii) The Department of Veteran Af-
fairs. 
(xiii) The Department of Education. 
(xiv) The Department of State. 
(xv) The United States Agency for 
International Development. 
(xvi) Such other Federal agencies as 
the Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Oceans and Atmosphere considers appro-
priate. 
(2) SELECTION
OF
REPRESENTATIVES.—The 
head of an agency specified in paragraph (1)(B) 
shall, in appointing representatives of the agency to 
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