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section (c)(3), the National Mesonet Program, 
or Cooperative Research and Development 
Agreements; and 
(B) weather camera systems and services, 
including systems and services in consultation 
with the Federal Aviation Administration, as 
viable technologies to supplement weather fore-
casting and prediction needs. 
(e) UPDATES TO CONGRESS.—The Under Secretary 
shall provide 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 periodic updates on the implementation of this sec-
tion. 
SEC. 203. DATA VOIDS IN HIGHLY VULNERABLE AREAS OF 
THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in coordi-
nation with the Director of the National Weather Service 
and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency, in consultation with the United States 
weather industry, academic partners, and in accordance 
with activities implemented through existing regional at-
mospheric, coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing sys-
tems, shall carry out activities to ensure equitable and 
comprehensive weather observation coverage and emer-
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gency information sharing in the United States, including 
relating to the following: 
(1) Reviewing areas in the continental United 
States and the territories that are considered under- 
observed, underserved, or highly vulnerable for 
weather phenomenon, including urban and offshore 
regions, and identifying associated challenges to pro-
viding such coverage. 
(2) Increasing weather observations and devel-
oping new weather observational capabilities, such as 
urban heat island mapping campaigns, with respect 
to under-observed, underserved, or highly vulnerable 
regions. 
(3) Establishing or supporting testbeds to de-
velop and integrate new weather, water, and climate 
observation or emergency information sharing tools, 
such as next generational or supplemental radars for 
weather observations, in under-observed, under-
served, or highly vulnerable regions. 
(4) To the maximum extent practicable, ad-
vancing weather and water forecasting and climate 
modeling capabilities for under-observed, under-
served, or highly vulnerable regions. 
(5) Undertaking workforce development efforts 
for emergency management officials and meteorolo-
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gists in under-observed, underserved, or highly vul-
nerable areas, including urban regions, of the United 
States. 
(6) Using data void filling observations to bet-
ter resolve extreme rainfall in complex topography. 
(7) Contributing to a national integrated heat 
health information systems. 
(b) PILOT PROGRAM.—In carrying out this section, 
the Under Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
National Weather Service and the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall establish 
an interagency partnership to support pilot projects that 
accelerate coordination and use of localized weather, 
water, and climate data and impact-based communications 
in infrastructure and emergency management decisions by 
Federal, State, and local officials. 
(c) PRIORITY.—At least one pilot project under sub-
section (b) shall address key science challenges to using 
mesonet data in local decision making and development 
of new tools and training for owners and operators of crit-
ical infrastructure (as such term is defined in section 
1016(e) of Public Law 107–56 (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e))), 
such as dams, energy generation and distribution facili-
ties, nuclear power plants, and transportation networks. 
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SEC. 204. ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS FORECAST IMPROVEMENT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in collabo-
ration with the United States weather industry and aca-
demic partners, shall establish an atmospheric river fore-
cast improvement program (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘program’’). 
(b) GOAL.—The goal of the program shall be to re-
duce through the development and extension of accurate, 
effective, and actionable forecasts and warnings the loss 
of life or property from atmospheric rivers, including by— 
(1) establishing quantitative atmospheric river 
forecast skill metrics that include quantifying the 
benefits of dynamical modeling, data assimilation, 
and machine learning improvements in the prob-
abilistic forecasts of landfall location, extreme wind 
and precipitation, and cascading impacts; 
(2) developing an atmospheric river forecast 
system within the unified forecast system, and ad-
vancing next-generation coupled modeling systems, 
with the capability of providing seasonal to short- 
range atmospheric river forecasts that include fore-
cast of snow accumulation and other hydrologic com-
ponents; 
(3) advancing scientific understanding of the 
roles of atmospheric rivers in subseasonal to sea-
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sonal precipitation and probabilistic predictions at 
subseasonal and seasonal scales; 
(4) developing tools and improved forecast 
products to predict periods of active or inactive at-
mospheric river landfalls and inland penetration over 
the western United States with a focus on address-
ing stakeholder and public needs related to per-
ceiving, comprehending, and responding to atmos-
pheric river forecast improvements; and 
(5) enhancing research transition to operations 
through the Administration’s testbeds, including the 
evaluation of physical and social science, technology, 
and other research to develop products and services 
for implementation and use by relevant stakeholders. 
(c) INNOVATIVE OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING.— 
The Under Secretary shall ensure the program periodically 
examines, tests, and evaluates the value of incorporating 
innovative observations, such as novel sensor technologies, 
observation networks, soil moisture monitoring systems, 
reservoir storage data, observations from crewed or 
uncrewed systems, and hosted instruments on commercial 
aircrafts, vessels, and satellites, and data assimilation 
tools, with respect to the improvement of atmospheric 
river forecasts, predictions, and warnings. 
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(d) PROGRAM PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary 
shall develop a plan that details the specific research, de-
velopment, data acquisition, and technology transfer ac-
tivities, as well as corresponding resources, limitations, 
and timelines, necessary to achieve the goal of the pro-
gram under subsection (b). 
(e) ANNUAL BUDGET FOR PLAN SUBMITTAL.—After 
the development of the plan pursuant to subsection (d), 
the Under Secretary shall, not less frequently than annu-
ally, submit to Congress a proposed budget corresponding 
with the activities identified in such plan. 
SEC. 205. COASTAL FLOODING AND STORM SURGE FORE-
CAST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in collabo-
ration with the Integrated Ocean Observing System, the 
United States weather industry, and academic partners, 
shall establish a coastal flooding and storm surge forecast 
improvement program (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘program’’). 
(b) GOAL.—The goal of the program shall be to re-
duce through the development and extension of accurate, 
effective, actionable, and probable forecasts and warnings 
the loss of life or property from coastal flooding, including 
high tide flooding, and storm surge events. 
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(c) PRIORITY.—In implementing the program, the 
Under Secretary shall prioritize activities that carry out 
the following: 
(1) Improving understanding and capacity for 
real-time operational prediction of the ocean’s role in 
coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and 
storm surge events. 
(2) Improving the capacity to mitigate or pre-
vent the impacts of coastal flooding, including high 
tide flooding, and storm surge events, including by 
improving the understanding and capacity of coastal 
communities to perceive, comprehend, and respond 
to forecast information. 
(3) Incorporating data from in situ distributed 
sensors into models. 
(4) Developing probabilistic coastal flooding, in-
cluding high tide flooding, and storm surge esti-
mates to complement worst-case scenario estimates, 
including for use in long-term planning and risk 
management by States, Tribal governments, local-
ities, and emergency managers in coordination with 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as ap-
propriate. 
(5) Establishing skill metrics for coastal inun-
dation forecasting that quantify the benefits of dy-
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namical modeling, data assimilation, and machine 
learning improvements in the probabilistic forecast 
of coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and 
storm surge risk and impacts. 
(6) Improving operational regional storm surge 
and wave prediction models to enhance probabilistic 
guidance and messaging. 
(d) INNOVATIVE OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING.— 
The Under Secretary shall ensure the program periodically 
examines, tests, and evaluates the value of incorporating 
enhanced model physics, hybrid dynamical or machine 
learning based prediction systems, and innovative observa-
tions, such as novel sensor technologies, observation net-
works, crewed or uncrewed systems, and hosted instru-
ments on commercial aircrafts, vessels, and satellites, with 
respect to the improvement of coastal flooding, including 
high tide flooding, and storm surge forecasts, predictions, 
and warnings. 
(e) PROGRAM PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary 
shall develop a plan that details the specific research, de-
velopment, data acquisition, and technology transfer ac-
tivities, as well as corresponding resources and timelines, 
necessary to achieve the goal of the program under sub-
section (b). 
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(f) ANNUAL BUDGET FOR PLAN SUBMITTAL.—After 
the development of the plan pursuant to subsection (e), 
the Under Secretary shall, not less frequently than annu-
ally, submit to Congress a proposed budget corresponding 
with the activities identified in such plan. 
SEC. 206. AVIATION WEATHER AND DATA INNOVATION. 
(a) PROGRAM.—The Under Secretary shall maintain 
an airborne observation program (in this section referred 
to as the ‘‘program’’) for the acquisition of atmospheric 
sensor data and the deployment of critical atmospheric 
sensors, including in partnership with the weather enter-
prise. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—The program shall include activi-
ties that carry out the following: 
(1) Procurement of weather data available from 
commercial aircraft, as determined by the Under 
Secretary. 
(2) Acquisition of additional vertical profile ob-
servations that provide spatial and temporal density, 
as determined by the Under Secretary. 
(3) Analysis of procured data when incor-
porated into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration’s unified forecast system in order to 
provide improved forecast information for aircraft. 
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(c) BUDGET.—The Under Secretary shall, not less 
frequently than annually, submit to Congress a proposed 
budget corresponding with the activities described in sub-
section (b), including and analysis of activities that can 
be complemented by National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration aircraft. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—From 
amounts made available to the Commercial Data Program 
under section 302 of the Weather Research and Fore-
casting Innovation Act of 2017, there is authorized to be 
appropriated up to $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2024 through 2028 to carry out the program. 
(e) AVIATION WEATHER AND TURBULENCE FORE-
CASTING.—The Director of the National Weather Service 
shall include turbulence events, icing conditions, or other 
phenomena in the forecasting capabilities of the National 
Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center, and deliver 
operational forecasts with consistent, timely, and accurate 
weather and turbulence information for the airspace sys-
tem and the protection of lives and property. 
(f) COORDINATION.—In carrying out subsection (e), 
the Director of the National Weather Service shall give 
consideration to recommendations from the Administrator 
of the Federal Aviation Administration in furtherance of 
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section 44720 of title 49, United States Code, and improve 
weather and turbulence forecasting capabilities by— 
(1) designating or establishing within the Fed-
eral Government an interagency working group to 
determine weather and environmental data or obser-
vation requirements, needs, and potential solutions 
related to aviation weather and turbulence modeling 
or forecasting; 
(2) identifying current and future potential 
data gaps related to turbulence events or phenomena 
that can— 
(A) identify or inform route specific flight 
planning; and 
(B) be supplemented or filled by commer-
cial aviation tools; 
(3) transitioning research initiatives and pilot 
programs, including a pilot program of instrumenta-
tion for observing greenhouse gases and other at-
mospheric factors deployed on commercial aircraft 
and supporting the evaluation of a sustained observ-
ing network using such platforms, into operations 
that improve the forecasting missions of the Aviation 
Weather Center; 
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(4) developing and deploying improved prob-
abilistic aviation weather forecast guidance tech-
nology; and 
(5) updating interagency agreements as appro-
priate, including to address reimbursable agree-
ments. 
(g) NEXT GENERATION AVIATION RESEARCH.— 
Paragraph (3) of section 102(b) of the Weather Research 
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 
8512(b)), is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and 
(G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(F) aviation weather phenomena, includ-
ing atmospheric composition and turbulence, to 
improve scientific understanding and forecast 
capabilities for the airspace system;’’. 
(h) AVIATION INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.—The 
Under Secretary shall ensure the Aviation Weather Center 
is able, to the maximum extent possible, to disseminate 
in a timely manner full resolution aviation weather data, 
forecasts, and information to meet the needs of aviation 
users. 
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SEC. 207. NESDIS JOINT VENTURE PARTNERSHIP TRANSI-
TION PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Administrator of 
the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Informa-
tion Service, in consultation with the Administrator of the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall ad-
minister broad agency announcements and other trans-
actional authority or contracting mechanisms, on an an-
nual or more frequent basis, to support a joint venture 
partnership program that allows the Service to prioritize 
engagement with the private sector, academia, and other 
Federal departments and agencies. 
(b) TRANSITION PROGRAM.—To support the develop-
ment of next-generation technologies, missions, data sys-
tems, spacecraft, and instrument design, the Assistant Ad-
ministrator of the National Environmental Satellite, Data, 
and Information Service, in consultation with the Admin-
istrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
tration, shall maintain a program to transition selected 
awards from research and study phases into demonstra-
tion. In selecting awardees for demonstrations, the Assist-
ant Administrator shall consider technologies, missions, 
data systems, spacecraft, and instrument design that— 
(1) improve upon the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration’s satellite architecture; 
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(2) have a direct impact on implementing the 
recommendations of the Administration’s 2018 Sat-
ellite Observing System Architecture Study, ‘‘Build-
ing a Plan for NOAA’s 21st Century Satellite Ob-
serving System’’; and 
(3) meet current or future mission require-
ments. 
(c) OPERATIONAL PLANNING.—In carrying out the 
transition program under subsection (b), the Assistant 
Administrator of the National Environmental Satellite, 
Data, and Information Service shall monitor demonstra-
tion phase progress and plan for promising results that 
meet mission requirements to be transitioned into Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s oper-
ational satellite architecture. 
(d) ANNUAL PLAN.—The Assistant Administrator of 
the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Informa-
tion Service shall submit to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology, and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation an annual plan that outlines 
the progress made in the joint venture partnership pro-
gram under subsection (a), the transition program for 
demonstrations under section (b), and transition to oper-
ational architecture planning under subsection (c). 
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(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—From 
amounts authorized to be appropriated to the National 
Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for fis-
cal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out to this section. 
SEC. 208. ADVANCED WEATHER INTERACTIVE PROCESSING 
SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, acting 
through the Director of the National Weather Service, 
shall develop a strategy to transition operations of the Ad-
vanced Weather Interactive Processing System to an oper-
ational cloud-based environment in order to enable a more 
nimble, flexible, and mobile workforce. 
(b) SERVICES.—The Under Secretary shall ensure 
that the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System 
in an operational cloud-based environment referred to in 
subsection (a) provides impact-based decision support 
services to emergency managers at the Federal, State, 
local, and Tribal levels, and continues to provide the fol-
lowing services: 
(1) Integrating and displaying forecast data, in-
cluding meteorological, hydrological, climate, ocean, 
satellite, and radar data, for National Weather Serv-
ice field offices and national centers. 
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(2) Acquiring and processing observational data 
from sensors and local sources. 
(3) Providing an interactive communications 
system, including the satellite broadcast network, to 
connect relevant National Weather Service employ-
ees and sites. 
(4) Initiating the dissemination of weather, 
water, marine, ecological, climate, aviation, and 
space warnings and forecasts in a rapid and highly 
reliable manner. 
(c) ELEMENTS.—The transition strategy developed 
pursuant to subsection (a) may include the following: 
(1) Establishment or support of testbeds, pilot 
projects, and functional testing activities to facilitate 
remote evaluation and automated testing. 
(2) Coordinated training efforts needed for 
Federal and non-Federal users and operators of the 
Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System in 
an operational cloud-based environment referred to 
in subsection (a). 
(3) Evaluation of bandwidth requirements to 
achieve a quality user experience. 
(4) Installation of circuits to reduce lapses in 
network operations and support backup functions. 
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(5) Establishment of a cloud-based, remotely 
accessible repository for data referred to in sub-
section (b)(2). 
(6) Development and deployment of virtualized 
systems to replace physical hardware at operational 
sites. 
(7) Evaluation of commercial cloud providers, 
including hybrid approaches, to meet mission needs. 
(8) Development, testing, demonstration, eval-
uation, and operationalization of forecast and warn-
ing products, consistent with the mission and sci-
entific expertise of the Administration. 
(d) TRANSITION DEADLINE.—The Under Secretary 
shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure the 
transition strategy described in subsection (a) is completed 
by not later than September 30, 2030. 
(e) UPDATES TO CONGRESS.—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 periodic updates on the implementation of this sec-
tion. 
(f) CONTINUED INNOVATION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed as prohibiting the development of 
new forecast capabilities, sub-systems, or implementing 
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modeling advancements on the operational computing sys-
tems of the Administration. 
SEC. 209. REANALYSIS AND REFORECASTING. 
The Under Secretary may support reanalysis and re-
forecasting activities within the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration, including through the haz-
ardous weather testbed of the Administration, for improv-
ing weather forecasts, extreme weather predictions, and 
weather and climate datasets. 
SEC. 210. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WORKFORCE. 
(a) HIRING.—The Director of the National Weather 
Service shall annually submit to the Under Secretary and 
Congress an assessment of the milestones, timelines, and 
service level expectations required for the expeditious hir-
ing and timely on-boarding of employees of the National 
Weather Service. Each such assessment may include the 
following: 
(1) Recommendations to outsource hiring to 
any entity other than the National Weather Service 
in order to meet such milestones, timelines, and 
service level expectations. 
(2) Determinations of the number of staff and 
designated positions required at each forecasting of-
fice to provide services to protect lives and property 
in the geographic region of responsibility. 
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(b) HEALTH AND MORALE ASSESSMENT.—The Di-
rector of the National Weather Service shall contract or 
continue to partner with an entity other than the National 
Weather Service to conduct an assessment of medical im-
pacts, including stress and long-term health impacts, on 
National Weather Service employees related to required 
rotating shift work. Such assessment may include options 
for mitigating such impacts on employees and rec-
ommendations for improving benefits related to required 
rotating shift work. 
(c) DESIGNATION OF SERVICE HYDROLOGIST.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 
Weather Service may designate at least one service 
hydrologist at each Weather Forecast Office of the 
National Weather Service. 
(2) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this section may 
be construed to authorize or require a change in the 
authorized number of full time equivalent employees 
of the National Weather Service or otherwise result 
in the employment of any additional employees. 
(3) PERFORMANCE BY OTHER EMPLOYEES.— 
Notwithstanding paragraphs (4) and (5), the Direc-
tor of the National Weather Service may assign the 
performance of the responsibilities described in this 
subsection to such other staff of the National 
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Weather Service as the Director considers appro-
priate 
(4) RESPONSIBILITIES.—In order to increase 
impact-based decision support services, each service 
coordination hydrologist designated under paragraph 
(1) shall, with respect to hydrology, carry out the 
following: 
(A) Be responsible for providing service to 
the geographic area of responsibility covered by 
the Weather Forecast Office at which the serv-
ice coordination hydrologist is employed to help 
ensure that users of products and services of 
the National Weather Service can respond ef-
fectively to improve outcomes from flood events. 
(B) Liaise with users of products and serv-
ices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, such as emergency managers, 
the public, academia, media outlets, users in the 
hydropower, transportation, recreation, and ag-
ricultural communities, and forestry, land, fish-
eries, and water management interests, to 
evaluate the adequacy and usefulness of the 
products and services referred to in subpara-
graph (A), including extended range streamflow 
forecasts, water supply forecasts, drought out-
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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 
Integrate 
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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