SEC. 2. RADAR OBSTRUCTION RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, 
TEST, AND EVALUATION PROGRAM. 
(a) RADAR OBSTRUCTION RESEARCH.—Title IV of 
the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 
2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 415. RADAR OBSTRUCTION RESEARCH, DEVELOP-
MENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director of the Na-
tional Weather Service, in coordination with the Assistant 
Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, 
shall establish a Research, Development, Test, and Eval-
uation Program (in this section referred to as the ‘Pro-
gram’) to ensure the continued performance of weather 
radar detection and prediction capabilities with physical 
obstructions in the line of sight of such radar. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the Program, 
the Director, in consultation with the Interagency Council 
for Advancing Meteorological Services, shall— 
‘‘(1) partner with industry, academia, Federal, 
State, and local government entities, and any other 
entity the Director considers appropriate; 
‘‘(2) identify and test existing or near-commer-
cial technologies and solutions that mitigate the po-
tential impact of obstructions on weather radar; 
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‘‘(3) research additional solutions that could 
mitigate the effects of an obstruction on weather 
radar, including— 
‘‘(A) signal processing algorithms; 
‘‘(B) short-term forecasting algorithms to 
replace contaminated data; and 
‘‘(C) the use of dual polarization charac-
teristics in mitigating the effects of wind tur-
bines on weather radar; and 
‘‘(4) develop commercially viable technical miti-
gation solutions for obstructions to weather radar 
capabilities. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—In carrying out the requirements 
described in subsection (b), the Director shall prioritize 
consideration of the following technology-based mitigation 
solutions: 
‘‘(1) Multifunction phased array radar. 
‘‘(2) The replacement of contaminated data 
with commercial radar data. 
‘‘(3) The utilization of data from private-sector- 
associated meteorological towers. 
‘‘(4) Providing wind farm boundaries and con-
solidated wind farm areas to display on local fore-
casting equipment. 
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‘‘(5) Installing and providing access to rain 
gauges. 
‘‘(6) Any other technology-based mitigation so-
lution the Director determines could overcome beam 
blockage or ghost echoes. 
‘‘(d) TERMINATION.—The authority of the Director 
to carry out the Program shall terminate on the earlier 
of— 
‘‘(1) September 30, 2028; or 
‘‘(2) one year after date on which the final rec-
ommendation required by subsection (e)(2) is sub-
mitted by the Director. 
‘‘(e) REPORT; RECOMMENDATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this section and 
annually thereafter until the Program terminates 
pursuant to subsection (d), the Director shall submit 
to Congress a report on the implementation of the 
Program, including an evaluation of each tech-
nology-based mitigation solution identified for pri-
ority consideration pursuant to subsection (c), and a 
recommendation regarding additional identification 
and testing of new technologies based on such con-
sideration. 
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‘‘(2) FINAL
RECOMMENDATION.—Not later 
than five years after the date of the enactment of 
this section, the Director shall provide to Congress 
a recommendation on whether additional research, 
testing, and development through the Program es-
tablished under subsection (a) is needed, and a de-
termination of whether a cessation of field research, 
development, testing, and evaluation is appropriate. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) BEAM BLOCKAGE.—The term ‘beam block-
age’ means a signal that is partially or fully blocked 
due to an obstruction. 
‘‘(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means 
the Director of the National Weather Service. 
‘‘(3) GHOST
ECHO.—The term ‘ghost echo’ 
means radar signal reflectivity or velocity return er-
rors in radar data due to the close proximity of an 
obstruction. 
‘‘(4) OBSTRUCTION.—The term obstruction in-
cludes— 
‘‘(A) a wind turbine that could limit the ef-
fectiveness of a weather radar system; and 
‘‘(B) any building that disrupts or limits 
the effectiveness of a weather radar system.’’. 
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
in section 1(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting 
Innovation Act of 2017 is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 414 the following new item: 
‘‘415. Radar obstruction Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Pro-
gram.’’. 
Æ 
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