I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2646 
To require the evaluation of certain criteria relating to locations for deploy-
ment of successor radar systems of the National Weather Service, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2025 
Mr. MOORE of North Carolina (for himself, Ms. ROSS, and Mr. HARRIGAN) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To require the evaluation of certain criteria relating to loca-
tions for deployment of successor radar systems of the 
National Weather Service, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Radar Gap Elimi-
nation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. RADAR NEXT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of Com-
merce for Oceans and Atmosphere, in consultation with 
the Director of the National Weather Service, shall estab-
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lish a program to be known as the ‘‘Radar Next Program’’ 
(in this section referred to as the ‘‘program’’). 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the program, 
the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmos-
phere shall carry out the following: 
(1) Develop performance and coverage require-
ments for the weather radar network of the United 
States, including the territories of the United States. 
(2) Collaborate with the weather enterprise (as 
such term is defined in section 2 of the Weather Re-
search and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 
U.S.C. 8501)) to determine potential solutions to 
update the weather radar network of the United 
States that meets the requirements developed under 
paragraph (1). 
(3) Develop a plan in accordance with sub-
section (c). 
(c) PLAN.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall develop 
a plan to replace the Next Generation Weather 
Radar of the National Weather Service system in ex-
istence as of the date of the enactment of this Act 
(in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘NEXRAD 
system’’). 
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(2) ELEMENTS.—The plan developed under this 
subsection shall seek to continue and improve weath-
er radar coverage in the United States and its terri-
tories, and include the following: 
(A) Estimates of quantifiable improve-
ments in performance, coverage, and accuracy 
to be made from potential options for replace-
ment of the NEXRAD system. 
(B) Development of a proof-of-concept 
phased array radar to test and determine the 
specifications and requirements for such re-
placement. 
(C) Expected actions needed to implement 
the recommendations of the report published by 
the Environmental Information Services Work-
ing Group of the Science Advisory Board of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion in November 2023 and entitled ‘‘A 
NESDIS Observing System Backbone Frame-
work’’ to assist in defining a radar backbone 
architecture that will best serve the United 
States. 
(D) Establishment of a weather surveil-
lance radar testbed for the following: 
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(i) Evaluation of commercial radars 
with the potential to replace or supplement 
the NEXRAD system. 
(ii) Providing technical assistance for 
the use of small, gap-filling radars with 
private and local partners in regions where 
geographical topography prevents the full 
use of large systems or in locations where 
such systems may not be commercially via-
ble. 
(E) Consultation and input solicited from 
academia, meteorologists, emergency managers, 
and public safety or utility officials regarding 
the specifications and requirements for replace-
ment of the NEXRAD system. 
(F) Prioritized locations for initial deploy-
ment of the system that will replace the 
NEXRAD system. 
(G) Expected locations of the system that 
will replace the NEXRAD system, including 
sites located more than 75 miles away from an 
existing NEXRAD system station and addi-
tional appropriate locations. 
(H) Expected or planned improvements to 
data available for weather and water-related 
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forecasts and warnings from the system that 
will replace the NEXRAD system. 
(3) PROCUREMENT
DEADLINE.—The Under 
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere 
shall take such actions as may be necessary to en-
sure the plan developed under this subsection is fully 
implemented and executed by not later than Sep-
tember 30, 2040. 
(d) RADAR-AS-A-SERVICE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere may partner 
or contract with entities outside of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration to fill data 
gaps in weather radar coverage using diverse weath-
er radars and data assimilation technologies in order 
to accomplish the following: 
(A) Supplement data gaps in weather 
radar coverage, including at low levels and wide 
areas, in existence as of the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
(B) Ensure the continued performance of 
the United States’ weather radar network. 
(C) Better detect significant precipitation 
and severe weather over a greater area across 
a population. 
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(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out para-
graph (1), the Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Oceans and Atmosphere may consider the following: 
(A) Partnering or contracting with entities 
that have participated in the testbed described 
in subsection (c)(2)(D), the National Mesonet 
Program, or Cooperative Research and Develop-
ment Agreements. 
(B) Weather camera systems and services, 
including in consultation with the Federal Avia-
tion Administration, as viable technologies to 
supplement weather forecasting and prediction 
needs. 
(e) UPDATES TO CONGRESS.—The Under Secretary 
of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall provide to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate periodic 
updates on the implementation of this section. 
Æ 
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