tection of life and property and the enhancement of the 
national economy. 
(c) GOALS.—The goals of the National Weather Serv-
ice shall include— 
(1) to provide timely and accurate weather, 
water, climate, and space weather forecasts; and 
(2) to provide timely and accurate warnings of 
weather, water, and climate natural hazards, and of 
space weather hazards. 
(d) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the National 
Weather Service shall include— 
(1) maintaining a network of local weather fore-
cast offices; 
(2) maintaining a network of observation sys-
tems to collect weather and climate data; 
(3) operating national centers to deliver guid-
ance, forecasts, warnings, and analysis about weath-
er, water, climate, and space weather phenomena for 
the Administration and the public; 
(4) conducting and supporting applied research 
to facilitate the rapid incorporation of weather and 
climate science advances into operational tools; and 
(5) other functions to serve the mission of the 
National Weather Service.
(e) PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.—Not less than 
once every 5 years, the Secretary shall develop and submit 
to Congress a policy the defines processes for making deci-
sions about the roles of the National Weather Service, the 
private sector, and the academic community in providing 
weather-related 
and 
climate-related 
products, 
tech-
nologies, and services. The first such policy shall be com-
pleted not less than 12 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act. At least 90 days before each submission of 
the policy to Congress, the Secretary shall publish the pol-
icy in the Federal Register for a public comment period 
of not less than 60 days. 
SEC. 6. OPERATIONS AND SERVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall maintain 
within the Administration programs to support operations 
of ongoing data collection and direct services and products 
regarding satellite, observations, and coastal, ocean, and 
Great Lakes information. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—To accomplish the mission de-
scribed in section 3(b), and in addition to the functions 
described in section 3(c), the operations and service as-
pects of the Administration shall include— 
(1) acquiring, managing, and operating coastal, 
ocean, and Great Lakes observing systems;
(2) ensuring the availability of a global Earth- 
observing system, integrating remote sensing and in 
situ assets that provide critical data needed to sup-
port the mission of the Administration, and pro-
viding that data to decisionmakers and the public; 
(3) developing, acquiring, and managing oper-
ational environmental satellite constellations and as-
sociated ground control and data acquisition facili-
ties to support the mission of the Administration; 
(4) managing and distributing atmospheric, 
geophysical, and marine data and data products for 
the Administration through national environmental 
data centers; 
(5) providing for long-term stewardship of envi-
ronmental data, products, and information via data 
processing, storage, reanalysis, reprocessing, and ar-
chive facilities; 
(6) promoting widespread availability of envi-
ronmental data and information through full and 
open access and exchange to the greatest extent pos-
sible; 
(7) issuing licenses for private remote sensing 
space systems under the Land Remote Sensing Pol-
icy Act of 1992;
(8) administering a national water level obser-
vation network, which shall include monitoring of 
the Great Lakes; 
(9) providing charts and other information for 
safe navigation of the oceans and inland waters, as 
provided by law; and 
(10) such other functions to serve the oper-
ations and services mission of the Administration as 
the Administrator may prescribe. 
SEC. 7. RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall maintain 
within the Administration programs to conduct and sup-
port research and education and the development of tech-
nologies relating to weather, climate, and the coasts, 
oceans, and Great Lakes. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—To accomplish the mission de-
scribed in section 3(b), and in addition to the functions 
described in section 3(c), the research and education as-
pects of the Administration shall include— 
(1) conducting and supporting research and 
technology development to improve the Administra-
tion’s capabilities in collecting, through observation 
and otherwise, communicating, analyzing, proc-
essing, and disseminating comprehensive scientific
data and information about weather, climate, and 
the coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes; 
(2) improving environmental prediction and 
management capabilities through ecosystem-based 
research and development; 
(3) improving knowledge of Earth’s climate and 
related systems through research and observation for 
decision support; 
(4) reducing uncertainty in projections of how 
the Earth’s climate and related systems may change 
in the future; 
(5) fostering the public’s ability to understand 
and integrate scientific information into consider-
ations of national environmental issues through edu-
cation and public outreach activities; 
(6) administering the National Sea Grant Col-
lege Program Act; 
(7) conducting and supporting research and de-
velopment of technology for exploration of the 
oceans; 
(8) maintaining a system of laboratories to per-
form the functions described in this subsection; 
(9) supporting extramural peer-reviewed com-
petitive grant programs to assist the Administration
in performing the functions described in this sub-
section; and 
(10) such other functions to serve the research, 
development, education, and outreach mission of the 
Administration as the Administrator may prescribe. 
SEC. 8. SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There shall be within the Admin-
istration a Science Advisory Board, which shall provide 
such scientific advice as may be requested by the Adminis-
trator, the Committee on Commerce, Science and Trans-
portation of the Senate, or the Committee on Science or 
on Resources of the House of Representatives. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Science Advisory 
Board is to advise the Administrator and Congress on 
long-range and short-range strategies for research, edu-
cation, and the application of science to resource manage-
ment and environmental assessment and prediction. 
(c) MEMBERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Science Advisory Board 
shall be composed of at least 15 members appointed 
by the Administrator. Each member of the Board 
shall be qualified by education, training, and experi-
ence to evaluate scientific and technical information 
on matters referred to the Board under this section.
(2) TERMS OF SERVICE.—Members shall be ap-
pointed for 3-year terms, renewable once, and shall 
serve at the discretion of the Administrator. An indi-
vidual serving a term as a member of the Science 
Advisory Board on the date of enactment of this Act 
may complete that term, and may be reappointed 
once for another term of 3 years unless the term 
being served on such date of enactment is the second 
term served by that individual. Vacancy appoint-
ments shall be for the remainder of the unexpired 
term of the vacancy, and an individual so appointed 
may subsequently be appointed for 2 full 3-year 
terms if the remainder of the unexpired term is less 
than one year. 
(3) CHAIRPERSON.—The Administrator shall 
designate a chairperson from among the members of 
the Board. 
(4) APPOINTMENT.—Members of the Science 
Advisory Board shall be appointed as special Gov-
ernment employees, within the meaning given such 
term in section 202(a) of title 18, United States 
Code. 
(d) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.—
(1) REPORTING.—The Science Advisory Board 
shall report to the Administrator and the appro-
priate requesting party. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Adminis-
trator shall provide administrative support to the 
Science Advisory Board. 
(3) MEETINGS.—The Science Advisory Board 
shall meet at least twice each year, and at other 
times at the call of the Administrator or the Chair-
person. 
(4) COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES.—A mem-
ber of the Science Advisory Board shall not be com-
pensated for service on such board, but upon request 
by the member may be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accord-
ance with subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
(5) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Science Advisory 
Board may establish such subcommittees of its 
members as may be necessary. The Science Advisory 
Board may establish task forces and working groups 
consisting of Board members and outside experts as 
may be necessary.
(e) EXPIRATION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
Science Advisory Board. 
SEC. 9. REPORTS. 
(a) REPORT
ON DATA MANAGEMENT, ARCHIVAL, 
AND DISTRIBUTION.— 
(1) CONTENTS.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and once every 5 
years thereafter, the Administrator shall develop a 
report on the environmental data and information 
systems of the Administration. The report shall in-
clude— 
(A) an assessment of the adequacy of the 
environmental data and information systems of 
the Administration to— 
(i) provide adequate capacity to man-
age, archive and disseminate environmental 
information collected and processed, or ex-
pected to be collected and processed, by 
the Administration and other appropriate 
departments and agencies; 
(ii) establish, develop, and maintain 
information bases, including necessary 
management systems, which will provide
for consistent, efficient, and compatible 
transfer and use of data; 
(iii) develop effective interfaces among 
the environmental data and information 
systems of the Administration and other 
appropriate departments and agencies; 
(iv) develop and use nationally accept-
ed formats and standards for data col-
lected by various national and international 
sources; 
(v) integrate and interpret data from 
different sources to produce information 
that can be used by decisionmakers in de-
veloping policies that effectively respond to 
national and global environmental con-
cerns; and 
(vi) reanalyze and reprocess the 
archived data as better science is developed 
to integrate diverse data sources; and 
(B) a strategic plan to— 
(i) set forth modernization and im-
provement objectives for an integrated na-
tional environmental data access and ar-
chive system for the 10-year period begin-
ning with the year in which the plan is
transmitted, including facility requirements 
and critical new technology components 
that would be necessary to meet the objec-
tives set forth; 
(ii) propose specific Administration 
programs and activities for implementing 
the plan; 
(iii) identify the data and information 
management, reanalysis, reprocessing, ar-
chival, and distribution responsibilities of 
the Administration with respect to other 
Federal departments and agencies and 
international organizations; and 
(iv) provide an implementation sched-
ule and estimate funding levels necessary 
to achieve modernization and improvement 
objectives. 
(2) NATIONAL
ACADEMY
OF
SCIENCES
RE-
VIEW.—The Administrator shall enter into an ar-
rangement with the National Academy of Sciences 
for a review of the plan developed under paragraph 
(1). 
(3) TRANSMITTAL
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 18 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Administrator shall transmit to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate and the Committee on Science of the 
House of Representatives the initial report developed 
under paragraph (1) and the review prepared pursu-
ant to paragraph (2). Subsequent reports developed 
under paragraph (1) shall also be transmitted to 
those committees. 
(b) STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.— 
(1) CONTENTS.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and once every 5 
years thereafter, the Administrator shall develop a 
strategic plan for science and technology research 
and development at the Administration. The plan 
shall include— 
(A) an assessment of the science and tech-
nology needs of the Administration based on 
the Administration’s operational requirements 
and on input provided by external stakeholders 
at the national, regional, State, and local levels; 
(B) a strategic plan for coordinating re-
search and development activities across the 
Administration to meet the needs identified in 
subparagraph (A); and 
(C) a description of how the Administra-
tion plans to utilize extramural, peer-reviewed
competitive grant programs to meet its research 
needs. 
(2) NATIONAL
ACADEMY
OF
SCIENCES
RE-
VIEW.—The Administrator shall enter into an ar-
rangement with the National Academy of Sciences 
for a review of the plan developed under paragraph 
(1). 
(3) TRANSMITTAL
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 18 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Administrator shall transmit to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate and the Committee on Science of the 
House of Representatives the initial report developed 
under paragraph (1) and the review prepared pursu-
ant to paragraph (2). Subsequent reports developed 
under paragraph (1) shall also be transmitted to 
those committees. 
SEC. 10. EFFECT OF REORGANIZATION PLAN. 
Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970 shall have no fur-
ther force and effect. 
SEC. 11. SAVINGS PROVISION. 
All rules and regulations, determinations, standards, 
contracts, certifications, authorizations, appointments, 
delegations, results and findings of investigations, and 
other actions duly issued, made, or taken by or pursuant
to or under the authority of any statute which resulted 
in the assignment of functions or activities to the Sec-
retary, the Department of Commerce, the Under Secretary 
of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, the Adminis-
trator, or any other officer of the Administration, that is 
in effect immediately before the date of enactment of this 
Act, shall continue in full force and effect after the effec-
tive date of this Act until modified or rescinded. All suits, 
appeals, judgements, and proceedings pending on such ef-
fective date relating to responsibilities or functions trans-
ferred under this Act shall continue without regard to such 
transfers, except for the transfer of responsibilities or 
functions. Any reference in law to a responsibility, func-
tion, or office transferred under this Act shall be deemed 
to refer to the responsibility, function, or office as so 
transferred. 
SEC. 12. TRANSITION. 
(a) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2) the provisions of this Act shall become ef-
fective 2 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
(2) EXCEPTIONS.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply to sections 9 or 13, or to subsection (b) of this 
section.
(b) REORGANIZATION.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall transmit a plan and budget proposal to Congress set-
ting forth a proposal for program and Administration re-
organization for the program areas outlined in this Act. 
SEC. 13. FACILITY EVALUATION PROCESS. 
(a) PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT PROC-
ESS.— The Administrator shall not close, consolidate, re-
locate, subdivide, or establish a facility of the Administra-
tion unless the Administrator has completed a public noti-
fication and assessment process that includes— 
(1) publication in the Federal Register of the 
proposed action and a description of the offices, per-
sonnel, and activities of the Administration that 
would be impacted by the proposed change, and pro-
viding for a minimum of 60 days for public com-
ment; 
(2) review of the proposed change by the 
Science Advisory Board of the Administration, if the 
proposed change involves a science facility of the Ad-
ministration, and preparation of a summary of their 
findings regarding the proposed change; 
(3) preparation by the Administrator of an 
analysis of the anticipated costs and savings associ-
ated with the proposed facility change, including
both initial costs and savings associated with the 
change and changes in operations and maintenance 
costs and savings over a ten year period; and 
(4) preparation by the Administrator of an 
analysis of the effects of the facility change on oper-
ations and research of the Administration, and the 
potential impacts on cooperative institutes, other ex-
ternal Administration partnerships, partnerships 
with other Federal agencies, and any State and local 
partnerships. 
(b) NOTICE TO CONGRESS.—The Administrator shall 
provide to Congress, at least 90 days before any closure, 
consolidation, relocation, subdivision, or establishment of 
a facility of the Administration, a summary of the public 
comments received pursuant to subsection (a)(1), any 
summary prepared under subsection (a)(2), and the anal-
yses prepared under subsection (a)(3) and (4), . 
(c) WEATHER SERVICE MODERNIZATION.—Nothing 
in this section shall alter procedures established under the 
Weather Service Modernization Act (15 U.S.C. 313 note). 
(d) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 
term ‘‘facility’’ means a laboratory, operations office, ad-
ministrative service center, or other establishment of the
Administration with an annual budget of $1,000,000 or 
greater. 
Æ