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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— 
(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); and 
(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. 
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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 striking section 302 (15 U.S.C. 
8532) and inserting the following new section: 
‘‘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 
shall 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. The Under Secretary 
shall ensure the Commercial Data Program coordinates, 
collaborates, and ensures access to data across the Admin-
istration, including among the following: 
‘‘(1) The National Mesonet Program. 
‘‘(2) The Aircraft Based Observation Program. 
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‘‘(3) The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observation 
Program, including existing regional associations. 
‘‘(4) The National Integrated Drought Informa-
tion System, including the National Coordinated Soil 
Moisture Monitoring Network. 
‘‘(5) The Global Ocean Monitoring and Observ-
ing Program. 
‘‘(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. 
‘‘(c) 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. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITIZATION.—In acquiring commercial 
data and services, the Under Secretary shall prioritize ob-
taining surface-based, airborne-based, space-based, and 
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coastal- and ocean-based data, metadata, and services for 
operational use that participate in the Commercial Data 
Pilot Program or other programs of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration that acquire commercial 
data or observations. 
‘‘(e) NOAA OBSERVING SYSTEMS AND FLEET COUN-
CILS.— 
‘‘(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 ob-
serving systems portfolio components, including re-
lated 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. 
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‘‘(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 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
to promote consistent processes. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2024 through 2028 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. 
‘‘(g) 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 
commercial data and service providers. 
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‘‘(2) The placement of weather instruments on 
co-hosted Federal, international, or private space, 
airborne, maritime, or ground platforms. 
‘‘(h) OMBUDSMAN.—The Under Secretary shall es-
tablish or designate at least one Ombudsman position 
within the Commercial Data Program to implement the 
recommendations of the Observing System Council under 
subsection (e) related to commercial weather and environ-
mental data and services acquisitions. Such an Ombuds-
man shall act as the liaison between commercial data and 
service providers and the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric 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. 
‘‘(i) 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, 
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dissemination, and long-term preservation activities across 
all National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration line, 
staff, and corporate offices.’’. 
SEC. 302. COMMERCIAL DATA PILOT PROGRAM. 
The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation 
Act of 2017 is amended by striking section 303 (15 U.S.C. 
8533) and inserting the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 303. COMMERCIAL DATA PILOT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.—Within the Com-
mercial Data Program under section 302, there shall be 
a Commercial Data Pilot Program to engage with external 
partners and providers to test and develop shared stand-
ards and methodologies for quality, use, licensing, and at-
tribution of observation services and data, and 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. The Program is authorized to 
test and evaluate all sources and types of observation serv-
ices, imagery, products, and data from private sector enti-
ties, 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 
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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(c). 
‘‘(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(c) 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), the extent 
to which such contracts meet the standards and specifica-
tions published pursuant to section 302(c), and any addi-
tional information determined necessary related to the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) The viability of assimilating observation 
services and data from private sector entities into 
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
forecasts and models. 
‘‘(2) The expected value added or improvements 
from such services and data so assimilated into Na-
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) Steps to integrate within one year such 
services and data into operational use by the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or 
any associated challenges in doing so. 
‘‘(e) OBTAINING FUTURE DATA.—If an assessment 
under subsection (d) demonstrates the ability of commer-
cial services and data to meet the standards and specifica-
tions published pursuant to section 302(c), the Under Sec-
retary shall— 
‘‘(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 proc-
ess 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 a suitable, cost-effective, commercial ca-
pability is or will be available as described in para-
graph (2), determine whether and how such capa-
bility is in the national interest if developed as a 
solely governmental system; and 
‘‘(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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