I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2407 
To establish a National Climate Service at the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 14, 2009 
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Science and Technology 
A BILL 
To establish a National Climate Service at the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
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 ‘‘National Climate Serv-
ice Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to establish a National 
Climate Service within the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration to— 
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(1) advance understanding of climate variability 
and change at the global, national, and regional lev-
els; 
(2) provide forecasts, warnings, and other infor-
mation to the public on variability and change in 
weather and climate that affect geographic areas, 
natural resources, infrastructure, economic sectors, 
and communities; and 
(3) support development of adaptation and re-
sponse plans by Federal agencies, State, local, and 
tribal governments, the private sector, and the pub-
lic. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘Advi-
sory Committee’’ means the Climate Service Advi-
sory Committee established under section 5. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Climate Service Office. 
(3) REPRESENTATIVE.—The term ‘‘representa-
tive’’ means an individual who is not a full-time or 
part-time employee of the Federal Government and 
who is appointed to an advisory committee to rep-
resent the views of an entity or entities outside the 
Federal Government. 
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(4) SPECIAL
GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEE.—The 
term ‘‘Special Government Employee’’ has the same 
meaning as in section 202(a) of title 18, United 
States Code. 
(5) UNDER
SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Under 
Secretary’’ means the Under Secretary of Commerce 
for Oceans and Atmosphere. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL CLIMATE SERVICE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, building 
upon the resources of the National Weather Service and 
other weather and climate programs in the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration, shall establish the 
National Climate Service. 
(b) CLIMATE SERVICE OFFICE.—The Under Sec-
retary shall establish a Climate Service Office. The Cli-
mate Service Office shall— 
(1) coordinate programs at the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration to ensure the 
timely production and distribution of data and infor-
mation on national, regional, and local climate varia-
bility and change over all time scales relevant for 
planning and response, including intraseasonal, 
interannual, decadal, and multidecadal time periods; 
(2) ensure exchange of information between the 
research and operational offices at the National Oce-
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proving climate services are made available to 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration; 
(C) facilitate the development and delivery 
of climate services to relevant stakeholders; and 
(D) obtain information from other Federal 
agencies to improve the development and dis-
semination by the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration of information on climate 
and weather to other Federal agencies for the 
development of climate service products by 
those agencies; 
(6) ensure cooperation and collaboration, as ap-
propriate, of the National Climate Service with 
State, local, and tribal governments, academic and 
nonprofit research organizations, and private sector 
entities, including weather information providers and 
other stakeholders; and 
(7) ensure exchange of data, information, and 
research with the United States Global Change Re-
search Program to support the development of as-
sessments required under the Global Change Re-
search Act of 1990 (15 U.S.C. 2921 et seq.). 
(c) NATIONAL CLIMATE SERVICE.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 
operate the National Climate Service through a na-
tional center, the Climate Service Office, and a net-
work of regional and local facilities, including the es-
tablished regional and local offices of the National 
Weather Service, 6 Regional Climate Centers, the of-
fices of the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assess-
ments program, the National Integrated Drought 
Information System, and any other National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration or National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration-supported re-
gional and local entities, as appropriate. 
(2) REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTERS PROGRAM.— 
The Under Secretary shall maintain a network of 6 
Regional Climate Centers to work cooperatively with 
the offices of State climatologists to— 
(A) collect and exchange data and informa-
tion needed to characterize, understand, and 
forecast regional and local weather and climate; 
(B) facilitate collection and exchange of 
data and information between the States and 
Federal Government on weather and climate in 
conjunction with the National Climatic Data 
Center; 
(C) support research and observations; 
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(D) obtain input on stakeholder needs for 
weather and climate information and products; 
and 
(E) support State and local adaptation and 
response planning. 
(3) REGIONAL INTEGRATED SCIENCES AND AS-
SESSMENTS PROGRAM.—The Under Secretary shall 
maintain a network of offices as part of the Regional 
Integrated Sciences and Assessments Program. Such 
offices shall engage in cooperative research, develop-
ment, and demonstration projects with the academic 
community on climate products, technologies, mod-
els, and other tools to improve understanding and 
forecasting of regional and local climate variability 
and change and the effects on economic activities, 
natural resources, and water availability, and other 
effects on communities, to facilitate development of 
regional and local adaptation plans to respond to cli-
mate variability and change, and any other needed 
research identified by the Under Secretary or the 
Advisory Committee. 
(4) OTHER OFFICES.—In carrying out the func-
tions of the National Climate Service, the Under 
Secretary shall utilize the assets and expertise of— 
(A) the National Weather Service to— 
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(i) deliver operational weather and cli-
mate forecasts, warnings, products, and in-
formation through the National Climate 
Services Division, Local Weather Forecast 
Offices, Weather Service Offices, and River 
Forecast Centers; and 
(ii) develop climate forecast models 
and tools through the National Centers for 
Environmental Prediction; 
(B) the National Environmental Satellite, 
Data, and Information Service to provide data 
services and support for product development 
and operations through the National Climatic 
Data Center and the Regional Climate Centers; 
(C) the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research to— 
(i) provide research on product devel-
opment; 
(ii) improve weather and climate fore-
cast models; 
(iii) provide new technologies and 
methods of observation; and 
(iv) oversee the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration supported re-
search performed by the Joint Cooperative 
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Institutes, universities, and other non-Fed-
eral entities; 
(D) the National Integrated Drought In-
formation System to— 
(i) provide an effective drought warn-
ing system; 
(ii) coordinate and integrate Federal 
research on droughts; 
(iii) collect and integrate information 
on key indicators of drought; 
(iv) make usable, reliable, and timely 
forecasts and assessments of drought, in-
cluding assessments of the severity of 
drought conditions and impacts; and 
(v) communicate drought forecasts, 
conditions, and impacts to Federal, re-
gional, State, tribal, and local govern-
ments, the private sector, and the public; 
and 
(E) any other National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration offices or programs, 
as appropriate. 
(5) SERVICE
ELEMENTS.—The National Cli-
mate Service shall— 
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(A) conduct analyses of and studies relat-
ing to the effects of weather and climate on 
communities, including effects on agricultural 
production, natural resources, energy supply 
and demand, recreation, and other sectors of 
the economy; 
(B) carry out observations, data collection, 
and monitoring of atmospheric and oceanic con-
ditions on a statewide, regional, national, and 
global basis; 
(C) provide information and technical sup-
port for Federal, regional, State, tribal, and 
local government efforts to assess and respond 
to climate variability and change; 
(D) develop systems for the management 
and dissemination of data, information, and as-
sessments, including mechanisms for consulta-
tion with current and potential users; and 
(E) conduct research to improve fore-
casting, characterization, and understanding of 
weather and climate variability and change and 
its effects on communities, including its effects 
on agricultural production, natural resources, 
energy supply and demand, recreation, and 
other sectors of the economy. 
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SEC. 5. CLIMATE SERVICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall estab-
lish a Climate Service Advisory Committee to provide ad-
vice on— 
(1) climate service product development; 
(2) delivery of services to decisionmakers and 
other stakeholders; 
(3) infrastructure to support observations and 
monitoring; 
(4) computation and modeling needs, research 
needs, and other resources needed to develop, dis-
tribute, and ensure the utility of climate data, prod-
ucts, and services; and 
(5) any other topics as may be requested by the 
Under Secretary or Congress. 
(b) MEMBERS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Advisory Committee 
shall be composed of at least 25 members appointed 
by the Under Secretary. Each member of the Advi-
sory Committee shall be qualified either— 
(A) by education, training, and experience 
to evaluate scientific and technical information 
on matters referred to the Advisory Committee 
under this section; or 
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(B) to evaluate the utility and need for cli-
mate products by planners, decisionmakers, the 
private sector, and the public. 
(2) TERMS OF SERVICE.—Members shall be ap-
pointed for 3-year terms, renewable once, and shall 
serve at the discretion of the Under Secretary. Va-
cancy appointments 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 Under Secretary shall 
designate a chairperson from among the members of 
the Advisory Committee. The designated Chair-
person shall alternate between a member who is ap-
pointed as a representative and a member who is ap-
pointed as a Special Government Employee. 
(4) SUBCOMMITTEES.— 
(A) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
Advisory 
Committee shall establish— 
(i) a Subcommittee on Science and 
Technology to advise the National Climate 
Service on needed research, technology de-
velopment, and additional observations, 
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and on any other scientific or technical 
issues as appropriate; and 
(ii) a Subcommittee on Product De-
velopment and Delivery composed pri-
marily of representatives of the community 
of potential users of the products devel-
oped and delivered by the National Climate 
Service. 
The Advisory Committee may establish such ad-
ditional subcommittees of its members as may 
be necessary. 
(B) APPOINTMENT.— 
(i) FULL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—At 
least 50 percent of the members of the Ad-
visory Committee shall be appointed as 
Special Government Employees. 
(ii) SUBCOMMITTEES.—At least 75 
percent of the members of the Sub-
committee on Science and Technology shall 
be appointed as Special Government Em-
ployees. Not more than 25 percent of the 
members of the Subcommittee on Product 
Development and Delivery shall be ap-
pointed as Special Government Employees. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.— 
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(1) REPORTING.—The Advisory Committee 
shall report to the Under Secretary and the appro-
priate requesting party. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPORT.—The Under 
Secretary shall provide administrative support to the 
Advisory Committee. 
(3) MEETINGS.—The Advisory Committee shall 
meet at least twice each year and at other times at 
the call of the Under Secretary or the Chairperson. 
(4) COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES.—A mem-
ber of the Advisory Committee shall not be com-
pensated for service on the Advisory Committee, but 
may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem 
in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with subchapter 
I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. 
(d) EXPIRATION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advi-
sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to 
the Climate Service Advisory Committee. 
SEC. 6. REPEAL. 
The National Climate Program Act (15 U.S.C. 2901 
et seq.) is repealed. 
SEC. 
7. 
ESTABLISHMENT 
OF 
REGIONAL 
INTEGRATED 
SCIENCES AND ASSESSMENTS TEAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall estab-
lish Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments 
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(RISA) Teams through a competitive, peer-reviewed selec-
tion process. Teams shall conduct applied regional climate 
research and projects to address the needs of local and 
regional decisionmakers for information and tools to de-
velop adaptation and response plans to climate variability 
and change. The awards shall be administered through a 
cooperative agreement between the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration and the RISA Team. Each 
award shall be for a period of five years for an amount 
up to $300,000 per year. 
(b) RISA TEAMS.—Teams shall be composed of 
multi-institutional partnerships whose individual members 
may include— 
(1) institutions of higher education, as defined 
in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)); 
(2) minority serving institutions, as defined in 
section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965; 
and 
(3) nongovernmental organizations, Federal 
agencies, State and local agencies, tribal organiza-
tions, and for-profit entities. 
(c) CONSIDERATIONS.—In making awards under this 
section, the Under Secretary shall consider— 
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