(4) Installation of circuits to reduce lapses in 
network operations and support backup functions. 
(5) Establishment of a cloud-based, remotely 
accessible repository for data referred to in sub-
section (b)(2). 
(6) Development and deployment of virtualized 
systems to replace physical hardware at operational 
sites. 
(7) Evaluation of commercial cloud providers, 
including hybrid approaches, to meet mission needs. 
(8) Development, testing, demonstration, eval-
uation, and operationalization of forecast and warn-
ing products, consistent with the mission and sci-
entific expertise of the Administration. 
(d) TRANSITION DEADLINE.—The Under Secretary 
shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure the 
transition strategy described in subsection (a) is completed 
by not later than September 30, 2030. 
(e) UPDATES TO CONGRESS.—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 periodic updates on the implementation of this sec-
tion. 
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(f) CONTINUED INNOVATION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed as prohibiting the development of 
new forecast capabilities, sub-systems, or implementing 
modeling advancements on the operational computing sys-
tems of the Administration. 
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 ob-
tain weather and environmental 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, 
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collaborates, and shares data purchases and data needs 
across the Administration, including among the following: 
‘‘(1) The National Mesonet Program. 
‘‘(2) The Aircraft Based Observation Program. 
‘‘(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-
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tion modeling capabilities, meteorological situational 
awareness, and forecasting. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITIZATION.—The Under Secretary shall 
prioritize obtaining surface-based, airborne-based, space- 
based, and coastal- and ocean-based data, metadata, and 
services for operational use that participate in the Com-
mercial Data Pilot Program of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration. 
‘‘(e) OBSERVING SYSTEMS COUNCIL.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 
maintain the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration Observing Systems Council (in this sub-
section referred to as the ‘Council’) to provide stra-
tegic recommendations, guidance, and consent re-
garding the prioritization, design, development, ac-
quisition, upgrading, lifecycle, performance moni-
toring, and retiring of major observing systems port-
folio components, including related to the acquisition 
of commercial weather and environmental data and 
services. 
‘‘(2) LINE OFFICE COORDINATION.—All line of-
fices and programs of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration engaged in observing sys-
tems portfolio design, technology, development, exe-
cution, and operation shall seek guidance and con-
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sent from the Council to ensure coordination and ad-
herence to uniform policies. 
‘‘(3) DATA
GOVERNANCE
COMMITTEE.—The 
Under Secretary shall maintain a Data Governance 
Committee within the Council. The Committee shall 
develop and approve procedural directives, guides, or 
handbooks relevant to management of data and in-
formation, including commercial data, and coordi-
nate data governance and management practices 
across the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration 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: 
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thorities related to data governance and management 
practices, including acquisition, collection, documentation, 
quality control, validation, reprocessing, storage, retrieval, 
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- 
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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 
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-
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tional information determined necessary related to the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) The viability of assimilating observation 
services and data from private sector entities into 
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-
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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-
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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SEC. 303. CONTRACTING AUTHORITY AND AVOIDANCE OF 
DUPLICATION. 
Title III of the Weather Research and Forecasting 
Innovation Act of 2017 is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 304. CONTRACTING AUTHORITY AND AVOIDANCE OF 
DUPLICATION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Consistent with other Federal 
agencies that contract and partner with private sector en-
tities, the Under Secretary is authorized to use con-
tracting mechanisms and enter into agreements that uti-
lize multiyear contract options. In carrying out sections 
302 and 303, the Under Secretary shall, to the greatest 
extent possible— 
‘‘(1) enter into year-long or multiyear contract 
options using contracting mechanisms that foster re-
siliency of datatypes purchased; 
‘‘(2) partner and contract with multiple obser-
vation service and data providers simultaneously to 
reduce risks of data gaps and improve mission 
robustness; and 
‘‘(3) utilize authorities, such as additional 
forms of transaction agreements under section 301, 
that allow for innovative partnerships with private 
sector entities. 
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‘‘(b) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this title may be 
construed as infringing on the acquisition authority or 
strategy of Federal entities authorized under title 10, 
United States Code. 
‘‘(c) UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION.—In meeting the 
requirements under this title, the Under Secretary shall 
avoid unnecessary duplication between the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration, other Federal depart-
ments and agencies, and private sector entities, including 
relating to corresponding expenditures of funds and em-
ployment of personnel by— 
‘‘(1) coordinating existing activities with other 
civilian Federal departments and agencies which 
provide, contract, or partner with private sector enti-
ties to acquire, weather and environmental observa-
tions and data; and 
‘‘(2) coordinating and soliciting weather and en-
vironmental observations and data requirements and 
needs from other civilian Federal departments and 
agencies to be acquired by the Commercial Data 
Program under section 302. 
‘‘(d) FAIR
COMPENSATION
FOR
INTERAGENCY 
NEEDS.—The Under Secretary, to the maximum extent 
practicable, shall ensure that Federal departments and 
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agencies utilizing services and data under sections 302 
and 303 fairly compensate the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration, or the non-Federal entities pro-
viding such services or data, as appropriate, for use.’’. 
SEC. 304. DATA ASSIMILATION, MANAGEMENT, AND SHAR-
ING PRACTICES. 
Title III of the Weather Research and Forecasting 
Innovation Act of 2017, as amended by section 303 of this 
Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 305. DATA ASSIMILATION, MANAGEMENT, AND SHAR-
ING PRACTICES. 
‘‘(a) DATA STANDARDS.—The Under Secretary, in 
collaboration with the weather enterprise, shall seek to es-
tablish consistent and open data and metadata standards 
to support open science, including simple cloud-optimized 
data formats and application programming interfaces that 
support 
findability, 
accessibility, 
usability, 
and 
preservability. 
‘‘(b) DATA INFRASTRUCTURE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in 
consultation with the Chief Information Officer and 
appropriate program heads, shall consolidate and ar-
range data infrastructure needs to ensure efficient 
and effective data transfer between National Oceanic 
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and Atmospheric Administration offices by consid-
ering the use of commercial cloud technologies, or 
similar hybrid structures, to host and transmit data 
and metadata. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL
PARTNERSHIPS.—In carrying 
out paragraph (1), the Under Secretary may partner 
with the heads of other Federal departments and 
agencies, including the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, the Department of Energy, 
the United States Space Force, the United States 
Coast Guard, the United States Navy, the Federal 
Aviation Administration, the United States Forest 
Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
National Science Foundation, and the United States 
Geological Survey, to collocate data with joint utility 
and support a transition to cloud architectures, in-
cluding commercial cloud networks. 
‘‘(3) LONG TERM DATA ARCHIVE.—The Under 
Secretary shall ensure the long-term management, 
maintenance, and stewardship of archival data and 
metadata acquired through the Commercial Data 
Program under section 302 is conducted within the 
National Centers for Environmental Information. 
‘‘(c) DATA SHARING WITH THE WEATHER ENTER-
PRISE.—To the greatest extent practicable, the Under 
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Secretary shall make accessible to members of the weather 
enterprise that are United States persons data not subject 
to redistribution contract permissions and purchased 
through the Commercial Data Program under section 302 
or shared through international government partners. If 
purchased data must be assimilated into numerical weath-
er prediction models or automated forecast guidance to 
satisfy redistribution contract permissions, the Under Sec-
retary shall make accessible without delay to members of 
the weather enterprise that are United States persons the 
numerical weather prediction model or automated forecast 
guidance output, as the case may be. 
‘‘(d) DATA ASSIMILATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in 
coordination with the Commercial Data Program 
under section 302, the National Centers for Envi-
ronmental Information, and any other offices within 
the Administration, shall establish a program to 
test, advance, and implement data assimilation 
methods, which may include artificial intelligence, 
machine learning, data pre- and post-processing, ef-
ficient input and output, and next-generation algo-
rithms. 
‘‘(2) DATA ASSIMILATION UNIVERSITY CONSOR-
TIUM.—Through the program established pursuant 
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to paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall estab-
lish a consortium consisting of institutions of higher 
education (as such term is defined in section 101 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001)) to address critical research challenges for 
data assimilation and foster a growing data assimi-
lation workforce. The consortium shall seek to— 
‘‘(A) solve critical research issues for data 
assimilation through innovative research; 
‘‘(B) increase significantly the number of 
students, including graduate level and Ph.D. 
candidates, in data assimilation; 
‘‘(C) utilize modern software and frame-
works, such as the Joint Effort for Data As-
similation Integration, to conduct data assimila-
tion research and development and facilitate re-
search to operations efforts; 
‘‘(D) identify and prioritize critical re-
search areas in data assimilation and facilitate 
operations to research efforts; 
‘‘(E) establish and enable an effective col-
laboration infrastructure between National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration facilities, 
such as labs, centers, or joint agency institutes, 
and the research community, including a mech-
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(d) DIGITAL WATERMARKING.—The Under Secretary 
shall develop methods to reduce the likelihood of unauthor-
ized tampering with online public notifications of haz-
ardous weather or water events, such as developing digital 
watermarks. 
TITLE V—IMPROVING WEATHER 
INFORMATION 
FOR 
AGRI-
CULTURE AND WATER MAN-
AGEMENT 
SEC. 501. WEATHER AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IN AGRI-
CULTURE AND WATER MANAGEMENT. 
Section 1762 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (15 
U.S.C. 8521) is amended— 
(1) by amending subsection (h) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(h) SUBSEASONAL
TO SEASONAL FORECASTING 
PILOT PROJECTS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Under Secretary 
shall establish not fewer than two pilot projects, in 
accordance with paragraph (2), within the U.S. 
Weather Research Program of the Oceanic and At-
mospheric Research office of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration to support im-
proved subseasonal to seasonal precipitation fore-
casts for the following: 
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