‘‘(2) Providing recommendations to streamline 
or consolidate activities and develop greater effi-
ciencies in cross-agency activities. 
‘‘(3) Leveraging Earth system science research 
outcomes of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, and other relevant Federal depart-
ments and agencies, including research outcomes re-
lated to the relevant recommended key science and 
applications questions and priorities in the National 
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s 
2018 report ‘Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A 
Decadal Strategy for Earth Observation from 
Space’, to understand and predict high-impact 
weather phenomena. 
‘‘(4) Facilitating the expansion and strength-
ening of partnerships with private sector entities to 
advance meteorological research, communications, 
and computing in collaboration with the Earth sys-
tem science, service, and stakeholder communities. 
‘‘(5) Sharing information regarding meteorolog-
ical research improvement needs and science oppor-
tunities across relevant Federal departments and 
agencies. 
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‘‘(6) Providing advice to all relevant Federal de-
partments and agencies regarding potential collabo-
rations and expected level of resources needed to 
maintain and operate the Interagency Council. 
‘‘(7) Enhancing communication and coordina-
tion and promoting sharing within relevant Federal 
departments and agencies and across the Inter-
agency Council. 
‘‘(8) Developing, recruiting, and sustaining a 
professional and diverse workforce for meteorological 
research and services. 
‘‘(e) DATA INVENTORY.—The Interagency Council, in 
coordination and avoidance of duplication with the United 
States Group on Earth Observations, shall promote data 
and metadata access and archive activities to increase ac-
cessibility, interoperability, and reusability by maintaining 
a data inventory of meteorological observations. Not less 
frequently than every two years for a period of 10 years 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this subsection, 
the Interagency Council shall solicit updated information 
from private sector entities identifying current and near 
future sources of such data. Such data shall be made 
available to member departments and agencies under sub-
section (a). 
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‘‘(f) COORDINATION OFFICE.—The Interagency Me-
teorological Coordination Office shall provide to the Inter-
agency Council such administrative and logistical support 
as the Interagency Council may require, as determined by 
the co-chairs. 
‘‘(g) COST SHARE.—Member departments and agen-
cies specified in subsection (a) may provide reimbursable 
financial support to the Interagency Meteorological Co-
ordinating Office to enhance cost-sharing and collabora-
tion related to weather research and forecast innovation 
activities. 
‘‘(h) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this subsection and annually 
thereafter until 2030, the Interagency Council shall pub-
lish a report which identifies among member departments 
and agencies specified in subsection (a) the following: 
‘‘(1) Federal programs that use meteorological 
observations, data sources, and capabilities. 
‘‘(2) Federal programs that acquire such obser-
vations, data, and capabilities from private sector 
entities. 
‘‘(3) Advancements in meteorological data col-
lection, assimilation, and forecasting that could im-
prove Federal programmatic operational capabilities. 
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‘‘(4) Barriers to acquiring meteorological obser-
vations, data sources, and capabilities that could be 
used to better meet Federal programmatic needs.’’. 
(b) REFERENCES.—Any reference to the Interagency 
Committee for Advancing Weather Services in any law, 
rule, regulation, paper, document, map, or other record 
of the United States shall be deemed to be a reference 
to the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological 
Services. 
SEC. 113. OCEAN OBSERVATIONS. 
Subsection (b) of section 12304 of the Integrated 
Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 
U.S.C. 3603) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) SHIPS
OF
OPPORTUNITY
PILOT
PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in 
coordination with the heads of relevant Federal 
departments and agencies, shall, subject to rel-
evant regulations and certifications, maintain 
pilot programs or projects to contract with re-
search or commercial ship operators for data 
collection and assess the potential costs, bene-
fits, and viability of a network of ocean and at-
mospheric observing instruments operating on 
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research or commercial ocean vessels, including 
in the Arctic, in order to supplement the Inte-
grated Coastal, Great Lakes, and Ocean Obser-
vation System in improving understanding of 
coastal and ocean systems and their relation-
ships to human activities. 
‘‘(B) STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS.— 
The Administrator shall ensure that data ac-
quired through the pilot program or projects 
under subparagraph (A) meets the most recent 
standards and specifications required for obser-
vation services and data as published pursuant 
to subsection (c) of section 302 of the Weather 
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 
2017. 
‘‘(C) REPORT.—Not later than five years 
after the date of the enactment of this para-
graph, the Administrator, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Transportation, shall submit to 
Congress a report on the requirements for a 
global network of ocean and atmospheric instru-
ments operating on research or commercial 
ocean vessels for measurement and data trans-
mission. 
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‘‘(D) SUNSET.—This paragraph shall ter-
minate on the earlier of— 
‘‘(i) September 30, 2030; or 
‘‘(ii) one year after the date on which 
the report required under subparagraph 
(B) is submitted by the Administrator.’’. 
SEC. 114. CONSOLIDATION OF REPORTS. 
(a) WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING INNO-
VATION ACT OF 2017.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended— 
(A) in section 102 (15 U.S.C. 8512), by 
striking subsection (e) (as redesignated pursu-
ant to section 111(b)); 
(B) by amending section 105 (15 U.S.C. 
8515) to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 105. WEATHER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN-
NING. 
‘‘Not later than two years after the date of the enact-
ment of this section and not less frequently than every 
two years thereafter, the Under Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research, and in coordination with the Director of the Na-
tional Weather Service and the Assistant Administrator 
for Satellite and Information Services, shall issue a re-
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search and development and research to operations plan 
to maintain United States leadership in numerical weather 
prediction and forecasting that— 
‘‘(1) describes the forecasting skill and tech-
nology goals, technology transfer plan, and progress 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration in carrying out the program conducted under 
section 102; 
‘‘(2) identifies and prioritizes specific research 
and development activities, data collection and anal-
ysis, predictive modeling, demonstration of potential 
operational forecast application, education, training, 
and performance metrics, weighted to meet the oper-
ational weather and flood-event mission of the Na-
tional Weather Service to achieve a weather-ready 
Nation; 
‘‘(3) describes how the program conducted 
under section 102 will collaborate with Federal 
agencies and departments, international partners, 
and stakeholders, including the United States weath-
er industry and academic partners, and the role of 
each in advancing weather forecasting and commu-
nication; 
‘‘(4) identifies, through consultation with the 
National Science Foundation, the United States 
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weather industry, and academic partners, research 
necessary to advance the scientific understanding of 
weather processes and provide information to im-
prove weather warning and forecast systems in the 
United States most effectively; 
‘‘(5) describes the ongoing research projects of 
the United States Weather Research Program, the 
goals of such projects, and projects related to weath-
er observations, short-term weather, or subseasonal 
forecasts within the Office of Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric 
Research 
that 
are 
closest 
to 
operationalization; and 
‘‘(6) describes how the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration is advancing community 
weather modeling.’’; 
(C) in section 403 (15 U.S.C. 8543)— 
(i) in subsection (a), by inserting 
‘‘the’’ after ‘‘Director of’’; and 
(ii) by amending subsection (d) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(d) ANNUAL BRIEFING.—Not less frequently than 
once each year, the Under Secretary shall brief the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives on participation 
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in the program under subsection (a) and shall highlight 
any innovations that come from the interaction described 
in subsection (b).’’; and 
(D) by striking sections 408 through 411 
and section 414 and redesignating sections 412 
and 413 as sections 408 and 409, respectively. 
(2) CLERICAL
AMENDMENTS.—The table of 
contents in section 1(b) of the Weather Research 
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended 
by striking the items relating to sections 408 
through 414 and inserting the following new items: 
‘‘Sec. 408. Weather enterprise outreach. 
‘‘Sec. 409. Hurricane hunter aircraft.’’. 
(b) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMIN-
ISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1992.—The National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization 
Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–567) is amended— 
(1) in section 106, by striking subsection (c) 
(15 U.S.C. 1537); and 
(2) in section 108 (15 U.S.C. 8520)— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking paragraph (5); and 
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (6) 
through (12) as paragraphs (5) through 
(11), respectively; 
(B) by striking subsection (b); and 
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(C) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub-
section (b). 
SEC. 115. PRECIPITATION FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VI of the Weather Research 
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501 
et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 603 as section 604; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 602 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 603. PRECIPITATION FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in collabo-
ration with the United States weather industry, other Fed-
eral agencies, and academic partners, shall maintain a 
program to improve precipitation forecasting across 
timescales. 
‘‘(b) GOAL.—The goal of the program under sub-
section (a) shall be to provide more accurate, reliable, and 
timely precipitation forecasts across timescales through 
the development and application of a fully coupled Earth 
system prediction model in order to reduce the loss of life 
or property related to precipitation extremes, with a focus 
on the following: 
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244 
‘‘(II) in regions that have re-
cently experienced loss of life due to 
landslides;’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (C)— 
(i) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘award-
ed’’ after ‘‘grants’’; and 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘made’’ 
and inserting ‘‘or other accomplishments 
resulting’’. 
(12) SIGNIFICANT EVENTS.—Section 3 of the 
National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 
3102) is amended, in subsection (h)(3) (as so redes-
ignated), by striking ‘‘local, and Tribal partners’’ 
and inserting ‘‘and local partners, Indian tribes, 
Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organiza-
tions’’. 
(13) FUNDING.—Section 3 of the National 
Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102) is 
amended, in subsection (i) (as so redesignated)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘2024’’ and inserting ‘‘2030’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘there is 
authorized to be appropriated to the United 
States Geological Survey, $25,000,000 to carry 
out this section’’ and inserting ‘‘from amounts 
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