that provide real-time warning to individuals and commu-
nities of severe weather or other hazardous conditions. 
(c) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.— 
(1) NOMINATIONS.—Nominations for this award 
shall be made annually by the Weather Field Offices 
to the Assistant Administrator for NWS. Broadcast 
meteorologists, weather radio manufacturers and 
weather warning tool and application developers, 
emergency managers and public safety officials may 
nominate individuals and/or organizations to their 
local Weather Field Offices, but the final list of award 
nominees must come from the Weather Field Offices. 
(2) SELECTION OF AWARDEES.—Annually, the 
Assistant Administrator for NWS shall choose win-
ners of this award whose timely actions, based on 
NOAA weather radio all hazards receivers or trans-
mitters or other early warning tools and applications, 
saved lives and/or property or demonstrated public 
service in support of weather or all hazard warnings. 
(3) AWARD CEREMONY.—The Assistant Adminis-
trator for NWS shall establish a means of making 
these awards to provide maximum public awareness 
of the important Weather Radio All Hazards pro-
gram, and such other warning tools and applications 
as are represented in the awards. 
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SEC. 16. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AOA.—The term ‘‘AOA’’ means an Analysis 
of Alternatives. 
(2) NESDIS.—The term ‘‘NESDIS’’ means the 
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Infor-
mation Service. 
(3) NOAA.—The term ‘‘NOAA’’ means the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(4) NWS.—The term ‘‘NWS’’ means the Na-
tional Weather Service. 
(5) OAR.—The term ‘‘OAR’’ means the Office of 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. 
(6) OSE.—The term ‘‘OSE’’ means an Observ-
ing System Experiment. 
(7) OSSE.—The term ‘‘OSSE’’ means an Ob-
serving System Simulation Experiment. 
(8) UNDER SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Under Sec-
retary’’ means the Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Oceans and Atmosphere. 
SEC. 17. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) FISCAL YEAR 2015.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated for fiscal year 2015— 
(1) $90,800,000 to OAR to carry out this Act, of 
which— 
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(A) $70,000,000 is authorized for weather 
laboratories and cooperative institutes; and 
(B) $20,800,000 is authorized for weather 
and air chemistry research programs; and 
(2) out of funds made available for research and 
development at NOAA, an additional amount of 
$16,000,000 for OAR to carry out the joint technology 
transfer initiative described in section 3(b)(4). 
(b) FISCAL YEARS 2016 AND 2017.—For each of fiscal 
years 2016 and 2017, there are authorized to be appro-
priated to OAR— 
(1) $100,000,000 to carry out this Act, of 
which— 
(A) $80,000,000 is authorized for weather 
laboratories and cooperative institutes; and 
(B) $20,000,000 is authorized for weather 
and air chemistry research programs; and 
(2) an additional amount of $20,000,000 for the 
joint technology transfer initiative described in sec-
tion 3(b)(4). 
(c) LIMITATION.—No additional funds are authorized 
to carry out this Act, and the amendments made by this 
Act. 
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Union Calendar No. 91 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1561 
[Report No. 114–126] 
A BILL 
To improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration’s weather research through a fo-
cused program of investment on affordable and 
attainable advances in observational, computing, 
and modeling capabilities to support substantial 
improvement in weather forecasting and pre-
diction of high impact weather events, to expand 
commercial opportunities for the provision of 
weather data, and for other purposes. 
MAY 19, 2015 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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