‘‘(1) Improving the understanding and pre-
diction of precipitation extremes from a variety of 
weather systems, including atmospheric rivers. 
‘‘(2) Evaluating and incorporating, as appro-
priate, innovative observations into operational moni-
toring and forecast systems to improve precipitation 
forecasts. 
‘‘(3) Improving Earth system model predictions 
of precipitation extremes from atmospheric rivers, 
tropical cyclones, summer-time thunderstorms, win-
ter storms, and other phenomena, in coordination 
with relevant programs. 
‘‘(4) Enhancing research transition to oper-
ations through testbeds, including the evaluation of 
physical and social science, technology, and other re-
search to develop products and services for imple-
mentation and use by relevant stakeholders. 
‘‘(5) Incorporating social, behavioral, and eco-
nomic sciences best practices into operations for 
more effective and actionable watch and warning 
products that help drive public safety and damage 
mitigation decisions in coordination with the pro-
grams established in accordance with this Act. 
‘‘(6) Ensuring data and metadata management 
processes are in place to support data access and ar-
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chive for long-term research and operations among 
multiple partners. 
‘‘(c) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the program 
under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall support 
research-to-operations work, including relating to the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) Implementing key strategies and following 
priorities and objectives outlined by the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ‘Precipi-
tation Prediction Grand Challenge Strategy’. 
‘‘(2) Improving the physical science, operational 
modeling and tools, and technology related to better 
forecasting precipitation extremes across timescales. 
‘‘(3) Improving the social, behavioral, risk, com-
munications, and economic sciences related to 
vulnerabilities, risk communication, and delivery of 
information critical for reducing the loss of life or 
property related to extreme precipitation. 
‘‘(4) Conducting the research necessary to de-
velop and deploy probabilistic weather forecast guid-
ance technology relating to precipitation extremes in 
operational practice. 
‘‘(5) Enhancing the operational capacity of the 
National Weather Service to deliver decision support 
for increasing precipitation extremes. 
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‘‘(6) Expanding computational resources to im-
prove precipitation modeling. 
‘‘(d) ANNUAL BUDGET.—The Under Secretary shall, 
not less frequently than annually, submit to Congress a 
proposed budget corresponding with carrying out this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(e) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that improved precipitation forecasts should support 
improved water resource management and resilience to ex-
treme water-related events, such as floods and drought, 
which may include the use of enhanced streamflow pre-
diction.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting 
Innovation Act of 2017 is amended by striking the item 
relating to section 603 and inserting the following new 
items: 
‘‘Sec. 603. Precipitation forecast improvement program. 
‘‘Sec. 604. Definitions.’’. 
TITLE II—ENHANCING FEDERAL 
WEATHER FORECASTING AND 
INNOVATION 
SEC. 201. WEATHER INNOVATION FOR THE NEXT GENERA-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary 
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shall establish a Research, Development, Test, and Eval-
uation Program (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Pro-
gram’’) to ensure the continued performance of weather 
radar capabilities based on defined use needs and require-
ments, including capabilities currently being developed. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the Program, 
the Under Secretary, in consultation with the Interagency 
Council for Advancing Meteorological Services, shall carry 
out the following: 
(1) Partner with the private sector, academia, 
Federal, State, and local government entities, and 
any other entity the Under Secretary considers ap-
propriate. 
(2) Identify, evaluate, and test existing or 
emerging technologies and solutions that improve 
radar coverage and performance, including by miti-
gating the potential impact of interferences on 
weather radar. 
(3) To the maximum extent practicable, re-
search additional solutions that could improve radar 
coverage and performance and mitigate the effects 
of interferences on weather radar, such as the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Signal processing algorithms, including 
the capability to merge data from multiple ra-
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dars, including commercial radars, and other 
supplemental data sources. 
(B) Short-term forecasting algorithms to 
improve weather and water-related forecasts 
and warnings. 
(C) Gap filling radars to improve radar 
coverage and provide supplemental or replace-
ment observations in areas impacted by inter-
ferences on weather radar. 
(D) Solutions to replace or mitigate the ef-
fects of data contaminated by interferences on 
weather radar. 
(E) 
Solutions 
from 
electromagnetic 
sources. 
(4) Develop, support, or partner with developers 
to provide commercially viable technical mitigation 
solutions for interferences to weather radar capabili-
ties that are compatible with the operational require-
ments of the weather radar system. 
(c) PRIORITY.—In carrying out subsection (b), the 
Under Secretary shall prioritize consideration of the fol-
lowing technology-based mitigation solutions: 
(1) Phased array weather radar systems. 
(2) Supplementing or replacing contaminated 
data with commercial radar data. 
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(3) The use of data from meteorological towers 
associated with the private sector, or similar capa-
bilities. 
(4) The installation and provision of access to 
rain gauges. 
(5) Any other technology-based mitigation solu-
tion the Under Secretary determines could improve 
radar coverage by overcoming interferences, beam 
blockage, or ghost echoes. 
(d) REPORT; RECOMMENDATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this section and 
annually thereafter until the Program terminates 
pursuant to subsection (e), the Under Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report on the implemen-
tation of the Program, including an evaluation of 
each technology-based mitigation solution identified 
for priority consideration pursuant to subsection (c), 
and a recommendation regarding additional identi-
fication and testing of new technologies based on 
such consideration. 
(2) FINAL RECOMMENDATION.—Not later than 
five years after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the Under Secretary shall provide to Con-
gress a recommendation on whether additional re-
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search, testing, and development through the Pro-
gram established under subsection (a) is needed, and 
a determination of whether a cessation of field re-
search, testing, development and evaluation under 
the Program is appropriate. 
(e) TERMINATION.—The authority of the Under Sec-
retary to carry out the Program shall terminate on the 
earlier of— 
(1) September 30, 2030; or 
(2) one year after the date on which the final 
recommendation required under subsection (d)(2) is 
submitted by the Under Secretary. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) GHOST
ECHO.—The term ‘‘ghost echo’’ 
means radar signal reflectivity or velocity return er-
rors in radar data due to the proximity of an inter-
ference. 
(2) INTERFERENCE.—The term ‘‘interference’’ 
means any natural or human-built structure that af-
fects a weather radar system, including any wind 
turbine or building that could disrupt or limit the ef-
fectiveness of a weather radar system. 
SEC. 202. RADAR NEXT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Director of the National Weather Service, 
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shall establish a program to be known as the ‘‘Radar Next 
Program’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘program’’). 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the program, 
the Under Secretary shall carry out the following: 
(1) Develop performance and coverage require-
ments for the weather radar network of the United 
States, including the territories of the United States. 
(2) Collaborate with the weather enterprise to 
determine potential solutions to update the weather 
radar network of the United States that meets the 
requirements developed under paragraph (1). 
(3) Develop a plan in accordance with sub-
section (c). 
(c) PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 
develop a plan to replace the Next Generation 
Weather Radar of the National Weather Service sys-
tem in existence as of the data of the enactment of 
this Act (in this subsection referred to as the 
‘‘NEXRAD system’’). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The plan developed under this 
subsection shall seek to continue and improve weath-
er radar coverage in the United States and its terri-
tories, and include the following: 
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(A) Estimates of quantifiable improve-
ments in performance, coverage, and accuracy 
to be made from potential options for replace-
ment of the NEXRAD system. 
(B) Development of a proof-of-concept 
phased array radar to test and determine the 
specifications and requirements for such re-
placement. 
(C) Expected actions needed to implement 
the recommendations of the report published by 
the Environmental Information Services Work-
ing Group of the Science Advisory Board of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion in November 2023 and entitled ‘‘A 
NESDIS Observing System Backbone Frame-
work’’ to assist in defining a radar backbone 
architecture that will best serve the United 
States. 
(D) Establishment of a weather surveil-
lance radar testbed for the following: 
(i) Evaluation of commercial radars 
with the potential to replace or supplement 
the NEXRAD system. 
(ii) Providing technical assistance for 
the use of small, gap-filling radars with 
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private and local partners in regions where 
geographical topography prevents the full 
use of large systems or in locations where 
such systems may not be commercially via-
ble. 
(E) Consultation and input solicited from 
academia, meteorologists, emergency managers, 
and public safety or utility officials regarding 
the specifications and requirements for replace-
ment of the NEXRAD system. 
(F) Prioritized locations for initial deploy-
ment of the system that will replace the 
NEXRAD system. 
(G) Expected locations of the system that 
will replace the NEXRAD system, including 
sites located more than 75 miles away from an 
existing NEXRAD system station and addi-
tional appropriate locations. 
(H) Expected or planned improvements to 
data available for weather and water-related 
forecasts and warnings from the system that 
will replace the NEXRAD system. 
(3) PROCUREMENT
DEADLINE.—The Under 
Secretary shall take such actions as may be nec-
essary to ensure the plan developed under this sub-
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section is fully implemented and executed by not 
later than September 30, 2040. 
(d) RADAR-AS-A-SERVICE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary may 
partner or contract with entities outside of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to 
fill data gaps in weather radar coverage using di-
verse weather radars and data assimilation tech-
nologies in order to accomplish the following: 
(A) Supplement data gaps in weather 
radar coverage, including at low levels and wide 
areas, in existence as of the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
(B) Ensure the continued performance of 
the United States weather radar network. 
(C) Better detect significant precipitation 
and severe weather over a greater area across 
a population. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out para-
graph (1), the Under Secretary may consider the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Partnering or contracting with entities 
that have participated in the testbed described 
in subsection (c)(2)(D), the National Mesonet 
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Program, or Cooperative Research and Develop-
ment Agreements. 
(B) Weather camera systems and services, 
including in consultation with the Federal Avia-
tion Administration, as viable technologies to 
supplement weather forecasting and prediction 
needs. 
(e) UPDATES TO CONGRESS.—The Under Secretary 
shall provide 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. 
SEC. 203. DATA VOIDS IN HIGHLY VULNERABLE AREAS OF 
THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in coordi-
nation with the Director of the National Weather Service 
and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency, in consultation with the United States 
weather industry, academic partners, and in accordance 
with activities implemented through existing regional at-
mospheric, coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing sys-
tems, shall carry out activities to ensure equitable and 
comprehensive weather observation coverage, impact- 
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based decision support services, and emergency informa-
tion sharing in the United States, including the following: 
(1) Identifying regions in the United States and 
the territories of the United States that are under- 
observed or highly vulnerable to weather impacts 
that threaten human life, health, and the economy. 
(2) Identifying any challenges that contribute to 
the lack of operations under paragraph (1). 
(3) Increasing weather observations and devel-
oping new weather observational capabilities, such as 
urban heat island mapping campaigns, with respect 
to the regions identified under paragraph (1). 
(4) Establishing or supporting testbeds and de-
ployments of decision-support services to Federal, 
State, and local emergency operations centers to de-
velop and integrate new weather, water, and climate 
observation or emergency information sharing tools, 
with respect to the regions identified under para-
graph (1). 
(5) To the maximum extent practicable, ad-
vancing weather and water forecasting and climate 
modeling capabilities for the regions identified under 
paragraph (1). 
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(6) Undertaking workforce development efforts 
for emergency management officials and meteorolo-
gists in the regions identified under paragraph (1). 
(7) Using data-void-filling observations to bet-
ter resolve extreme rainfall in complex topography. 
(8) Contributing to a national integrated heat 
health information system. 
(b) INTERAGENCY PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT PILOT 
PROJECTS.—In carrying out this section, the Under Sec-
retary, acting through the Director of the National Weath-
er Service and in collaboration with the Administrator of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall estab-
lish an interagency partnership to support pilot projects 
that accelerate coordination and use of localized weather, 
water, and climate data and impact-based communications 
in infrastructure and emergency management decisions by 
Federal, State, and local officials. 
(c) PRIORITY.—At least one pilot project under sub-
section (b) shall address key science challenges to using 
mesonet data in local decisionmaking and development of 
new tools and training for owners and operators of critical 
infrastructure (as such term is defined in section 1016(e) 
of Public Law 107–56 (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e))), such as 
dams, energy generation and distribution facilities, nu-
clear power plants, and transportation networks. 
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SEC. 204. ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS FORECAST IMPROVEMENT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in collabo-
ration with the United States weather industry and aca-
demic partners and in coordination with the precipitation 
forecast improvement program under section 603 of the 
Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 
2017, as added by section 115 of this Act, shall establish 
an atmospheric river forecast improvement program (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘program’’). 
(b) GOAL.—The goal of the program shall be to re-
duce the loss of life and property and economic losses from 
atmospheric rivers through the research, development, and 
extension of accurate, effective, and actionable forecasts 
and warnings, including by carrying out the following: 
(1) Establishing atmospheric river forecast skill 
metrics that include assessing the benefits of dynam-
ical modeling, data assimilation, and machine learn-
ing improvements in the probabilistic forecasts of 
landfall location, extreme wind and precipitation, 
and cascading impacts. 
(2) Developing an atmospheric river forecast 
system within a unified forecast system, and advanc-
ing next-generation coupled modeling systems, with 
the capability of providing seasonal to short-range 
atmospheric river forecasts that include forecast of 
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snow accumulation and other hydrologic compo-
nents. 
(3) Advancing scientific understanding of the 
roles of atmospheric rivers in subseasonal to sea-
sonal precipitation and probabilistic predictions at 
subseasonal and seasonal scales. 
(4) Developing tools and improved forecast 
products to predict periods of active or inactive at-
mospheric river landfalls and inland penetration over 
the United States with a focus on addressing stake-
holder and public needs related to perceiving, com-
prehending, and responding to atmospheric river 
forecast improvements. 
(5) Enhancing the transition of research to op-
erations through the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration’s testbeds, including the eval-
uation of physical and social science, technology, and 
other research to develop products and services for 
implementation and use by relevant stakeholders. 
(6) Incorporating into atmospheric river mod-
eling and forecasting, as appropriate, social, behav-
ioral, risk, communication, and economic sciences. 
(c) INNOVATIVE OBSERVATIONS, DATA ASSIMILA-
TION, AND MODELING.—The Under Secretary shall en-
sure the program periodically examines, tests, and evalu-
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ates the value of incorporating innovative observations, 
data, and measurements with respect to the improvement 
of atmospheric river analysis, modeling, forecasts, pre-
dictions, and warnings. 
(d) PROGRAM PLAN.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Sec-
retary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Air Force 
or the Commander of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance 
Squadron of the Air Force Reserve Command, shall de-
velop a plan that details the specific research, develop-
ment, data acquisition, partnerships with the weather in-
dustry and academic partners, and technology transfer ac-
tivities, as well as corresponding resources, and timelines, 
necessary to achieve the goal of the program under sub-
section (b). Such plan shall be made available to the public 
on release. 
(e) ANNUAL BUDGET FOR PLAN SUBMITTAL.—After 
the development of the plan pursuant to subsection (d), 
the Under Secretary shall, not less frequently than annu-
ally, submit to Congress a proposed budget corresponding 
with the activities identified in such plan. 
(f) IMPROVED MODELING.—In carrying out the pro-
gram, the Under Secretary may carry out the following: 
(1) Develop, test, and operationalize prototype 
high-resolution Atmospheric River Analysis and 
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Forecasting System models through research and 
operations partnerships with institutions of higher 
education and other partners outside the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(2) Enhance data assimilation of current and 
new satellite and ocean observations that is useful 
for atmospheric river analysis and forecasting pre-
dictions. 
(3) Improve data processing techniques related 
to atmospheric river analysis and forecasting pre-
dictions. 
(4) Use artificial intelligence and machine 
learning methods as applicable to atmospheric river 
analysis and forecasting predictions. 
(5) Ensure the surface and subsurface observa-
tions of the ocean meet the needs of atmospheric 
river analysis and forecasting predictions on dif-
ferent time scales. 
(6) To the maximum extent practicable, im-
prove or establish baseline weather monitoring serv-
ices in areas that have historically experienced, or 
are predicted to experience, atmospheric rivers. 
(g) CONDUCT
OF RECONNAISSANCE.—The Under 
Secretary shall acquire and sustain adequate aircraft, sci-
entific equipment, and personnel to meet mission require-
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ments of the National Hurricane Operations Plan and the 
National Winter Seasons Operation plan, and to carry out 
the following: 
(1) Ensure atmospheric river air reconnaissance 
observations are available throughout the expected 
seasons of tropical cyclones and atmospheric rivers. 
(2) To the maximum extent practicable and in 
accordance with paragraph (4), ensure data and in-
formation collected are made available for research 
and operations purposes. 
(3) Participate in research and operations part-
nerships that guide flight planning and use research 
methods to improve and expand the capabilities and 
effectiveness of atmospheric river reconnaissance 
over time. 
(4) Develop data management strategies to en-
sure that data and metadata are adequately 
stewarded, maintained, and archived. 
(5) Undertake such other additional activities 
as the Under Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of the Air Force, considers appropriate to 
improve and grow the hurricane hunter and atmos-
pheric river reconnaissance mission. 
(h) IMPROVED ATMOSPHERIC RIVER HAZARD COM-
MUNICATION.—The Under Secretary may conduct re-
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search and development activities in coordination with the 
program established under section 403(a) to carry out the 
following: 
(1) As appropriate, develop and refine methods 
to categorize the intensity of weather and oceans 
hazards, including tropical cyclones and atmospheric 
rivers, on a quantitative scale and the effectiveness 
of such scale in hazard communication. 
(2) Develop best practices for communication of 
atmospheric river events and hazards across regions 
of the United States. 
(3) Gather information from areas prone to 
hurricanes and atmospheric rivers regarding levels of 
knowledge and preparedness, including responses to 
early forecasts and warnings by the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(4) Explore strategies and effectiveness of com-
municating that hurricane and atmospheric river 
events are beneficial at lower intensities versus haz-
ardous at higher intensities. 
SEC. 205. COASTAL FLOODING AND STORM SURGE FORE-
CAST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in collabo-
ration with the United States weather industry and aca-
demic partners, shall establish a coastal flooding and 
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storm surge forecast improvement program (in this section 
referred to as the ‘‘program’’). 
(b) GOAL.—The goal of the program shall be to re-
duce the loss of life or property from coastal flooding, in-
cluding high tide flooding, and storm surge events through 
the development and extension of accurate, effective, ac-
tionable, and probable forecasts and warnings. 
(c) PRIORITY.—In implementing the program, the 
Under Secretary shall prioritize activities that carry out 
the following: 
(1) Improving understanding and capacity for 
real-time operational prediction of the ocean’s role in 
coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and 
storm surge events. 
(2) Improving the capacity to mitigate, adapt 
to, or prevent the impacts of coastal flooding, includ-
ing high tide flooding, and storm surge events, in-
cluding by improving the understanding and capac-
ity of coastal communities to perceive, comprehend, 
and respond to forecast information. 
(3) Incorporating data from in situ distributed 
sensors into predictive models and re-analyses. 
(4) Developing probabilistic coastal flooding, in-
cluding high tide flooding, and storm surge esti-
mates to complement worst-case scenario estimates, 
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