Built To Last Act of 2021
Bill: S.1282 | Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy (D-WI)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Built To Last Act of 2021
This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify and support research that enables a consistent, federal set of forward-looking long-term meteorological information that (1) models future extreme weather events, other environmental trends, projections, and up-to-date observations; and (2) is suitable for specified uses, including federal and nonfederal efforts to develop and adopt standards, building codes, and voluntary certifications.
NOAA must provide the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with mesoscale meteorological information when appropriate or upon request by NIST.
NIST must publish the information and advise and provide technical assistance to organizations that develop standards, model building codes, or voluntary certifications in order for such organizations to appropriately use the information.
The Office of Science and Technology Policy, in coordination with the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group, shall designate a working group to identify and support research that enables such forward-looking long-term meteorological information.

To require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to 
 identify a consistent, Federal set of best available forward-looking 
meteorological information and to require the Director of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology to convene an effort to make such 
   set available, with advice and technical assistance, to standards-
           developing organizations, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Built To Last Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF CONSISTENT, FEDERAL SET OF 
              BEST AVAILABLE FORWARD-LOOKING METEOROLOGICAL 
              INFORMATION.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
            (2) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means 
        the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
            (3) Extreme weather.--The term ``extreme weather'' includes 
        observed or anticipated severe and unseasonable atmospheric 
        conditions, including drought, heavy precipitation, hurricanes, 
        tornadoes and other windstorms (including derechos), extreme 
        heat, extreme cold, flooding, sustained temperatures or 
        precipitation that deviate substantially from historical 
        averages, and any other weather event that the Under Secretary 
        determines qualifies as extreme weather.
            (4) Other environmental trends.--The term ``other 
        environmental trends'' means wildfires, coastal flooding, 
        inland flooding, land subsidence, rising sea levels, and any 
        other challenges relating to changes in environmental systems 
        over time that the Under Secretary determines qualify as 
        environmental challenges other than extreme weather.
            (5) Mitigation framework leadership group.--The term 
        ``Mitigation Framework Leadership Group'' means the Mitigation 
        Framework Leadership Group established pursuant to the Post-
        Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (Public Law 
        109-295; 6 U.S.C. 701 note), or successor group.
            (6) United states global change research program.--The term 
        ``United States Global Change Research Program'' means the 
        United States Global Change Research Program established under 
        section 103 of the Global Change Research Act of 1990 (15 
        U.S.C. 2933).
            (7) Long-term.--The term ``long-term'' shall have such 
        meaning as the Director, in consultation with the Under 
        Secretary, considers appropriate for purposes of this section.
    (b) Identification of Consistent, Federal Set of Best Available 
Meteorological Information.--
            (1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall identify and 
        support research that enables, a consistent, Federal set of 
        forward-looking long-term meteorological information that--
                    (A) models future extreme weather events, other 
                environmental trends, projections, and up-to-date 
                observations; and
                    (B) is suitable for use under subsection (c).
            (2) Mesoscale meteorological information.--When the Under 
        Secretary determines appropriate or upon request of the 
        Director, the Under Secretary shall provide the Director with 
        mesoscale meteorological information that is suitable for use 
        under subsection (c).
    (c) Advice, Technical Assistance, and Dissemination.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall, in consultation with 
        the Under Secretary--
                    (A) make available to the public information 
                identified under subsection (b);
                    (B) identify Federal and non-Federal efforts to 
                develop and adopt standards, building codes, and 
                voluntary certifications; and
                    (C) using the best available, consistent, Federal 
                set of forward-looking long-term meteorological 
                information identified under subsection (b)--
                            (i) advise and provide technical assistance 
                        to organizations that develop standards, model 
                        building codes, or voluntary certifications in 
                        order for such organizations to appropriately 
                        incorporate forward-looking long-term 
                        meteorological information into such standards, 
                        building codes, and voluntary certifications; 
                        and
                            (ii) take appropriate steps to make 
                        information identified under subsection (b) 
                        available to the entities described in clause 
                        (i) developing such standards, model building 
                        codes, and voluntary certifications.
            (2) Requirement.--The Director shall carry out paragraph 
        (1) through each of the following:
                    (A) The Fire Research Center, established under 
                section 16 of the Act entitled ``An Act to establish 
                the National Bureau of Standards'', approved March 3, 
                1901 (15 U.S.C. 278f).
                    (B) The National Windstorm Impact Reduction 
                Program, established under section 204 of the National 
                Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 (42 U.S.C. 
                15703).
                    (C) Such other statutory authorities as the 
                Director considers appropriate.
    (d) Working Group.--In order to identify and support research that 
enable information as required under subsection (b), the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy, in coordination with the 
United States Global Change Research Program and the Mitigation 
Framework Leadership Group, shall designate a working group consisting 
of representatives from such Federal agencies as the Director of the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy considers appropriate.
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