FLOODS Act

Bill: 116-s-4462
Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
Introduced: 2020-08-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Atmospheric science and weather
Congressional oversight
Department of Commerce
Emergency planning and evacuation
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Executive agency funding and structure
Floods and storm protection
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Higher education
Hydrology and hydrography
Lakes and rivers
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine and inland water transportation
Natural disasters
Research administration and funding
Student aid and college costs
Water quality
Water storage
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2020-08-06
text: 

Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act or the FLOODS Act

 
This bill addresses forecasting and the communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
 
Among other provisions, the bill
 
 
directs NOAA to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System to better inform and provide for more timely decision-making to reduce flood-related effects and costs;
 
establishes partnerships with institutions of higher education and federal agencies to improve total water predictions;
 
designates a service coordination hydrologist at each National Weather Service River Forecast Center to increase impact-based decision support services at the state and local level;
 
requires NOAA to evaluate and improve flood watches and warnings and communication of information to support preparation and responses to floods;
 
ensures that the tornado warning improvement and extension program periodically examines the value of incorporating innovative observations, such as acoustic or infrasonic measurements, observations from phased array radars, and observations from mesonets;
 
requires NOAA to estimate and communicate the frequency of precipitation; and
 
establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Water Management to ensure that federal agencies that engage in water-related matters, including water storage and supplies, water quality and restoration activities, water infrastructure, transportation on rivers and inland waterways, and water forecasting, work together where such agencies have joint or overlapping responsibilities.
 

action_date: 2020-09-24
text: 

Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act or the FLOODS Act

 
This bill addresses forecasting and the communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
 
Among other provisions, the bill
 
 
directs NOAA to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System to better inform and provide for more timely decision-making to reduce flood-related effects and costs;
 
establishes partnerships with institutions of higher education and federal agencies to improve total water predictions;
 
designates a service coordination hydrologist at each National Weather Service River Forecast Center to increase impact-based decision support services at the state and local level;
 
requires NOAA to evaluate and improve flood watches and warnings and communication of information to support preparation and responses to floods;
 
ensures that the tornado warning improvement and extension program periodically examines the value of incorporating innovative observations, such as acoustic or infrasonic measurements, observations from phased array radars, and observations from mesonets;
 
requires NOAA to estimate and communicate the frequency of precipitation;
 
establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Water Management to ensure that federal agencies that engage in water-related matters, including water storage and supplies, water quality and restoration activities, water infrastructure, transportation on rivers and inland waterways, and water forecasting, work together where such agencies have joint or overlapping responsibilities; and
 
directs NOAA to conduct an analysis of gaps in the availability of snow-related data to assess and predict floods and flood impacts.
 

action_date: 2020-11-16
text: 

Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act or the FLOODS Act

 
This bill addresses forecasting and the communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
 
Among other provisions, the bill
 
 
directs NOAA to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System to better inform and provide for more timely decision-making to reduce flood-related effects and costs;
 
establishes partnerships with institutions of higher education and federal agencies to improve total water predictions;
 
designates a service coordination hydrologist at each National Weather Service River Forecast Center to increase impact-based decision support services at the state and local level;
 
requires NOAA to evaluate and improve flood watches and warnings and communication of information to support preparation and responses to floods;
 
ensures that the tornado warning improvement and extension program periodically examines the value of incorporating innovative observations, such as acoustic or infrasonic measurements, observations from phased array radars, and observations from mesonets;
 
requires NOAA to estimate and communicate the frequency of precipitation;
 
establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Water Management to ensure that federal agencies that engage in water-related matters, including water storage and supplies, water quality and restoration activities, water infrastructure, transportation on rivers and inland waterways, and water forecasting, work together where such agencies have joint or overlapping responsibilities; and
 
directs NOAA to conduct an analysis of gaps in the availability of snow-related data to assess and predict floods and flood impacts.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-11-17
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2020-11-17
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2020-11-17
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2020-11-16
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6694-6698; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6694-6698)
action_date: 2020-11-16
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S6694-6698; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6694-6698)
action_date: 2020-09-24
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 556.
action_date: 2020-09-24
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-269.
action_date: 2020-09-24
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-269.
action_date: 2020-09-16
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2020-08-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2020-08-06
text: Introduced in Senate