Fire Ready Nation Act of 2022

Bill: 117-s-4237
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2022-05-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Atmospheric science and weather
Computers and information technology
Emergency communications systems
Emergency planning and evacuation
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental technology
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Forests, forestry, trees
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Intergovernmental relations
Research and development
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2022-05-17
text: 

Fire Ready Nation Act of 2022

 
This bill establishes fire weather programs and activities to improve fire forecasting and readiness. 
 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shall 
 
 
establish a coordinated fire weather services program within NOAA to support readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience of the United States to wildfires, fire weather, smoke, and other associated conditions, hazards, and impacts in built and natural environments (including at the wildland-urban interface); 
 
 develop a comprehensive, centralized, and publicly accessible digital presence designed to promote usability of the services, tools, data, and information produced by the program; 
 
 develop services that provide public access to digital fire weather data and information; 
 
 seek to acquire sufficient high-performance computing resources and capacity for research, operations, and data storage in support of the program;
 
 establish a fire weather testbed to evaluate the accuracy and usability of technology, models, fire weather products and services, and other research to accelerate the implementation and use of new capabilities by NOAA, federal and land management agencies, and other relevant stakeholders; 
 
 conduct annual post-fire-weather season surveys and assessments;
 
 establish an Incident Meteorologist Service within the National Weather Service (NWS); 
 
assess resources, personnel, procedures, and activities necessary to maximize the functionality and utility of the automated surface observing system and implement a plan that addresses the findings of the assessment; and 
 
 conduct a workforce support services assessment of NWS employees engaged in emergency response.


action_date: 2022-12-15
text: 

Fire Ready Nation Act of 2022

 
This bill establishes fire weather programs and activities to improve fire forecasting and readiness. 
 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shall 
 
 
establish a coordinated fire weather services program within NOAA to support readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience of the United States to wildfires, fire weather, smoke, and other associated conditions, hazards, and impacts in built and natural environments (including at the wildland-urban interface); 
 
 develop a comprehensive, centralized, and publicly accessible digital presence designed to promote usability of the services, tools, data, and information produced by the program; 
 
 seek to acquire sufficient high-performance computing resources and capacity for research, operations, and data storage in support of the program;
 
 establish a fire weather testbed to evaluate the accuracy and usability of technology, models, fire weather products and services, and other research to accelerate the implementation and use of new capabilities by NOAA, federal and land management agencies, and other relevant stakeholders; 
 
 conduct annual post-fire-weather season surveys and assessments;
 
 establish an Incident Meteorologist Service within the National Weather Service (NWS); 
 
assess resources, personnel, procedures, and activities necessary to maximize the functionality and utility of the automated surface observing system and implement a plan that addresses the findings of the assessment; and 
 
 conduct a workforce support services assessment of NWS employees engaged in emergency response.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2022-12-15
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 662.
action_date: 2022-12-15
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2022-12-15
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2022-05-25
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2022-05-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2022-05-17
text: Introduced in Senate