Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (who is also the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration [NOAA]) to prioritize weather-related activities, including the provision of improved weather data, forecasts, and warnings for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy, in all relevant line offices.
(Sec. 3) Directs the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) to conduct a program to develop an improved understanding of forecast capabilities for atmospheric events and their impacts, placing priority on developing more accurate, timely, and effective warnings and forecasts of high impact weather events that endanger life and property.
Requires such program to focus on: (1) improving the fundamental understanding of weather, including boundary layer and other atmospheric processes affecting high impact weather events; (2) improving the understanding of how the public receives, interprets, and responds to warnings and forecasts of high impact weather events that endanger life and property; and (3) research and development (R&D), and the transfer of knowledge, technologies, and applications to the National Weather Service (NWS) and other appropriate agencies and entities; and (4) a technology transfer initiative carried out jointly and in coordination with the Assistant Administrator for NWS, and in cooperation with the American weather industry and academic partners, to ensure continuous development and transition of the latest scientific and technological advances into NWS operations and establish a process to sunset outdated and expensive operational methods and tools to enable cost-effective transfer of new methods and tools into operations.
Requires the Assistant Administrator for the OAR to collaborate with and support the non-federal weather research community by making funds available through competitive grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.
Expresses the sense of Congress that at least 30% of the funds authorized for R&D at OAR by this Act should be made available for this purpose.
(Sec. 4) Requires the Under Secretary, in collaboration with the American weather industry and academic partners, to establish a tornado warning improvement and extension program, with the goal of reducing the loss of life and economic losses from tornadoes through the development and extension of accurate, effective, and timely tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings, including the prediction of tornadoes beyond one hour in advance.
Requires the Assistant Administrator for the OAR to develop a program plan detailing the research, development, and technology transfer activities, as well as corresponding resources and timelines, necessary to achieve the program goal.
(Sec. 5) Directs the Under Secretary, in collaboration with the American weather industry and academic partners, to establish a hurricane warning improvement program, with the goal of developing and extending accurate hurricane forecasts and warnings.
Requires the OAR Assistant Administrator to develop a program plan detailing the research, development, and technology transfer activities, as well as corresponding resources and timelines, necessary to achieve such program's goal.
(Sec. 6) Requires the Assistant Administrator for the OAR, in coordination with the Assistant Administrators for the NWS and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), to issue a plan for restoring U.S. leadership in numerical weather prediction, and forecasting that: (1) describes the forecasting skill and technology goals, objectives, and progress of NOAA in carrying out the weather research and forecasting innovation program; (2) identifies and prioritizes R&D activities, and performance metrics, weighted to meet the operational NWS weather mission; (3) describes how the program will collaborate with stakeholders; and (4) identifies research necessary to enhance the integration of social science knowledge into weather forecast and warning processes.
(Sec. 7) Requires the Under Secretary to: (1) develop a prioritized list of observation data requirements necessary to ensure weather forecasting capabilities to protect life and property; (2) use Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs), Observing System Experiments (OSEs), Analyses of Alternatives (AOAs), and other appropriate assessment tools to undertake ongoing systematic evaluations of observing systems, data, and information needed to meet the requirements listed; (3) identify current and potential future data gaps in observing capabilities related to such requirements; and (4) determine a range of options to address the gaps identified.
(Sec. 8) Directs the Assistant Administrator for the OAR to undertake OSSEs to assess the relative value and benefits of observing capabilities and systems. Allows technical and scientific OSSE evaluations to include assessments of the impact of observing capabilities on: (1) global weather prediction, (2) hurricane track and intensity forecasting, (3) tornado warning lead times and accuracy, (4) prediction of mid-latitude severe local storm outbreaks; and (5) prediction of storms that have the potential to cause extreme precipitation and flooding lasting from six hours to one week. Requires such evaluations to be conducted in cooperation with other appropriate entities within NOAA, other federal agencies, the American weather industry, and academic partners to ensure the technical and scientific merit of OSSE results.
Requires OSSEs to: (1) determine the potential impact of proposed space-based, sub-orbital, and in-situ observing systems on analyses and forecasts, including potential impacts on extreme weather events across all parts of the nation; (2) evaluate and compare observing system design options; and (3) assess the relative capabilities and costs of various and combinations of observing systems in providing data necessary for the protection of life and property.
Requires OSSEs to be conducted: (1) before the acquisition of major government-owned or government-leased operational observing systems, including polar-orbiting and geostationary satellite systems, with a lifecycle cost of more than $500 million; and (2) before the purchase of any major new commercially provided data with a lifecycle cost of more than $500 million.
Requires the Assistant Administrator for the OAR, by June 30, 2014, to: (1) complete OSSEs to assess the value of data from both global Positioning System radio occultation and a geostationary hyperspectral sounder global constellation, and (2) publish the results.
(Sec. 9) Requires the NOAA Chief Information Officer, in coordination with the Assistant Administrator for OAR and the Assistant Administrator for NWS, to produce and make publicly available a report explaining how NOAA intends to: (1) pursue the newest, fastest, and most cost-effective high performance computing technologies in support of its weather prediction mission; (2) ensure a balance between the research requirements to develop the next generation of regional and global models and its highly reliable operational models; (3) take advantage of advanced development concepts to make its next generation weather prediction models available in beta-test mode to its operational forecasters, the American weather industry, and its partners in academic and government research; (4) identify opportunities to reallocate existing advanced computing resources from lower priority uses to improve advanced research and operational weather prediction; and (5) harness new computing power in the OAR and NWS for immediate improvement in forecasting and experimentation.
(Sec. 10) Declares that the prohibition against the lease, sale, or transfer to the private sector, or the commercialization of, any part of the weather satellite systems operated by the Department of Commerce or any successor agency shall not extend to: (1) the purchase of weather data through contracts with commercial providers, or (2) the placement of weather satellite instruments on co-hosted government or private payloads.
Directs the Secretary of Commerce to transmit to Congress a strategy to enable the procurement of quality commercial weather data. Requires such strategy to: (1) assess the range and expected cost-effectiveness of commercial opportunities, including public-private partnerships, for obtaining both surface-based and space-based weather observations; and (2) make a plan for procuring data, including an expected implementation timeline, from such nongovernmental sources, as appropriate.
(Sec. 11) Directs the Under Secretary to establish a Federal Advisory Committee to: (1) advise about prioritizing weather research initiatives at NOAA to produce real improvement in weather forecasting; (2) review and comment on existing or emerging technologies or techniques that can be found in private industry or the research community that could be incorporated into forecasting at the NWS to improve forecasting; (3) identify opportunities to improve communications between weather forecasters, emergency management personnel, and the public; and (4) address any other matters that would improve innovation in weather forecasting.
Prohibits the Under Secretary from appointing a majority of the 12 members of the Advisory Committee from among employees of NOAA-funded research centers.
(Sec. 12) Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish an Inter-agency Committee for Advancing Weather Services to improve the coordination of relevant weather research and forecast innovation activities across the federal government.
Requires such Committee to: (1) include participation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NOAA and its constituent elements, the NSF, and other appropriate agencies involved in weather forecasting research; (2) identify and prioritize top forecast needs and coordinate them against budget requests and program initiatives across participating offices and agencies; and (3) share information regarding operational needs and forecasting improvements across relevant agencies.
Requires the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology to serve as a co-chair of such panel.
(Sec. 13) Authorizes the Assistant Administrator for the OAR and the Assistant Administrator for NWS to establish a program for detailing OAR personnel to the NWS and NWS personnel to OAR to enhance forecasting innovation through regular, direct interaction between OAR scientists and NWS operational staff.
Requires the program to allow up to 10 OAR staff and NWS staff to spend up to a year on detail.
(Sec. 14) Authorizes the Assistant Administrator for NWS to establish a program to host competitively selected postdoctoral fellows and academic researchers for a year at any of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction to provide direct interaction between forecasters and academic and private sector researchers in an effort to bring innovation to forecasting tools and techniques available to the NWS.
(Sec. 16) Authorizes appropriations through FY2017, as well as alternative funding amounts for FY2014 if the Budget Control Act of 2011 is repealed or replaced with an Act increasing allocations.
Prohibits any additional funds from being authorized to carry out this Act and the amendments made by it.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2413 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2413
To prioritize and redirect NOAA resources to a focused program of
investment on near-term, affordable, and attainable advances in
observational, computing, and modeling capabilities to deliver
substantial improvement in weather forecasting and prediction of high
impact weather events, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 18, 2013
Mr. Bridenstine (for himself, Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. Stewart, and Mr.
Harris) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To prioritize and redirect NOAA resources to a focused program of
investment on near-term, affordable, and attainable advances in
observational, computing, and modeling capabilities to deliver
substantial improvement in weather forecasting and prediction of high
impact weather events, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, 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 ``Weather Forecasting Improvement Act
of 2013''.
SEC. 2. PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITY.
In accordance with the critical responsibility of NOAA to ensure
and enhance the provision of data, forecasts, and warnings for the
protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national
economy, the Under Secretary shall make these weather-related
activities the top priority in the planning and management of programs
within all relevant line offices.
SEC. 3. WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING INNOVATION.
(a) Program.--The Assistant Administrator for OAR shall undertake a
program to develop improved understanding of and forecast capabilities
for atmospheric events, placing priority on developing more accurate
and timely warnings and forecasts of high impact weather events that
endanger life and property.
(b) Program Elements.--The program described in subsection (a)
shall focus on the following activities:
(1) Improving the fundamental understanding of weather
consistent with section 2, including boundary layer and other
atmospheric processes.
(2) Research and development, and transfer of knowledge,
technologies, and applications to the NWS and other appropriate
agencies and entities, including the American weather industry
and academic partners, related to--
(A) advanced radar technologies, including those
emphasizing rapid, fine-scale sensing of the boundary
layer and the use of innovative, dual-polarization,
phased-array technologies;
(B) aerial weather observing systems;
(C) high performance computing and information
technology networks;
(D) advanced forecast modeling that improves the
timing, track, and intensity forecasts of severe storms
and related phenomena, such as storm surge, including
through--
(i) more effective use of existing, and the
development of new, regional and national
cloud-resolving models; and
(ii) enhanced global models;
(E) observing system simulation experiments as
described in section 7;
(F) atmospheric chemistry and interactions
essential to accurately characterizing atmospheric
composition and predicting meteorological processes,
including cloud microphysical, precipitation, and
atmospheric electrification processes to more
effectively understand their role in severe weather;
and
(G) additional sources of weather data and
information, including commercial observing systems.
(3) A technology transfer initiative, carried out jointly
and in coordination with the Assistant Administrator for
Weather Services, and in cooperation with the American weather
industry and academic partners, to ensure continuous
development and transition of the latest scientific and
technological advances into NWS operations.
(c) Academic Research.--In carrying out the program under this
section, the Assistant Administrator for OAR shall collaborate with and
support the academic weather research community, including by making
funds available to institutions of higher education through competitive
grants and contracts.
SEC. 4. TORNADO WARNING EXTENSION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--In carrying out section 3, the Assistant
Administrator for OAR shall establish a tornado warning extension
program.
(b) Goal.--The goal of such program shall be to develop and extend
accurate tornado forecasts and warnings beyond 1 hour in order to
reduce loss of life, injury, and damage to the economy.
(c) Program Plan.--Within 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Assistant Administrator for OAR, in consultation with the
Assistant Administrator for Weather Services, shall issue a program
plan that details the specific research, development, and technology
transfer activities, as well as corresponding resources and timelines,
necessary to achieve the program goal.
(d) Budget for Plan.--Following completion of the plan, the Under
Secretary shall transmit annually to Congress a proposed budget
corresponding to the activities identified in the plan.
SEC. 5. WEATHER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
and annually thereafter, the Assistant Administrator for OAR, in
coordination with the Assistant Administrator for Weather Services and
the Assistant Administrator for NESDIS, shall issue a plan to restore
United States leadership in weather modeling, prediction, and
forecasting that--
(1) describes weather technology goals, objectives, and
progress of NOAA for the program established under section 3;
(2) identifies and prioritizes specific research and
development activities and the associated milestones necessary
to achieve such goals and objectives;
(3) describes how the program will collaborate with
stakeholders from institutions of higher education and industry
in support of program goals and objectives; and
(4) identifies, through consultation with the National
Science Foundation, research necessary to enhance the
integration of social science knowledge into weather forecast
and warning processes, including to improve the credible
communication of threat information necessary to enable
improved severe weather planning on the part of individuals and
communities.
SEC. 6. OBSERVING SYSTEM PLANNING.
The Under Secretary shall--
(1) develop and maintain a prioritized list of observation
data requirements necessary to ensure weather forecasting
capabilities to protect life and property to the maximum extent
practicable;
(2) undertake ongoing systematic evaluations of the
combination of observing systems, data, and information needed
to meet the requirements developed under paragraph (1),
assessing various options to maximize observational
capabilities and their cost-effectiveness;
(3) identify current and potential future data gaps in
observing capabilities related to the requirements under
paragraph (1); and
(4) determine a range of options to address gaps identified
under paragraph (3).
SEC. 7. OBSERVING SYSTEM SIMULATION EXPERIMENTS.
(a) In General.--In support of the requirements of section 6, the
Assistant Administrator for OAR shall undertake OSSEs to quantitatively
assess the relative value and benefits of observing capabilities and
systems. Technical and scientific OSSE evaluations--
(1) may include assessments of the impact of observing
capabilities on--
(A) global weather prediction;
(B) hurricane track and intensity forecasting;
(C) tornado warning times and accuracy; and
(D) prediction of mid-latitude severe local storm
outbreaks; and
(2) should be conducted in cooperation with other
appropriate entities within NOAA, other Federal agencies, the
American weather industry, and academic partners.
(b) Requirements.--OSSEs shall quantitatively--
(1) determine the potential impact of proposed space-based,
sub-orbital, and in-situ observing systems on analyses and
forecasts;
(2) evaluate and compare observing system design options;
and
(3) assess the relative capabilities and costs of various
observing systems and combinations of observing systems in
providing data necessary to protect life and property.
(c) Implementation.--OSSEs--
(1) shall be conducted prior to the acquisition of major
Government-owned or Government-leased operational observing
systems, including polar-orbiting and geostationary satellite
systems;
(2) shall be conducted prior to the purchase of any new
commercially provided data critical to forecast accuracy and
may be conducted on existing observing systems;
(3) shall be conducted within 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act for any existing commercially provided
observing system data contract in excess of $15 million; and
(4) may be conducted on existing observing systems where
such data costs NOAA in excess of $20 million.
(d) Results.--All OSSE results shall be publicly released and fully
considered by NOAA for implementation.
SEC. 8. COMPUTING RESOURCES PRIORITIZATION REPORT.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
and annually thereafter, the NOAA Chief Information Officer, in
coordination with the Assistant Administrator for OAR and the Assistant
Administrator for Weather Services, shall issue a plan for high
performance computing support of its advanced research and operational
weather prediction models that--
(1) assures that NOAA aggressively pursues the newest,
fastest, and most cost effective high performance computing
technologies in support of its weather prediction mission;
(2) assures a balance between the research requirements to
develop the next generation of regional and global models and
its highly reliable operational models;
(3) takes advantage of advanced development concepts to
make its next generation weather prediction models available in
beta-test mode to NOAA's operational forecasters, the American
weather industry, and its partners in academic and government
research; and
(4) identifies opportunities to reallocate existing
advanced computing resources from lower priority uses to
improve operational weather prediction.
SEC. 9. COMMERCIAL WEATHER DATA.
(a) Amendment.--Section 60161 of title 51, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following: ``This prohibition shall
not extend to--
``(1) the purchase of weather data through contracts with
commercial providers; or
``(2) the placement of weather satellite instruments on
cohosted government or private payloads.''.
(b) Report.--Within 6 months after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Under Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report
assessing the range of commercial opportunities for obtaining space-
based weather observations, including the cost-effectiveness of these
opportunities, and providing a plan for procuring data from these non-
governmental sources.
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) NESDIS.--The term ``NESDIS'' means the National
Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service.
(2) NOAA.--The term ``NOAA'' means the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
(3) NWS.--The term ``NWS'' means the National Weather
Service.
(4) OAR.--The term ``OAR'' means the Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research.
(5) OSSE.--The term ``OSSE'' means the Observing System
Simulation Experiment.
(6) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means
the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Out of funds made available for operations, research, and
facilities in OAR, there are authorized to be appropriated for each of
fiscal years 2014 through 2017--
(1) $100,000,000 to carry out section 3, 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) $20,000,000 for the joint technology transfer
initiative described in section 3(b)(3).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. H. Rept. 113-383.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. H. Rept. 113-383.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 285.
Mr. Smith (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
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Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2759-2763)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2413.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H2759-2761)
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2759-2761)
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.