[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6993 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6993

To authorize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to procure, launch, and 
     operate the next generation of weather forecasting satellites.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 22, 2008

  Mr. Melancon (for himself and Mr. Klein of Florida) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science and 
                               Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to procure, launch, and 
     operate the next generation of weather forecasting satellites.

    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 ``Hurricane Satellite Modernization 
Act''.

SEC. 2. XOVWM CONSTELLATION.

    (a) Role of NASA.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator of NASA is authorized to 
        procure and launch the next-generation Extended Ocean Vector 
        Winds Mission, or XOVWM, constellation of satellites.
            (2) Coordination.--The Administrator of NASA shall 
        coordinate with NOAA to ensure that the capabilities of the 
        XOVWM constellation of satellites will meet the operational 
        data needs of NOAA.
            (3) Plan.--The Administrator of NASA shall develop a plan 
        and schedule for the procurement and launch of the XOVWM 
        constellation of satellites and shall submit such plan to the 
        Committee on Science and Technology of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate.
    (b) Role of NOAA.--The Administrator of NOAA is authorized to 
operate the constellation of satellites procured and developed under 
subsection (a)(1).
    (c) Annual Report.--The Administrator of NASA and the Administrator 
of NOAA shall submit to Congress an annual report about each agency's 
progress in conducting the activities authorized by this section.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) NASA.--The term ``NASA'' means the National Aeronautics 
        and Space Administration.
            (2) NOAA.--The term ``NOAA'' means the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of NASA 
and the Administrator of NOAA a total of $3,000,000,000 for fiscal 
years 2008 through 2025 for the purpose of carrying out section 2.
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