[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2407 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2407

  To establish a National Climate Service at the National Oceanic and 
                      Atmospheric Administration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2009

   Mr. Gordon of Tennessee introduced the following bill; which was 
          referred to the Committee on Science and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a National Climate Service at the National Oceanic and 
                      Atmospheric Administration.

    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 ``National Climate Service Act of 
2009''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to establish a National Climate Service 
within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to--
            (1) advance understanding of climate variability and change 
        at the global, national, and regional levels;
            (2) provide forecasts, warnings, and other information to 
        the public on variability and change in weather and climate 
        that affect geographic areas, natural resources, 
        infrastructure, economic sectors, and communities; and
            (3) support development of adaptation and response plans by 
        Federal agencies, State, local, and tribal governments, the 
        private sector, and the public.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Advisory committee.--The term ``Advisory Committee'' 
        means the Climate Service Advisory Committee established under 
        section 5.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Climate Service Office.
            (3) Representative.--The term ``representative'' means an 
        individual who is not a full-time or part-time employee of the 
        Federal Government and who is appointed to an advisory 
        committee to represent the views of an entity or entities 
        outside the Federal Government.
            (4) Special government employee.--The term ``Special 
        Government Employee'' has the same meaning as in section 202(a) 
        of title 18, United States Code.
            (5) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means 
        the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL CLIMATE SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary, building upon the resources 
of the National Weather Service and other weather and climate programs 
in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall establish 
the National Climate Service.
    (b) Climate Service Office.--The Under Secretary shall establish a 
Climate Service Office. The Climate Service Office shall--
            (1) coordinate programs at the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration to ensure the timely production and 
        distribution of data and information on national, regional, and 
        local climate variability and change over all time scales 
        relevant for planning and response, including intraseasonal, 
        interannual, decadal, and multidecadal time periods;
            (2) ensure exchange of information between the research and 
        operational offices at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration to identify research needs for improving climate 
        services and ensure the timely and orderly transition of 
        research findings, improved technologies, models, and other 
        tools to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 
        operations;
            (3) ensure operational quality control of all National 
        Climate Service products including a transparent and open 
        accounting of all the assumptions built into the global, 
        national, regional, and local weather and climate computer 
        models upon which such climate services and products are based;
            (4) ensure a continuous level of high-quality data 
        collected through a national observation and monitoring 
        infrastructure by performing regular maintenance and 
        verification, and periodic upgrades;
            (5) serve as liaison to and exchange information with other 
        Federal agencies that provide climate services in order to--
                    (A) ensure the timely dissemination of information 
                on weather and climate produced by the National Oceanic 
                and Atmospheric Administration to other Federal 
                agencies;
                    (B) ensure that data and information collected by 
                other Federal agencies relevant to improving climate 
                services are made available to the National Oceanic and 
                Atmospheric Administration;
                    (C) facilitate the development and delivery of 
                climate services to relevant stakeholders; and
                    (D) obtain information from other Federal agencies 
                to improve the development and dissemination by the 
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of 
                information on climate and weather to other Federal 
                agencies for the development of climate service 
                products by those agencies;
            (6) ensure cooperation and collaboration, as appropriate, 
        of the National Climate Service with State, local, and tribal 
        governments, academic and nonprofit research organizations, and 
        private sector entities, including weather information 
        providers and other stakeholders; and
            (7) ensure exchange of data, information, and research with 
        the United States Global Change Research Program to support the 
        development of assessments required under the Global Change 
        Research Act of 1990 (15 U.S.C. 2921 et seq.).
    (c) National Climate Service.--
            (1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall operate the 
        National Climate Service through a national center, the Climate 
        Service Office, and a network of regional and local facilities, 
        including the established regional and local offices of the 
        National Weather Service, 6 Regional Climate Centers, the 
        offices of the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments 
        program, the National Integrated Drought Information System, 
        and any other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
        or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-supported 
        regional and local entities, as appropriate.
            (2) Regional climate centers program.--The Under Secretary 
        shall maintain a network of 6 Regional Climate Centers to work 
        cooperatively with the offices of State climatologists to--
                    (A) collect and exchange data and information 
                needed to characterize, understand, and forecast 
                regional and local weather and climate;
                    (B) facilitate collection and exchange of data and 
                information between the States and Federal Government 
                on weather and climate in conjunction with the National 
                Climatic Data Center;
                    (C) support research and observations;
                    (D) obtain input on stakeholder needs for weather 
                and climate information and products; and
                    (E) support State and local adaptation and response 
                planning.
            (3) Regional integrated sciences and assessments program.--
        The Under Secretary shall maintain a network of offices as part 
        of the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments Program. 
        Such offices shall engage in cooperative research, development, 
        and demonstration projects with the academic community on 
        climate products, technologies, models, and other tools to 
        improve understanding and forecasting of regional and local 
        climate variability and change and the effects on economic 
        activities, natural resources, and water availability, and 
        other effects on communities, to facilitate development of 
        regional and local adaptation plans to respond to climate 
        variability and change, and any other needed research 
        identified by the Under Secretary or the Advisory Committee.
            (4) Other offices.--In carrying out the functions of the 
        National Climate Service, the Under Secretary shall utilize the 
        assets and expertise of--
                    (A) the National Weather Service to--
                            (i) deliver operational weather and climate 
                        forecasts, warnings, products, and information 
                        through the National Climate Services Division, 
                        Local Weather Forecast Offices, Weather Service 
                        Offices, and River Forecast Centers; and
                            (ii) develop climate forecast models and 
                        tools through the National Centers for 
                        Environmental Prediction;
                    (B) the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and 
                Information Service to provide data services and 
                support for product development and operations through 
                the National Climatic Data Center and the Regional 
                Climate Centers;
                    (C) the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research 
                to--
                            (i) provide research on product 
                        development;
                            (ii) improve weather and climate forecast 
                        models;
                            (iii) provide new technologies and methods 
                        of observation; and
                            (iv) oversee the National Oceanic and 
                        Atmospheric Administration supported research 
                        performed by the Joint Cooperative Institutes, 
                        universities, and other non-Federal entities;
                    (D) the National Integrated Drought Information 
                System to--
                            (i) provide an effective drought warning 
                        system;
                            (ii) coordinate and integrate Federal 
                        research on droughts;
                            (iii) collect and integrate information on 
                        key indicators of drought;
                            (iv) make usable, reliable, and timely 
                        forecasts and assessments of drought, including 
                        assessments of the severity of drought 
                        conditions and impacts; and
                            (v) communicate drought forecasts, 
                        conditions, and impacts to Federal, regional, 
                        State, tribal, and local governments, the 
                        private sector, and the public; and
                    (E) any other National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration offices or programs, as appropriate.
            (5) Service elements.--The National Climate Service shall--
                    (A) conduct analyses of and studies relating to the 
                effects of weather and climate on communities, 
                including effects on agricultural production, natural 
                resources, energy supply and demand, recreation, and 
                other sectors of the economy;
                    (B) carry out observations, data collection, and 
                monitoring of atmospheric and oceanic conditions on a 
                statewide, regional, national, and global basis;
                    (C) provide information and technical support for 
                Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local government 
                efforts to assess and respond to climate variability 
                and change;
                    (D) develop systems for the management and 
                dissemination of data, information, and assessments, 
                including mechanisms for consultation with current and 
                potential users; and
                    (E) conduct research to improve forecasting, 
                characterization, and understanding of weather and 
                climate variability and change and its effects on 
                communities, including its effects on agricultural 
                production, natural resources, energy supply and 
                demand, recreation, and other sectors of the economy.

SEC. 5. CLIMATE SERVICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary shall establish a Climate 
Service Advisory Committee to provide advice on--
            (1) climate service product development;
            (2) delivery of services to decisionmakers and other 
        stakeholders;
            (3) infrastructure to support observations and monitoring;
            (4) computation and modeling needs, research needs, and 
        other resources needed to develop, distribute, and ensure the 
        utility of climate data, products, and services; and
            (5) any other topics as may be requested by the Under 
        Secretary or Congress.
    (b) Members.--
            (1) In general.--The Advisory Committee shall be composed 
        of at least 25 members appointed by the Under Secretary. Each 
        member of the Advisory Committee shall be qualified either--
                    (A) by education, training, and experience to 
                evaluate scientific and technical information on 
                matters referred to the Advisory Committee under this 
                section; or
                    (B) to evaluate the utility and need for climate 
                products by planners, decisionmakers, the private 
                sector, and the public.
            (2) Terms of service.--Members shall be appointed for 3-
        year terms, renewable once, and shall serve at the discretion 
        of the Under Secretary. Vacancy appointments shall be for the 
        remainder of the unexpired term of the vacancy, and an 
        individual so appointed may subsequently be appointed for 2 
        full 3-year terms if the remainder of the unexpired term is 
        less than one year.
            (3) Chairperson.--The Under Secretary shall designate a 
        chairperson from among the members of the Advisory Committee. 
        The designated Chairperson shall alternate between a member who 
        is appointed as a representative and a member who is appointed 
        as a Special Government Employee.
            (4) Subcommittees.--
                    (A) Establishment.--The Advisory Committee shall 
                establish--
                            (i) a Subcommittee on Science and 
                        Technology to advise the National Climate 
                        Service on needed research, technology 
                        development, and additional observations, and 
                        on any other scientific or technical issues as 
                        appropriate; and
                            (ii) a Subcommittee on Product Development 
                        and Delivery composed primarily of 
                        representatives of the community of potential 
                        users of the products developed and delivered 
                        by the National Climate Service.
                The Advisory Committee may establish such additional 
                subcommittees of its members as may be necessary.
                    (B) Appointment.--
                            (i) Full advisory committee.--At least 50 
                        percent of the members of the Advisory 
                        Committee shall be appointed as Special 
                        Government Employees.
                            (ii) Subcommittees.--At least 75 percent of 
                        the members of the Subcommittee on Science and 
                        Technology shall be appointed as Special 
                        Government Employees. Not more than 25 percent 
                        of the members of the Subcommittee on Product 
                        Development and Delivery shall be appointed as 
                        Special Government Employees.
    (c) Administrative Provisions.--
            (1) Reporting.--The Advisory Committee shall report to the 
        Under Secretary and the appropriate requesting party.
            (2) Administrative support.--The Under Secretary shall 
        provide administrative support to the Advisory Committee.
            (3) Meetings.--The Advisory Committee shall meet at least 
        twice each year and at other times at the call of the Under 
        Secretary or the Chairperson.
            (4) Compensation and expenses.--A member of the Advisory 
        Committee shall not be compensated for service on the Advisory 
        Committee, but may be allowed travel expenses, including per 
        diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with subchapter I of 
        chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
    (d) Expiration.--Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Climate Service Advisory 
Committee.

SEC. 6. REPEAL.

    The National Climate Program Act (15 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.) is 
repealed.

SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENT OF REGIONAL INTEGRATED SCIENCES AND ASSESSMENTS 
              TEAMS.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary shall establish Regional 
Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) Teams through a competitive, 
peer-reviewed selection process. Teams shall conduct applied regional 
climate research and projects to address the needs of local and 
regional decisionmakers for information and tools to develop adaptation 
and response plans to climate variability and change. The awards shall 
be administered through a cooperative agreement between the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the RISA Team. Each award 
shall be for a period of five years for an amount up to $300,000 per 
year.
    (b) RISA Teams.--Teams shall be composed of multi-institutional 
partnerships whose individual members may include--
            (1) institutions of higher education, as defined in section 
        101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a));
            (2) minority serving institutions, as defined in section 
        371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965; and
            (3) nongovernmental organizations, Federal agencies, State 
        and local agencies, tribal organizations, and for-profit 
        entities.
    (c) Considerations.--In making awards under this section, the Under 
Secretary shall consider--
            (1) the overall geographic distribution of RISA Teams and 
        existing gaps in applied research to support local and regional 
        decisionmakers;
            (2) the team's ability to contribute to the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's efforts to deliver 
        climate services in the region; and
            (3) the team's proposal to integrate social and physical 
        sciences research to address the effects of climate variability 
        and change on the ecological, economic, and social systems in 
        the region.

SEC. 8. SURVEY OF NEED FOR CLIMATE SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary shall provide a report to 
Congress within 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act that 
compiles information on the current climate products being delivered by 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its partner 
organizations to users and stakeholders and on the needs of users and 
stakeholders for new climate products and services.
    (b) Contents of Report.--The report shall identify--
            (1) specific user groups and stakeholders that currently 
        are served by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration and its partner organizations;
            (2) the type of climate products and services currently 
        delivered to specific user groups and stakeholders and the 
        specific National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration office 
        or partner organization that delivers these products and 
        services;
            (3) potential user groups and stakeholders that may be 
        served by expanding climate products and services; and
            (4) specific needs for new climate products and services 
        identified by user groups and stakeholders.
    (c) Consultation.--The Under Secretary shall consult with the 
Climate Service Advisory Committee in the preparation of this report.

SEC. 9. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary shall prepare a plan for 
creating a National Climate Service in the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration and delivering climate products and services 
to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration users and 
stakeholders. The plan shall be submitted to the President and the 
Congress within 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (b) Draft Plan.--Prior to the submission of the final plan, the 
Under Secretary shall publish a draft plan in the Federal Register with 
a public comment period of at least 30 days.
    (c) Contents.--The plan shall--
            (1) identify the current gaps in climate services and 
        outline the process and resources the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration will use to fill these gaps;
            (2) describe the roles of the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration line offices and the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration partner organizations in 
        the development and delivery of climate products and services;
            (3) describe the development and implementation of quality 
        assurance and control mechanisms for climate products and 
        services delivered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration and its partner organizations;
            (4) identify the mechanisms and opportunities for 
        determining user needs and engaging in a two-way dialogue with 
        users that will inform climate product and service development 
        and delivery of authoritative, timely, and useful information 
        on climate variability and change and the effects on local, 
        State, regional, national, and global scales;
            (5) identify new responsibilities or tasks to be undertaken 
        by existing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
        line offices and partner organizations; and
            (6) identify new infrastructure, equipment, personnel, or 
        other resources needed to implement the proposed plan.
    (d) Continuity of Service.--During the development of the 
implementation plan, the public comment period, and final plan, the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall continue to 
provide climate services to the user community.
    (e) Consultation.--In developing the plan, the Under Secretary 
shall consult with user groups and stakeholders, other Federal 
agencies, the Climate Service Advisory Committee, and Congress.
                                 <all>