1.This Act may be cited as the
National Climate Service Act of
2009
.
2.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.
3.In this Act:
(1)The term Advisory Committee
means the
Climate Service Advisory Committee established under section 5.
(2)The
term Director
means the Director of the Climate Service
Office.
(3)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 EmployeeThe term
Special Government Employee
has the same meaning as in section
202(a) of title 18, United States Code.
(5)The term Under Secretary
means the Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
4.
(a)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)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)
(1)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 programThe 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 ProgramThe 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)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)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.
5.Climate Service
Advisory Committee
(a)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)
(1)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)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)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)
(A)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)
(i)At least 50 percent of the members of the Advisory
Committee shall be appointed as Special Government Employees.
(ii)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)The
Advisory Committee shall report to the Under Secretary and the appropriate
requesting party.
(2)The Under Secretary shall provide administrative support
to the Advisory Committee.
(3)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
expensesA 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)Section 14 of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Climate Service Advisory
Committee.
6.The National Climate Program Act (15 U.S.C.
2901 et seq.) is repealed.
7.Establishment of
regional integrated sciences and assessments teams
(a)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)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)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.
8.Survey of need
for climate services
(a)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)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)The
Under Secretary shall consult with the Climate Service Advisory Committee in
the preparation of this report.
9.
(a)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)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)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)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)In
developing the plan, the Under Secretary shall consult with user groups and
stakeholders, other Federal agencies, the Climate Service Advisory Committee,
and Congress.