[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).
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