[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1573 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 268
114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1573

                          [Report No. 114-154]

To establish regional weather forecast offices, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 15, 2015

   Mr. Thune introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

                            October 19, 2015

 Reported by Mr. Thune, with an amendment and an amendment to the title
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish regional weather forecast offices, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``National Weather Service 
Improvement Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Organization.--The Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the National Weather 
Service, shall develop a plan for establishing 6 regional weather 
forecast offices.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Plan Contents.--The plan under subsection (a) shall--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) whenever possible, prioritize locating a 
        regional weather forecast office together with--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) an institution of higher education (as 
                defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 
                1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) with an active meteorology 
                department; or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) a State or Federal department or 
                agency;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) incorporate risk communication and decision 
        support experts in the staffing model;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) ensure that local forecast quality will not be 
        degraded;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) to the extent practicable, incorporate the 
        best available science when determining schedules for employees 
        on shift work in order to minimize stress on those employees, 
        while providing sufficient flexibility to temporarily increase 
        staffing during severe weather events;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) provide sufficient training to minimize 
        employee displacement as a consequence of the plan; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) ensure that each regional weather forecast 
        office has on staff the expertise necessary to forecast the 
        severe weather events typical for the region.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) National Research Council Plan Review.--The Secretary 
of Commerce shall contract with the National Research Council of the 
National Academy of Sciences--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) to conduct a review of the scientific and 
        technical soundness of the plan developed under subsection (a), 
        including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) an evaluation of the proposed staffing 
                model;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) an assessment of the statistical and 
                analytical measures that should be made for a service 
                area to form an adequate basis for determining that 
                there will be no degradation of service; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) such recommendations as the National 
                Research Council considers necessary for public safety 
                purposes; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) to submit the review under paragraph (1) to 
        the Secretary not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
        of this Act.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Plan Implementation.--Not later than 1 year after the 
date of submission of the review under subsection (c)(2), the 
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
through the National Weather Service, shall implement the plan under 
subsection (a), taking into consideration the recommendations of the 
National Research Council under subsection (c)(1)(C).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Regional Weather Forecast Offices.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Establishment.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) First regional weather forecast 
                office.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
                enactment of this Act, the first regional weather 
                forecast office shall be established.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Remaining regional weather forecast 
                offices.--Except as provided in subparagraph (A), each 
                regional weather forecast office shall be established 
                not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of 
                this Act.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Forecast centralization.--Not later than 6 
        months after the date that each regional weather forecast 
        office is established under paragraph (1), the Secretary of 
        Commerce shall transfer the weather forecast functions, along 
        with necessary staff, from each applicable weather forecast 
        office to adequately staff the regional weather forecast 
        office.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Warning Coordination Meteorologists.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The National Weather Service 
        shall hire or retain at least 1 warning coordination 
        meteorologist at each weather forecast office.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Responsibilities.--A warning coordination 
        meteorologist shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) be responsible for providing service 
                to the geographic area of responsibility that was 
                previously covered by a weather forecast office before 
                the date of enactment of this Act;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) interface with users of National 
                Weather Service products and services, such as the 
                public, media outlets, users in the aviation, marine, 
                and agricultural communities, and forestry, land, and 
                water management interests, to evaluate the adequacy 
                and usefulness of the products and services;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) collaborate with the appropriate 
                regional weather forecast office and State, local, and 
                tribal government agencies, as applicable, in 
                developing, proposing, and implementing plans to 
                develop, modify, or tailor National Weather Service 
                products and services to improve their 
                usefulness;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) ensure the maintenance and accuracy of 
                severe weather call lists, appropriate office severe 
                weather policy or procedures, and other severe weather 
                or dissemination methodologies or strategies;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) work closely with State, local, and 
                tribal emergency management agencies, and other 
                agencies related to disaster management, to ensure a 
                planned, coordinated, and effective preparedness 
                effort; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) whenever possible, be located together 
                with State or local emergency managers.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Additional responsibilities.--A warning 
        coordination meteorologist may--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) work with relevant State government 
                agencies in developing plans for promoting more 
                effective use of National Weather Service products and 
                services throughout the State;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) identify priority community 
                preparedness objectives;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) develop plans to meet the objectives 
                identified in subparagraph (B); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) conduct severe weather event 
                preparedness planning and citizen education efforts 
                with and through various State, local, and tribal 
                government agencies, and other disaster management-
                related organizations.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Forecast Investments and Improvements.--For at least 
10 years after the date of enactment of this Act, any savings realized 
by the Department of Commerce by the centralization of weather forecast 
functions under subsection (e)(2) shall be used to improve the weather 
forecasts produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, including--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) by expanding super-computing 
        capacity;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) by investing in research to improve weather 
        forecasts;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) by improving the communication of weather 
        forecasts to the public, particularly with respect to severe 
        weather;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) by obtaining ground-based observations that 
        would improve weather forecasts; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) by improving radar coverage where necessary, 
        with an emphasis on high density population centers with no 
        radar coverage.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (h) Definition of State.--In this section, the term 
``State'' means a State, a territory or possession of the United 
States, including a Commonwealth, or the District of 
Columbia.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS COMMUNICATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Purpose.--For purposes of preparing the 
recommendations under subsection (b)(1)(B) and implementing the new 
system under subsection (c), the purpose of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration system for issuing severe weather watches 
and warnings shall be to reduce the loss of life due to severe weather 
events.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Evaluation.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) evaluate whether the National Oceanic 
                and Atmospheric Administration system for issuing 
                severe weather watches and warnings meets the purpose 
                under subsection (a); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) submit to Congress a report on the 
                evaluation under subparagraph (A) and recommendations 
                for how the system can be improved and for any research 
                necessary to address the areas described in paragraph 
                (2).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Contents.--The evaluation shall focus on the 
        following areas:</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) Ways to more clearly communicate to 
                the public the risks presented by a severe weather 
                event.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Ways to more broadly disseminate a 
                severe weather watch or warning to the 
                public.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) Ways that a severe weather watch or 
                warning could help to reduce the loss of life due to an 
                extreme weather event.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Consultation.--In developing the report, the 
        Administrator shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) consult with relevant line offices 
                within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration, such as the National Ocean Service, the 
                National Weather Service, and the Office of Oceanic and 
                Atmospheric Research;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) consult with the academic sector, 
                including individuals in the field of social sciences, 
                and other weather services;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) consult with media outlets that will 
                be distributing the watches and warnings; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) utilize the services of the National 
                Academy of Sciences, as necessary.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Implementation.--Not later than 4 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, and if no additional action is taken by 
Congress regarding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
severe weather watches and warnings system, the Administrator of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall implement, based 
on the evaluation and report under subsection (a), a new system for 
issuing severe weather watches and warnings.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. REPORT ON CONTRACT POSITIONS AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
              SERVICE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 fiscal years, the 
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
shall submit to Congress a report on the use of full-time equivalent 
contractors at the National Weather Service for the most recently 
completed fiscal year.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Contents.--The report shall include--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the total number of full-time equivalent 
        employees at the National Weather Service;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the total number of full-time equivalent 
        contractors at the National Weather Service;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the 5 most common positions filled by full-
        time equivalent contractors at the National Weather 
        Service;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) of the contract positions identified in 
        paragraph (3), the percentage of full-time equivalent 
        contractors in those positions that have held a prior position 
        at the National Weather Service or the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the average full-time equivalent salary for 
        Federal employees at the National Weather Service;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) the average full-time equivalent salary for 
        contractors at the National Weather Service; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) a description of any actions taken by the 
        Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration to respond to the issues raised by the 
        Department of Commerce Inspector General regarding the hiring 
        of former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
        employees as contractors at the National Weather Service, such 
        as the issues raised in the Investigative Report dated June 
        2015 (OIG-12-0447).</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Weather Alerts for a Ready Nation 
Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGISTS AT WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES 
              OF NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the National Weather Service shall 
employ at least 1 warning coordination meteorologist at each weather 
forecast office of the National Weather Service.
    (b) Responsibilities.--Each warning coordination meteorologist 
employed under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) be responsible for providing service to the geographic 
        area of responsibility covered by the weather forecast office 
        at which the warning coordination meteorologist is employed to 
        help ensure that users of products of the National Weather 
        Service can respond effectively to improve outcomes from 
        weather events;
            (2) liaise with users of products and services of the 
        National Weather Service, such as the public, media outlets, 
        users in the aviation, marine, and agricultural communities, 
        and forestry, land, and water management interests, to evaluate 
        the adequacy and usefulness of the products and services of the 
        National Weather Service;
            (3) collaborate with such weather forecast offices and 
        State, local, and tribal government agencies as the Director 
        considers appropriate in developing, proposing, and 
        implementing plans to develop, modify, or tailor products and 
        services of the National Weather Service to improve the 
        usefulness of such products and services;
            (4) ensure the maintenance and accuracy of severe weather 
        call lists, appropriate office severe weather policy or 
        procedures, and other severe weather or dissemination 
        methodologies or strategies; and
            (5) work closely with State, local, and tribal emergency 
        management agencies, and other agencies related to disaster 
        management, to ensure a planned, coordinated, and effective 
        preparedness effort.
    (c) Additional Responsibilities.--A warning coordination 
meteorologist employed under subsection (a) may--
            (1) work with a State agency to develop plans for promoting 
        more effective use of products and services of the National 
        Weather Service throughout the State;
            (2) identify priority community preparedness objectives;
            (3) develop plans to meet the objectives identified in 
        paragraph (2); and
            (4) conduct severe weather event preparedness planning and 
        citizen education efforts with and through various State, 
        local, and tribal government agencies and other disaster 
        management-related organizations.
    (d) Placement With State and Local Emergency Managers.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out this section, the Director 
        may place a warning coordination meteorologist employed under 
        subsection (a) with a State or local emergency manager if the 
        Director considers doing so is necessary or convenient to carry 
        out this section.
            (2) Treatment.--If the Director determines that the 
        placement of a warning coordination meteorologist placed with a 
        State or local emergency manager under paragraph (1) is near a 
        weather forecast office of the National Weather Service, such 
        placement shall be treated as employment of the warning 
        coordination meteorologist at such weather forecast office for 
        purposes of subsection (a).
    (e) Definition of State.--In this section, the term ``State'' means 
a State, a territory, or possession of the United States, including a 
Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.

SEC. 3. IMPROVING NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION 
              COMMUNICATION OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER AND WATER EVENTS.

    (a) Purpose of System.--For purposes of the assessment required by 
subsection (b)(1)(A), the purpose of the system of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration for issuing watches and warnings 
regarding hazardous weather and water events shall be risk 
communication to the general public that informs action to prevent loss 
of life and property.
    (b) Assessment of System.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall--
                    (A) assess the system of the National Oceanic and 
                Atmospheric Administration for issuing watches and 
                warnings regarding hazardous weather and water events; 
                and
                    (B) submit to Congress a report on the findings of 
                the Administrator with respect to the assessment 
                conducted under subparagraph (A).
            (2) Elements.--The assessment required by paragraph (1)(A) 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) An evaluation of whether the system of the 
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for 
                issuing watches and warnings regarding hazardous 
                weather and water events meets the purpose described in 
                subsection (a).
                    (B) Development of recommendations for--
                            (i) legislative and administrative action 
                        to improve the system described in such 
                        subparagraph; and
                            (ii) such research as the Administrator 
                        considers necessary to address the focus areas 
                        described in paragraph (3).
            (3) Focus areas.--The assessment required by paragraph 
        (1)(A) shall focus on the following:
                    (A) Ways to communicate the risks posed by 
                hazardous weather or water events to the public that 
                are most likely to result in action to mitigate the 
                risk.
                    (B) Ways to communicate the risks posed by 
                hazardous weather or water events to the public as 
                broadly and rapidly as practicable.
                    (C) Ways to preserve the benefits of the existing 
                watches and warnings system.
                    (D) Ways to maintain the utility of the watches and 
                warnings system for Government and commercial users of 
                the system.
            (4) Consultation.--In conducting the assessment required by 
        paragraph (1)(A), the Administrator shall--
                    (A) consult with such line offices within the 
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the 
                Administrator considers relevant, including the 
                National Ocean Service, the National Weather Service, 
                and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research;
                    (B) consult with individuals in the academic 
                sector, including individuals in the field of social 
                and behavioral sciences, and other weather services;
                    (C) consult with media outlets that will be 
                distributing the watches and warnings;
                    (D) consult with non-Federal forecasters that 
                produce alternate severe weather risk communication 
                products;
                    (E) consult with emergency planners and responders, 
                including State and local emergency management 
                agencies, and other government users of the watches and 
                warnings system, including the Federal Emergency 
                Management Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, 
                the Coast Guard, and such other Federal agencies as the 
                Administrator determines rely on watches and warnings 
                for operational decisions; and
                    (F) make use of the services of the National 
                Academy of Sciences, as the Administrator considers 
                necessary and practicable, including contracting with 
                the National Research Council to review the scientific 
                and technical soundness of the assessment required by 
                paragraph (1)(A), including the recommendations 
                developed under paragraph (2)(B).
            (5) Methodologies.--In conducting the assessment required 
        by paragraph (1)(A), the Administrator shall use such 
        methodologies as the Administrator considers are generally 
        accepted by the weather enterprise, including social and 
        behavioral sciences.
    (c) Improvements to System.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall, based on the 
        assessment required by subsection (b)(1)(A), take such actions 
        as the Administrator considers necessary--
                    (A) subject to paragraph (2), to improve the system 
                of the Administration for issuing watches and warnings 
                regarding hazardous weather and water events; and
                    (B) to support efforts to satisfy research needs to 
                enable future improvements to such system.
            (2) Requirements regarding major changes.--In carrying out 
        paragraph (1)(A), the Administrator shall ensure that any 
        change to the system described in such paragraph that the 
        Administrator considers a major change--
                    (A) is validated by social and behavioral science 
                using a generalizable sample;
                    (B) accounts for the needs of various demographics, 
                vulnerable populations, and geographic regions;
                    (C) accounts for the differences between types of 
                weather and water hazards;
                    (D) responds to the needs of Federal, State, and 
                local government partners and media partners; and
                    (E) accounts for necessary changes to Federally-
                operated watch and warning propagation and 
                dissemination infrastructure and protocols.
            (3) Annual reports.--Not later than the date that is 4 
        years after the date of the enactment of this Act and not less 
        frequently than once each year thereafter until the 
        Administrator determines that the actions required by paragraph 
        (1) have been completed, the Administrator shall submit to 
        Congress a report on the actions taken by the Administrator 
        pursuant to such paragraph.
            (4) Final report.--Not later than the date that the 
        Administrator determines that the actions required by paragraph 
        (1) have been completed, the Administrator shall submit to 
        Congress a report that summarizes all of the actions taken by 
        the Administrator pursuant to paragraph (1).
    (d) Watches and Warnings Defined.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), in 
        this section, the term ``watch'' and ``warning'', with respect 
        to a hazardous weather and water event, means a product issued 
        by the Administration, intended for consumption by the general 
        public, to alert the general public to the potential for or 
        presence of the event and to inform action to prevent loss of 
        life and property.
            (2) Exception.--In this section, the term ``watch'' and 
        ``warning'' do not include technical or specialized 
        meteorological and hydrological forecasts, outlooks, or model 
        guidance products.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON CONTRACT POSITIONS AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall submit to Congress a report on the use 
of contractors at the National Weather Service for the most recently 
completed fiscal year.
    (b) Contents.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include, 
with respect to the most recently completed fiscal year, the following:
            (1) The total number of full-time equivalent employees at 
        the National Weather Service, disaggregated by each equivalent 
        level of the General Schedule.
            (2) The total number of full-time equivalent contractors at 
        the National Weather Service, disaggregated by each equivalent 
        level of the General Schedule that most closely approximates 
        their duties.
            (3) The total number of vacant positions at the National 
        Weather Service on the day before the date of the enactment of 
        this Act, disaggregated by each equivalent level of the General 
        Schedule.
            (4) The 5 most common positions filled by full-time 
        equivalent contractors at the National Weather Service and 
        equivalent level of the General Schedule that most closely 
        approximates the duties of such positions.
            (5) Of the positions identified in paragraph (4), the 
        percentage of full-time equivalent contractors in those 
        positions that have held a prior position at the National 
        Weather Service or another entity in the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration.
            (6) The average full-time equivalent salary for Federal 
        employees at the National Weather Service for each equivalent 
        level of the General Schedule.
            (7) The average salary for full-time equivalent contractors 
        performing at each equivalent level of the General Schedule at 
        the National Weather Service.
            (8) A description of any actions taken by the Administrator 
        to respond to the issues raised by the Inspector General of the 
        Department of Commerce regarding the hiring of former National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees as contractors 
        at the National Weather Service, such as the issues raised in 
        the Investigative Report dated June 2015 (OIG-12-0447).
    (c) Annual Publication.--For each fiscal year after the fiscal year 
covered by the report required by subsection (a), the Administrator 
shall, not later than 180 days after the completion of the fiscal year, 
publish on a publicly accessible Internet website the information 
described in paragraphs (1) through (6) of subsection (b) for such 
fiscal year.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to improve 
        communication from the National Weather Service regarding 
        severe weather risks, and for other purposes.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 268

114th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1573

                          [Report No. 114-154]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To establish regional weather forecast offices, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            October 19, 2015

        Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title