[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2058 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 629
114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2058

                          [Report No. 114-351]

 To require the Secretary of Commerce to maintain and operate at least 
  one Doppler weather radar site within 55 miles of each city in the 
 United States that has a population of more than 700,000 individuals, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 17, 2015

 Mr. Burr (for himself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

                           September 15, 2016

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Commerce to maintain and operate at least 
  one Doppler weather radar site within 55 miles of each city in the 
 United States that has a population of more than 700,000 individuals, 
                        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 ``Metropolitan Weather 
Hazards Protection Act of 2015''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR OPERATION OF DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR 
              SITES NEAR LARGE CITIES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Requirement.--Beginning not later than 450 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce 
shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) maintain and operate at least one Doppler 
        weather radar site within 55 miles of each city in the United 
        States that has a population of more than 700,000 individuals; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) ensure that each radar maintained and operated 
        near a city described in paragraph (1) is available to the 
        office of the National Weather Service that provides services 
        to such city.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Standards.--The Secretary shall ensure that each radar 
maintained and operated under subsection (a) conforms with the same 
standards that apply to radars operated by the Secretary, acting 
through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, on the day before the date of the enactment of this 
Act, including standards relating to the use of dual-polarization 
technology or other technologies included in Weather Surveillance 
Radar, 1988, Doppler (WSR-88D) radars.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Considerations.--When determining the location for 
constructing a radar to meet the requirements of subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall take into consideration nearby counties that have 
populations of more than 130,000 and do not otherwise have radar beam 
coverage below 10,000 feet from Weather Surveillance Radar, 1988, 
Doppler (WSR-88D) radars.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Report.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
        to Congress a report detailing the Doppler weather radar sites 
        that need to be constructed or acquired in order to meet the 
        requirement of subsection (a).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Contents.--The report submitted under 
        paragraph (1) shall include the following:</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) Feasible locations for placement and 
                construction of radar sites, determined by the 
                Secretary to provide the necessary meteorological 
                capabilities to best protect a city described in 
                subsection (a).</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) A timeline for when construction or 
                acquisition of each radar site will be 
                complete.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Metropolitan Weather Hazards 
Protection Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON GAPS IN NEXRAD COVERAGE AND REQUIREMENT FOR PLAN TO 
              ADDRESS SUCH GAPS.

    (a) Study on Gaps in NEXRAD Coverage.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall 
        complete a study on gaps in the coverage of the Next Generation 
        Weather Radar of the National Weather Service (known as 
        ``NEXRAD'').
            (2) Elements.--Under the study required by paragraph (1), 
        the Secretary shall--
                    (A) identify areas in the United States with 
                limited or no Next Generation Weather Radar coverage 
                below 6,000 feet above ground level of the surrounding 
                terrain;
                    (B) for the areas identified under subparagraph 
                (A), Charlotte, North Carolina, and surrounding 
                counties, central Washington State, northwest New 
                Mexico, and Columbus, Ohio, and surrounding counties--
                            (i) identify the key weather effects for 
                        which prediction would improve with improved 
                        radar detection;
                            (ii) identify additional sources of 
                        observations for high impact weather that were 
                        available and operational for such areas on the 
                        day before the date of the enactment of this 
                        Act, including Terminal Doppler Weather Radar 
                        (known as ``TDWR''), air surveillance radars of 
                        the Federal Aviation Administration, and 
                        cooperative network observers; and
                            (iii) assess the feasibility and 
                        advisability of efforts to integrate and 
                        upgrade Federal radar capabilities in such 
                        areas that are not owned or controlled by of 
                        the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                        Administration, including radar capabilities of 
                        the Federal Aviation Administration and the 
                        Department of Defense;
                    (C) assess the feasibility and advisability of 
                incorporating State-operated and other non-Federal 
                radars into the operations of the National Weather 
                Service;
                    (D) identify options to improve radar coverage in 
                the areas identified under subparagraph (A); and
                    (E) estimate the cost of, and develop a timeline 
                for, carrying out each of the options identified under 
                subparagraph (D).
            (3) Report.--Upon the completion of the study required by 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
        Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
        Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the findings of the Secretary with 
        respect to the study.
    (b) Plan to Improve Radar Coverage.--Not later than 30 days after 
the completion of the study required by subsection (a)(1), the 
Secretary shall develop and submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a plan to improve 
radar coverage in the areas identified under subsection (a)(2)(A) by 
integrating, and upgrading where practicable, additional observation 
solutions to improve hazardous weather detection and forecasting.
    (c) Requirement for Third-party Reviews Regarding Plan to Improve 
Radar Coverage.--The Secretary shall seek third-party reviews on 
scientific methodology relating to, and the feasibility and 
advisability of, implementing the plan developed and submitted under 
subsection (b), including the extent to which warning and forecast 
services of the National Weather Service would be improved by 
additional Next Generation Weather Radar coverage.
                                                       Calendar No. 629

114th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2058

                          [Report No. 114-351]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To require the Secretary of Commerce to maintain and operate at least 
  one Doppler weather radar site within 55 miles of each city in the 
 United States that has a population of more than 700,000 individuals, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 15, 2016

                       Reported with an amendment