[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 141 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                 Union Calendar No. 896
115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                 S. 141

                     [Report No. 115-1128, Part I]


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 3, 2017

  Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in 
   addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Transportation and 
Infrastructure, Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee on 
    Intelligence, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

                            January 3, 2019

  Reported from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology with 
                               amendments
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

                            January 3, 2019

   Committees on Armed Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, 
  Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 
                 of the Union and ordered to be printed
  [For text of Senate passed bill, see copy of bill as printed in the 
                House of Representatives on May 3, 2017]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To improve understanding and forecasting of space weather events, 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 ``Space Weather Coordination Act''.

SEC. 2. SPACE WEATHER.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle VI of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended by adding after chapter 605 the following:

                      ``CHAPTER 606--SPACE WEATHER

``Sec.
``60601. Space weather findings; policy.
``60602. Space weather coordination.
``60603. Space weather priorities, plan, and research roadmap.
``60604. Space weather reports.
``60605. Pilot program for obtaining commercial sector space weather 
                            data.
``60606. Definitions.
``Sec. 60601. Space weather findings; policy
    ``(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            ``(1) Space weather events pose a significant threat to 
        humans working in the space environment, to modern 
        technological systems, and critical terrestrial infrastructure.
            ``(2) The effects of severe space weather events on the 
        electric power grid, satellites and satellite communications, 
        services, orbits and information, airline operations, 
        astronauts living and working in space, and space based 
        position, navigation, and timing systems could have significant 
        societal, economic, national security, and health impacts.
            ``(3) Space weather observation and forecasting are 
        essential for the success of deep space exploration.
            ``(4) Earth and space observations provide crucial data 
        necessary to predict and warn about space weather events.
            ``(5) Clear roles and accountability of Federal departments 
        and agencies are critical for an efficient and effective 
        response to threats posed by space weather.
            ``(6) Observations and measurements closer to the sun and 
        advanced instrumentation would provide for more advanced 
        warning of solar activity resulting in space weather activity.
            ``(7) Coordination and collaboration between Federal 
        departments and agencies, international partners, the academic 
        community, and the commercial sector is necessary to improve 
        the Nation's ability to understand, prepare for, avoid, 
        mitigate, and respond to severe space weather events.
            ``(8) The commercial sector should be solicited to support 
        and enable Federal space weather activities and encouraged to 
        provide and separately invest in innovative space weather data 
        and services.
    ``(b) Statement of National Policy.--It is the policy of the United 
States that--
            ``(1) the United States should establish and maintain 
        baseline capabilities for space weather observation and 
        forecasting to protect civil aviation, space transportation, 
        national security, human life, critical infrastructure, 
        commercial enterprise, and economic vitality in the United 
        States;
            ``(2) the establishment and maintenance of such baseline 
        capabilities for space weather should, to the extent 
        practicable, leverage the space weather observation 
        capabilities, data, and services of the academic community and 
        commercial sector;
            ``(3) space weather observation and forecasting are not 
        exclusive functions of the Federal Government; and
            ``(4) the Federal Government should, as practicable, obtain 
        space weather data and services through contracts with the 
        commercial sector, when the data and services are available, 
        cost-effective, and add value.
``Sec. 60602. Space weather coordination
    ``(a) Sense of Congress.--
            ``(1) National space council.--It is the sense of Congress 
        that--
                    ``(A) members of the National Space Council are key 
                stakeholders of the Federal Government with respect to 
                space weather;
                    ``(B) the Users' Advisory Group of the National 
                Space Council should effectively and efficiently 
                represent and advocate on behalf of nongovernmental 
                organizations and the academic community within the 
                Nation's space weather enterprise; and
                    ``(C) the National Space Council is the appropriate 
                Federal entity to review, establish, and coordinate the 
                Nation's space weather priorities.
            ``(2) Office of science and technology policy.--It is the 
        sense of Congress that the Office of Science and Technology 
        Policy--
                    ``(A) efficiently and effectively identifies 
                opportunities and avenues to advance the leadership of 
                the United States in science and technology; and
                    ``(B) is well positioned to identify opportunities 
                for advancement in coordination of space weather 
                research-to-operations and operations-to-research.
    ``(b) Coordinating Authority.--The National Space Council shall 
oversee efforts and activities of the Federal Government--
            ``(1) to implement the Nation's space weather priorities; 
        and
            ``(2) to prepare for, avoid, mitigate, and respond to space 
        weather events.
    ``(c) National Committee for Space Weather Observation and 
Forecasting.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--In order to address the Nation's 
        space weather priorities and further coordinate efforts to 
        monitor, prepare for, avoid, mitigate, and respond to space 
        weather events, the President shall, in consultation with the 
        Chair of the National Space Council--
                    ``(A) establish a committee with respect to space 
                weather observation and forecasting to be known as the 
                `National Committee for Space Weather Observation and 
                Forecasting' (in this chapter referred to as the 
                `National Committee'); and
                    ``(B) establish one advisory committee for the 
                purpose specified in paragraph (3)(B), the composition 
                of which shall be determined by the Co-Chairs of the 
                National Committee and shall include equal 
                representation from the academic community, commercial 
                sector, and space weather end users.
            ``(2) National committee composition.--The National 
        Committee shall--
                    ``(A) be co-chaired by the Administrator of the 
                National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
                Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Commerce, or 
                their designated representatives, provided that such 
                designated representatives are of the Under Secretary 
                or Assistant Secretary level or higher;
                    ``(B) include as permanent voting members all 
                Federal departments or agencies determined to be key 
                space weather stakeholders or otherwise necessary for 
                inclusion as such permanent voting members by the 
                President, with the agreement of the Chair of the 
                National Space Council; and
                    ``(C) be empowered, with the approval of the Chair 
                of the National Space Council, to allow a relevant, 
                non-member Federal department or agency to participate 
                in meetings of the National Committee as either a non-
                permanent observer or semi-permanent liaison to the 
                National Committee.
            ``(3) Duties.--
                    ``(A) National committee.--The duties of the 
                National Committee are the following:
                            ``(i) To effectively and efficiently 
                        promote coordination between Federal agencies, 
                        the academic community, and the commercial 
                        sector to advance the Nation's space 
                        enterprise.
                            ``(ii) To coordinate the implementation of 
                        the national space weather plan developed under 
                        section 60603(b) across the Federal Government, 
                        in partnership with the academic community, 
                        international partners, and the commercial 
                        sector.
                            ``(iii) To collaborate with the Director of 
                        the Office of Science and Technology Policy to 
                        identify opportunities for the academic 
                        community and commercial sectors to advance the 
                        understanding of space weather.
                    ``(B) Advisory committees.--The duty of the 
                advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph 
                (1)(B) shall be to advise the National Committee with 
                respect to--
                            ``(i) the development and implementation of 
                        the national space weather plan established 
                        under section 60603(b); and
                            ``(ii) the capabilities of the academic 
                        community and the commercial sector to meet the 
                        national space weather priorities identified 
                        under section 60603(a).
    ``(d) User Survey.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Chair of the National Space Council, 
        in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal 
        agencies, the academic community, and the commercial sector, 
        shall direct the Users' Advisory Group of the Council to 
        conduct a comprehensive survey to identify the space weather 
        observation, research, modeling, forecasting, and prediction 
        needs of the space weather user community.
            ``(2) Survey considerations.--The survey conducted under 
        paragraph (1) shall--
                    ``(A) assess the adequacy of current Federal 
                Government goals for lead time, accuracy, coverage, 
                timeliness, data rate, and data quality for space 
                weather observations and forecasting;
                    ``(B) identify options and methods to, in 
                consultation with the academic community and the 
                commercial sector, improve the goals specified in 
                subparagraph (A);
                    ``(C) identify opportunities for the generation of 
                new data to address the needs of the space weather user 
                community;
                    ``(D) identify methods to increase coordination of, 
                with respect to space weather, research-to-operations 
                and operations-to-research;
                    ``(E) identify the most efficient and effective 
                formal mechanism or mechanisms for the sharing of space 
                weather data, operational forecasting needs, research 
                needs, findings, models, and capabilities between the 
                Federal Government, the academic community, the 
                commercial sector, and the space weather user 
                community;
                    ``(F) identify opportunities for new technologies, 
                research, and instrumentation to aid in research, 
                understanding, monitoring, modeling, prediction, and 
                forecasting of space weather; and
                    ``(G) identify methods and technologies to improve 
                preparedness for potential space weather events.
    ``(e) Special Authority.--In order to better understand space 
weather, the National Space Council may leverage expertise from any 
Federal agency or partner, as deemed appropriate by the Chair of the 
National Space Council, including through the use of--
            ``(1) interagency agreements;
            ``(2) memoranda of understanding; and
            ``(3) shared personnel.
``Sec. 60603. Space weather priorities, plan, and research roadmap
    ``(a) National Space Weather Priorities.--The National Space 
Council, in consultation with the Users' Advisory Group of the National 
Space Council, the academic community, and the commercial sector, shall 
establish national priorities for space weather, with respect to--
            ``(1) the protection of life and property;
            ``(2) the support of the leadership, economic development, 
        and national security of the United States; and
            ``(3) the space weather prediction and forecasting needs of 
        end-users.
    ``(b) National Space Weather Plan.--The National Committee shall 
develop a national space weather plan to implement the priorities 
established under subsection (a). Such plan shall, with respect to 
activities carried out to meet such priorities--
            ``(1) delineate appropriate roles among Federal agencies;
            ``(2) consider small satellite options, hosted payloads, 
        public-private partnerships, and commercial options such as 
        data-buys, and other acquisition approaches, that maximize 
        Federal investment and minimize overall costs to the Federal 
        Government;
            ``(3) identify knowledge gaps and their resolution through 
        specific research and development activities to improve 
        operational space weather forecasting;
            ``(4) describe collaborative opportunities with 
        stakeholders, including the academic community, nongovernmental 
        organizations, the commercial sector, and foreign governments;
            ``(5) leverage the work conducted through the National 
        Space Weather Strategy and National Space Weather Action Plan 
        of the National Science and Technology Council before the date 
        of the enactment of this section;
            ``(6) include a formal mechanism to share operational needs 
        of space weather forecasters with Federal agencies engaged in 
        space weather research and development activities, the academic 
        community, and the commercial sector; and
            ``(7) appropriately prioritize the critical land-based, 
        sea-based, air-based, or space-based observation capabilities.
    ``(c) National Space Weather Research Roadmap.--The Director of the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy shall issue a national space 
weather research roadmap that--
            ``(1) considers the national space weather priorities 
        established under subsection (a);
            ``(2) considers the national space weather plan issued 
        under subsection (b);
            ``(3) considers the National Academy of Sciences, 
        Engineering, and Medicine's decadal survey recommendations;
            ``(4) includes a formal mechanism that provides for the 
        sharing of the research needs, findings, models, and 
        capabilities with space weather operational forecasting 
        centers; and
            ``(5) enhances coordination between research modeling 
        centers, forecasting centers, and the commercial sector.
``Sec. 60604. Space weather reports
    ``(a) Survey and Priorities.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of the Space Weather Coordination Act, the Chair of 
the National Space Council 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 on--
            ``(1) the findings of the user survey under section 
        60602(d); and
            ``(2) the recommended space weather priorities under 
        section 60603(a).
    ``(b) National Space Weather Plan.--Not later than 270 days after 
the date of enactment of the Space Weather Coordination Act, the Chair 
of the National Space Council 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, the national 
space weather plan developed under section 60603(b).
    ``(c) National Space Weather Research Roadmap.--Not later than one 
year after the date of enactment of the Space Weather Coordination Act, 
the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 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, the national space weather research 
roadmap issued under section 60603(c).
    ``(d) Revaluation of Content.--Not later than one year after the 
date on which each Presidential term begins, as well as when determined 
to be necessary by the Chair of the National Space Council during the 
intervening years, the applicable entities shall review and assess the 
content previously developed under this section and update and resubmit 
such content when appropriate.
``Sec. 60605. Pilot program for obtaining commercial sector space 
              weather data
    ``(a) Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the 
        date of the enactment of the Space Weather Coordination Act, 
        the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary 
        of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (in this section referred 
        to as the `Secretary'), shall establish a pilot program under 
        which the Secretary will offer to enter into contracts with one 
        or more entities in the commercial sector for the provision to 
        the Secretary of space weather data generated by such an entity 
        that meets the standards and specifications published under 
        paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Data standards and specifications.--Not later than 
        one year after the date of the enactment of the Space Weather 
        Coordination Act, the Secretary shall publish standards and 
        specifications for ground-based, ocean-based, air-based, and 
        space-based commercial space weather data and metadata.
            ``(3) Contracts.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 18 months after 
                the date of enactment of the Space Weather Coordination 
                Act, the Secretary shall offer to enter, through an 
                open competition, into at least one contract with one 
                or more commercial sector entities capable of providing 
                space weather data that--
                            ``(i) meets the standards and 
                        specifications established by the Secretary for 
                        providing such data; and
                            ``(ii) is provided in a manner that allows 
                        the Secretary to calibrate and evaluate the 
                        data for use in space weather research and 
                        forecasting models of the National Oceanic and 
                        Atmospheric Administration.
                    ``(B) Assessment.--Not later than the date that is 
                3 years after the date on which the Secretary enters 
                into a contract under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
                shall assess, and 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 on, the extent to 
                which data provided under such contract meet the 
                standards and specifications established under 
                paragraph (1) and the extent to which the pilot program 
                has demonstrated--
                            ``(i) the viability of assimilating the 
                        commercially provided data into National 
                        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration space 
                        weather research and forecasting models;
                            ``(ii) whether, and by how much, the data 
                        so provided add value to space weather 
                        forecasts of the National Oceanic and 
                        Atmospheric Administration; and
                            ``(iii) the accuracy, quality, timeliness, 
                        validity, reliability, usability, information 
                        technology security, and cost-effectiveness of 
                        obtaining commercial space weather data from 
                        commercial sector providers.
            ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, to 
        remain available until expended.
    ``(b) Data and Hosted Satellite Payloads.--Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, the Secretary may enter into agreements for--
            ``(1) the purchase of space weather data through contracts 
        with commercial providers; and
            ``(2) the placement of space weather satellite instruments 
        on payloads co-hosted by the Federal Government and the 
        commercial sector.
    ``(c) Obtaining Future Data.--If an assessment under subsection 
(a)(3)(B) demonstrates the ability of commercial space weather data to 
meet data and metadata standards and specifications published under 
subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) where appropriate, cost-effective, and feasible, 
        obtain space weather data from commercial sector providers;
            ``(2) as early as possible in the acquisition process for 
        any future National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
        space weather observational capability, consider whether a 
        suitable, cost-effective, commercial capability is or will be 
        available to meet the observational requirements by the planned 
        operational date of the system;
            ``(3) if a suitable, cost-effective, commercial capability 
        is or will be available as described in paragraph (2), 
        determine whether it is in the national interest to develop a 
        governmental observational capability; and
            ``(4) 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 
        detailing any determination made under paragraph (2) or (3).
    ``(d) Data Sharing Practices.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall, to the extent 
        practicable, leverage United States leadership in space weather 
        observation and forecasting to incentivize international 
        partners to increase their space weather observational and 
        forecasting capabilities and contribute additional space 
        weather observations, data, models, predictions, and forecasts. 
        The Under Secretary shall continue to meet international data 
        sharing agreements entered into prior to the date of enactment 
        of this Act.
            ``(2) NASA and nsf data.--The Administrator of the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Director of the 
        National Science Foundation shall each make space weather 
        related data obtained for scientific research purposes 
        available to space weather forecasters, operations centers, and 
        the commercial sector and support model development and model 
        applications for space weather forecasting.
            ``(3) NOAA data.--The Secretary shall work with the 
        academic community to make space weather related data obtained 
        from operational forecasting available for scientific research.
    ``(e) Research for Improved Space Weather Forecasting.--The 
Secretary, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the 
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
shall support basic and applied research which could improve space 
weather forecasting lead time and accuracy.
``Sec. 60606. Definitions
    ``In this chapter:
            ``(1) National space council.--The term `National Space 
        Council' means the National Space Council established under 
        Executive Order 13803, (82 Fed. Reg. 31429, relating to 
        establishment of National Space Council) or any successor 
        entities as determined by the President.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Conforming repeal.--Section 809 of the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 
        (42 U.S.C. 18388) and the item relating to that section in the 
        table of contents under section 1(b) of that Act (124 Stat. 
        2806) are repealed.
            (2) Table of chapters.--The table of chapters of title 51, 
        United States Code, is amended by adding after the item 
        relating to chapter 605 the following:

``606. Space Weather........................................   60601''.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to improve 
        understanding and forecasting of space weather and promote 
        coordination between stakeholders, and for other purposes.''.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 896

115th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                 S. 141

                     [Report No. 115-1128, Part I]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 To improve understanding and forecasting of space weather events, and 
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            January 3, 2019

  Reported from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology with 
                               amendments

                            January 3, 2019

   Committees on Armed Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, 
  Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 
                 of the Union and ordered to be printed