[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2941 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 644
115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2941

                          [Report No. 115-357]

  To improve the Cooperative Observer Program of the National Weather 
                    Service, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 23, 2018

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

                           November 14, 2018

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve the Cooperative Observer Program of the National Weather 
                    Service, 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 ``Strengthening the 
Cooperative Observer Program Act of 2018''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO COOPERATIVE OBSERVER PROGRAM OF 
              NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Oceans and Atmosphere, acting through the National Weather Service, 
shall improve the Cooperative Observer Program by--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) providing support to--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) State-coordinated programs relating to 
                the Program; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) States and regions where observations 
                provided through the Program are scarce;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) working with State weather service 
        headquarters to increase participation in the Program and to 
        add stations in States and regions described in paragraph 
        (1)(B);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) where feasible, ensuring that data streams 
        from stations that have been contributing data to the Program 
        for more than 50 years are maintained and continually staffed 
        by volunteers;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) prioritizing the recruitment of new volunteers 
        for the Program;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) ensuring that opportunities exist for 
        automated reporting to lessen the burden on volunteers to 
        collect and report data by hand; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) ensuring that integrated reporting is 
        available for qualitative observations that cannot be 
        automated, such as snow observations and hazardous weather 
        events, to ensure that volunteers in the Program can report and 
        upload observations quickly and easily.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Coordination With States and Regions.--Not less 
frequently than every 180 days, the National Weather Service shall 
coordinate with State and regional offices with respect to the status 
of Cooperative Observer Program stations.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Coordination With Federal Agencies.--The National 
Weather Service shall coordinate with other Federal agencies, including 
the Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture, and the United 
States Geological Survey, to leverage opportunities to grow the 
Cooperative Observer Program network and to more effectively use 
existing infrastructure, weather stations, and staff of the 
Program.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening the Cooperative 
Observer Program Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO COOPERATIVE OBSERVER PROGRAM OF NATIONAL 
              WEATHER SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
Atmosphere, acting through the National Weather Service, shall improve 
the Cooperative Observer Program by--
            (1) providing support to--
                    (A) State-coordinated programs relating to the 
                Program; and
                    (B) States and regions where observations provided 
                through the Program are scarce;
            (2) working with State weather service headquarters to 
        increase participation in the Program and to add stations in 
        States and regions described in paragraph (1)(B);
            (3) where feasible, ensuring that data streams from 
        stations that have been contributing data to the Program for 
        more than 50 years are maintained and continually staffed by 
        volunteers;
            (4) prioritizing the recruitment of new volunteers for the 
        Program;
            (5) ensuring that opportunities exist for automated 
        reporting to lessen the burden on volunteers to collect and 
        report data by hand; and
            (6) ensuring that integrated reporting is available for 
        qualitative observations that cannot be automated, such as 
        drought conditions, snow observations, and hazardous weather 
        events, to ensure that volunteers in the Program can report and 
        upload observations quickly and easily.
    (b) Coordination With States and Regions.--Not less frequently than 
every 180 days, the National Weather Service shall coordinate with 
State and regional offices with respect to the status of Cooperative 
Observer Program stations.
    (c) Coordination With Federal Agencies.--The National Weather 
Service shall coordinate with other Federal agencies, including the 
Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture, and the United States 
Geological Survey, to leverage opportunities to grow the Cooperative 
Observer Program network and to more effectively use existing 
infrastructure, weather stations, and staff of the Program.
                                                       Calendar No. 644

115th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2941

                          [Report No. 115-357]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To improve the Cooperative Observer Program of the National Weather 
                    Service, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           November 14, 2018

                       Reported with an amendment