[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 572 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 572

To require the Secretary of Commerce to study the coverage gaps of the 
 Next Generation Weather Radar of the National Weather Service and to 
   develop a plan for improving radar coverage and hazardous weather 
           detection and forecasting, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 8, 2017

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Commerce to study the coverage gaps of the 
 Next Generation Weather Radar of the National Weather Service and to 
   develop a plan for improving radar coverage and hazardous weather 
           detection and forecasting, 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. 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 (referred to in 
        this section as ``NEXRAD'').
            (2) Elements.--In conducting the study required under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
                    (A) identify areas in the United States with 
                limited or no NEXRAD coverage below 6,000 feet above 
                ground level of the surrounding terrain;
                    (B) for the areas identified under subparagraph 
                (A)--
                            (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 
                        (commonly 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 that are not 
                        owned or controlled by 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 
        under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
        Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the 
        Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
        Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
        House of Representatives a report on the findings of the 
        Secretary with respect to the study.
    (b) Plan To Improve Radar Coverage.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
        which the Secretary completes the plan required by subsection 
        (a)(1), the Secretary of Commerce shall submit to the 
        congressional committees referred to in subsection (a)(3) a 
        plan for improving radar coverage in the areas identified under 
        subsection (a)(2)(A) by integrating and upgrading, to the 
        extent practicable, additional observation solutions to improve 
        hazardous weather detection and forecasting.
            (2) Requirement for third-party reviews.--The Secretary 
        shall seek third-party reviews on scientific methodology 
        relating to, and the feasibility and advisability of, 
        implementing the plan submitted under paragraph (1), including 
        the extent to which warning and forecast services of the 
        National Weather Service would be improved by additional NEXRAD 
        coverage.
                                 <all>