[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4069 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4069

  To increase observations, understanding, and forecasting of coastal 
flooding and storm surge events, to address weather observation gaps in 
            highly vulnerable areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 13, 2023

    Mr. Kean of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To increase observations, understanding, and forecasting of coastal 
flooding and storm surge events, to address weather observation gaps in 
            highly vulnerable areas, 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 ``Protecting Coasts and Cities from 
Severe Weather Act''.

SEC. 2. COASTAL FLOODING AND STORM SURGE FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the 
Integrated Ocean Observing System, the National Integrated Flood 
Information System, the United States weather industry, and academic 
partners, shall establish a coastal flooding and storm surge forecast 
improvement program (in this section refer to as the ``program'').
    (b) Goal.--The goal of the program shall be to reduce through the 
development and extension of accurate, effective, and actionable 
forecasts and warnings the loss of life and economic losses from 
coastal flooding and storm surge events.
    (c) Priority.--In implementing the program, the Under Secretary 
shall prioritize activities that carry out the following:
            (1) Improve understanding and capacity for real-time 
        prediction of the ocean's role in coastal flooding and storm 
        surge events.
            (2) Improve the capacity to mitigate or prevent the impacts 
        of coastal flooding and storm surge events.
            (3) Utilize distributed sensors to easily incorporate data 
        into models.
    (d) Innovative Observations.--The Under Secretary shall ensure the 
program periodically examines, tests, and evaluates the value of 
incorporating innovative observations, such as acoustic or infrasonic 
measurements, observations from crewed or uncrewed vehicles, and 
observations from coastal, ocean, and inland water observation 
networks, or other emerging technologies, with respect to the 
improvement of coastal flooding and storm surge forecasts, predictions, 
and warnings.
    (e) Program Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Research, in coordination with the Director of the National 
Weather Service, shall develop a plan that details the specific 
research, development, data acquisition, and technology transfer 
activities, as well as corresponding resources and timelines, necessary 
to achieve the goal of the program under subsection (b).
    (f) Annual Budget for Plan Submittal.--After the development of the 
plan pursuant to subsection (e), the Under Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and 
in coordination with the Director of the National Weather Service, 
shall, not less frequently than annually, submit to Congress a proposed 
budget corresponding with the activities identified in such plan.
    (g) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Under Secretary'' has 
the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501).

SEC. 3. DATA GAPS IN HIGHLY VULNERABLE AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary, in coordination with the 
Director of the National Weather Service and Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, and in consultation with academic 
partners, shall carry out activities to ensure equal and complete 
weather observation coverage and emergency information sharing in the 
United States, including relating to the following:
            (1) Reviewing areas in the continental United States and 
        the territories that are considered under-observed for weather 
        phenomenon, and identifying associated challenges.
            (2) Increasing observations and developing new 
        observational capabilities with respect to under-observed 
        regions, including urban regions.
            (3) Establishing or supporting testbeds to develop and 
        integrate within the urban canopy new observation or 
        information sharing tools, such as next generational compact 
        radars for observations.
            (4) To the maximum extent practicable, advancing weather 
        forecasting and climate modeling capabilities for urban scales.
            (5) Undertaking workforce development efforts for emergency 
        management officials and meteorologists in highly vulnerable 
        and under-observed areas of the United States.
    (b) Pilot Program.--In carrying out this section, the Under 
Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Weather Service 
and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall 
establish an interagency partnership to support pilot projects that 
accelerate coordination and use of localized weather data in 
infrastructure and emergency management decisions by Federal, State, 
and local officials.
    (c) Priority.--At least one pilot project under subsection (b) 
shall address key science challenges to using mesonet data in local 
decision making and development of new tools and training for operators 
of infrastructure, such as dams, energy generation and distribution 
facilities, nuclear power plants, and transportation networks.
    (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Under Secretary'' has 
the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501).
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