[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 139 (Wednesday, August 5, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4942-S4943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Mr. Rounds):
S. 4444. A bill to require installation of a network of soil moisture
and snowpack monitoring in the Upper Missouri River Basin and to
establish a pilot program for the acquisition and use of data generated
by that network, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Environment and Public Works.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 4444
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 ``Missouri River Basin Drought
and Snowpack Monitoring Act''.
SEC. 2. SOIL MOISTURE AND SNOWPACK MONITORING.
(a) Installation of Network.--
(1) In general.--In accordance with the activities required
under section 4003(a) of the Water Resources Reform and
Development Act of 2014 (128 Stat. 1311; 130 Stat. 1677), and
to support the goals of the Weather Research and Forecasting
Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-25; 131 Stat. 91) and
the National Integrated Drought Information System
Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-423; 132 Stat.
5454), the Secretary of the Army (referred to in this section
as the ``Secretary''), in coordination with the Administrator
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(referred to in this section as the ``Administrator''), the
Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the
Director of the United States Geological Survey, and the
Commissioner of Reclamation, shall continue installation of a
network of soil moisture and plains snowpack monitoring
stations and modification of existing stations in the Upper
Missouri River Basin.
(2) Requirements.--In carrying out installation and
modification activities under paragraph (1), the Secretary--
(A) may continue to enter into agreements, including
cooperative agreements, with State mesonet programs for
purposes of installing new stations or modifying existing
stations;
(B) shall transfer ownership and all responsibilities for
operation and maintenance of new stations to the respective
State mesonet program for the State in which the monitoring
station is located on completion of installation of the
station; and
(C) shall establish, in consultation with the
Administrator, requirements and standards for the
installation of new stations and modification of existing
stations to ensure seamless data integration into--
(i) the National Mesonet Program;
(ii) the National Coordinated Soil Moisture Network; and
(iii) other relevant networks.
(b) Soil Moisture and Snowpack Monitoring Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish
a pilot program for the acquisition and use of data generated
by the network described in subsection (a).
(2) Requirements.--In establishing the pilot program under
paragraph (1), the Administrator shall--
(A) enter into agreements with State mesonet programs in
the Upper Missouri River Basin to acquire data generated by
the network described in subsection (a) that--
(i) are similar to the agreements in effect as of the date
of the enactment of this Act with States under the National
Mesonet Program; and
(ii) allow for sharing of data with other Federal agencies
and with institutions engaged in federally supported
research, including the United States Drought Monitor, as
appropriate and feasible;
(B) in coordination with the Secretary, the Chief of the
Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Director of the
United States Geological Survey, and the Commissioner of
Reclamation, gather data from the operation of the network to
inform ongoing efforts of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration in support of--
(i) the National Integrated Drought Information System,
including the National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring
Network;
(ii) the United States Drought Monitor;
(iii) the National Water Model and other relevant national
modeling efforts;
(iv) validation, verification, and calibration of
satellite-based, in situ, and other remote sensing activities
and output products;
(v) flood risk and water resources monitoring initiatives
by the Secretary and the Commissioner; and
(vi) any other programs or initiatives the Administrator
considers appropriate; and
(C) at the request of State mesonet programs, or as the
Administrator considers appropriate, provide technical
assistance to such programs under the pilot program under
paragraph (1) to ensure proper data requirements; and
(D) ensure an appropriate mechanism for quality control and
quality assurance is employed for the data acquired under the
pilot program, such as the Meteorological Assimilation Data
Ingest System.
(3) Study required.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall initiate a
study of the pilot program required by paragraph (1)
[[Page S4943]]
to evaluate the data generated by the network described in
subsection (a) and the applications of that data to programs
and initiatives described in paragraph (2)(B).
(B) Elements.--The study required by subparagraph (A) shall
include an assessment of--
(i) the contribution of the soil moisture, snowpack, and
other relevant data generated by the network described in
subsection (a) to weather, subseasonal and seasonal, and
climate forecasting products on the local, regional, and
national levels;
(ii) the enhancements made to the National Integrated
Drought Information System, the National Water Model, and the
United States Drought Monitor, and other relevant national
modeling efforts, using data and derived data products
generated by the network;
(iii) the contribution of data generated by the network to
remote sensing products and approaches;
(iv) the viability of the ownership and operational
structure of the network; and
(v) any other matters the Administrator considers
appropriate, in coordination with the Secretary, the Chief of
the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Director of
the United States Geological Survey, and the Commissioner of
Reclamation.
(4) Report required.--Not later than 4 years after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit
to Congress a report--
(A) setting forth the findings of the study required by
paragraph (3); and
(B) making recommendations based on those findings to
improve weather, subseasonal, seasonal, and climate
monitoring nationally.
(5) Government accountability office audit.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the report
required by paragraph (4) is submitted, the Comptroller
General of the United States shall conduct an audit to
evaluate that report and determine whether--
(i) the Administrator, in conducting the pilot program
under paragraph (1), has utilized the relevant data generated
by the network described in subsection (a) in the manner most
beneficial to the programs and initiatives described in
paragraph (2)(B);
(ii) the acquisition agreements entered into under
paragraph (2)(A) with State mesonet programs fully comply
with the requirements of that paragraph; and
(iii) the heads of other agencies, including the Secretary,
the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the
Director of the United States Geological Survey, and the
Commissioner of Reclamation, are utilizing the data generated
by the network to better inform and improve the missions of
those agencies.
(B) Report required.--Not later than 270 days after
initiating the audit required by subparagraph (A), the
Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report setting
forth the findings of the audit.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated--
(A) to supplement funds already authorized for installation
of a network of new monitoring stations and modification of
existing monitoring stations in the Upper Missouri River
Basin under subsection (a), $7,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2021 through 2025; and
(B) to the Administrator to acquire under subsection (b)
data collected by the network described in subsection (a)--
(i) $500,000 for fiscal year 2021;
(ii) $2,300,000 for fiscal year 2022;
(iii) $4,100,000 for fiscal year 2023;
(iv) $5,900,000 for fiscal year 2024; and
(v) $7,900,000 for fiscal year 2025.
(2) Limitation on administrative expenses.--Not more than 2
percent of the amounts authorized to be appropriated under
paragraph (1)(B) may be used by the Administrator for
administrative expenses.
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