[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.
                                 ______