[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 160 (Wednesday, September 16, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4455-H4463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PROMOTING RESEARCH AND OBSERVATIONS OF SPACE WEATHER TO IMPROVE THE 
                      FORECASTING OF TOMORROW ACT

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (S. 881) to improve understanding and forecasting of space 
weather events, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 881

       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 ``Promoting Research and 
     Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of 
     Tomorrow Act'' or the ``PROSWIFT Act''.

     SEC. 2. SPACE WEATHER.

       (a) Policy.--It shall be the policy of the United States to 
     prepare and protect against the social and economic impacts 
     of space weather phenomena by supporting actions to improve 
     space weather forecasts and predictions including: sustaining 
     and enhancing critical observations, identifying research 
     needs and promoting opportunities for research-to-operations 
     and operations-to-research collaborations both within and 
     outside of the Federal Government, advancing space weather 
     models, engaging with all sectors of the space weather 
     community, including academia, the commercial sector, and 
     international partners, and understanding the needs of space 
     weather end users.
       (b) Amendment to Title 51, United States Code.--Subtitle VI 
     of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding after 
     chapter 605 the following:

                      ``CHAPTER 606--SPACE WEATHER

``Sec.
``60601. Space weather.
``60602. Integrated strategy.
``60603. Sustaining and advancing critical space weather observations.
``60604. Research activities.
``60605. Space weather data.
``60606. Space weather knowledge transfer and information exchange.
``60607. Pilot program for obtaining commercial sector space weather 
              data.
``60608. Space weather benchmarks.

     ``Sec. 60601. Space weather

       ``(a) Findings.--
       ``(1) Space weather.--Congress makes the following findings 
     with respect to space weather:
       ``(A) Space weather phenomena pose a significant threat to 
     ground-based and space-based critical infrastructure, modern 
     technological systems, and humans working in space.
       ``(B) The effects of severe space weather on the electric 
     power grid, satellites and satellite communications and 
     information, aviation operations, astronauts living and 
     working in space, and space-based position, navigation, and 
     timing systems could have significant societal, economic, 
     national security, and health impacts.
       ``(C) Space-based and ground-based observations provide 
     crucial data necessary to understand, forecast, and prepare 
     for space weather phenomena.
       ``(D) Clear roles and accountability of Federal departments 
     and agencies are critical for efficient and effective 
     response to threats posed by space weather.
       ``(E) Space weather observation and forecasting are 
     essential for the success of human and robotic space 
     exploration.
       ``(F) In October 2015, the National Science and Technology 
     Council published a National Space Weather Strategy and a 
     National Space Weather Action Plan seeking to integrate 
     national space weather efforts and add new capabilities to 
     meet increasing demand for space weather information.
       ``(G) In March 2019, the National Science and Technology 
     Council published an updated National Space Weather Strategy 
     and Action Plan to enhance the preparedness and resilience of 
     the United States to space weather.
       ``(2) Role of federal agencies.--Congress makes the 
     following findings with respect to the role of Federal 
     agencies on space weather:
       ``(A) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
     provides operational space weather monitoring, forecasting, 
     and long-term data archiving and access for civil 
     applications, maintains ground-based and space-based assets 
     to provide observations needed for space weather forecasting, 
     prediction, and warnings, provides research to support 
     operational responsibilities, and develops requirements for 
     space weather forecasting technologies and science.
       ``(B) The Department of Defense provides operational space 
     weather research, monitoring, and forecasting for the 
     Department's unique missions and applications.
       ``(C) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
     provides increased understanding of the fundamental physics 
     of the Sun-Earth system through basic research, space-based 
     observations and modeling, developing new space-based 
     technologies and missions, and monitoring of space weather 
     for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's space 
     missions.
       ``(D) The National Science Foundation provides increased 
     understanding of the Sun-Earth system through ground-based 
     measurements, technologies, and modeling.
       ``(E) The Department of the Interior collects, distributes, 
     and archives operational ground-based magnetometer data in 
     the United States and its territories, works with the 
     international community to improve global geophysical 
     monitoring, and develops crustal conductivity models to 
     assess and mitigate risks from space weather-induced electric 
     ground currents.
       ``(F) The Federal Aviation Administration provides 
     operational requirements for space weather services in 
     support of aviation and for coordination of these 
     requirements with the International Civil Aviation 
     Organization, and integrates space weather data and products 
     into the Next Generation Air Transportation System.
       ``(b) Coordination by Office of Science and Technology 
     Policy.--The Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
     Policy shall--
       ``(1) coordinate the development and implementation of 
     Federal Government activities conducted with respect to space 
     weather to improve the ability of the United States to 
     prepare for, avoid, mitigate, respond to, and recover from 
     potentially devastating impacts of space weather; and
       ``(2) coordinate the activities of the interagency working 
     group on space weather established under subsection (c).
       ``(c) Space Weather Interagency Working Group.--Not later 
     than 90 days after the date of enactment of the PROSWIFT Act, 
     the National Science and Technology Council shall establish 
     an interagency working group on space weather (in this 
     chapter referred to as the `interagency working group') to 
     coordinate executive branch actions that improve the 
     understanding and prediction of and preparation for space 
     weather phenomena, and coordinate Federal space weather 
     activities.
       ``(1) Membership.--The following entities shall be members 
     of the interagency working group:
       ``(A) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
       ``(B) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
       ``(C) The National Science Foundation.
       ``(D) The Department of Defense.
       ``(E) The Department of the Interior.
       ``(F) Such other Federal agencies as the Director of the 
     Office of Science and Technology Policy deems appropriate.
       ``(2) Interagency agreements.--
       ``(A) The members of the interagency working group may 
     enter into one or more interagency agreements providing for 
     cooperation and collaboration in the development of space 
     weather spacecraft, instruments, technologies, and research 
     to operations and operations to research in accordance with 
     this chapter.
       ``(B) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration and the Administrator of the National 
     Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall enter into one 
     or more interagency agreements providing for cooperation and 
     collaboration in the development of space weather spacecraft, 
     instruments, and technologies in accordance with this 
     chapter.
       ``(3) International, academic community, and commercial 
     sector collaboration.--Each Federal agency participating in 
     the space weather interagency working group established under 
     this subsection shall, to the extent practicable, increase 
     engagement and cooperation with the international community, 
     academic community, and commercial space weather sector on 
     the observational infrastructure, data, and scientific 
     research necessary to advance the monitoring, forecasting, 
     and prediction of, preparation for, and protection from, 
     space weather phenomena.
       ``(d) Space Weather Advisory Group.--
       ``(1) In general.--
       ``(A) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of the PROSWIFT Act, the Administrator 
     of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 
     consultation with other relevant Federal agencies, shall 
     establish a space weather advisory group (in this chapter 
     referred to as the `advisory group') for the purposes of 
     receiving advice from the academic

[[Page H4456]]

     community, the commercial space weather sector, and space 
     weather end users that informs the interests and work of the 
     interagency working group.
       ``(B) Composition.--The advisory group shall be composed of 
     not more than 15 members appointed by the interagency working 
     group, of whom--
       ``(i) 5 members shall be representatives of the academic 
     community;
       ``(ii) 5 members shall be representatives of the commercial 
     space weather sector; and
       ``(iii) 5 members shall be nongovernmental representatives 
     of the space weather end user community.
       ``(C) Chair.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
     which the last member of the advisory group is appointed 
     under subparagraph (B), the Administrator of the National 
     Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall appoint 1 member 
     as the Chair of the advisory group.
       ``(D) Terms.--The length of the term of each member of the 
     advisory group shall be 3 years beginning on the date on 
     which the member is appointed.
       ``(E) Term limits.--
       ``(i) In general.--A member of the advisory group may not 
     serve on the advisory group for more than 2 consecutive 
     terms.
       ``(ii) Chair.--A member of the advisory group may not serve 
     as the Chair of the advisory group for more than 2 terms, 
     regardless of whether the terms are consecutive.
       ``(2) Duties.--The advisory group shall advise the 
     interagency working group on the following:
       ``(A) Facilitating advances in the space weather enterprise 
     of the United States.
       ``(B) Improving the ability of the United States to prepare 
     for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from space weather 
     phenomena.
       ``(C) Enabling the coordination and facilitation of 
     research to operations and operations to research, as 
     described in section 60604(d).
       ``(D) Developing and implementing the integrated strategy 
     under section 60602 including subsequent updates and 
     reevaluations.
       ``(3) User survey.--
       ``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     establishment of the advisory group, the advisory group shall 
     conduct a comprehensive survey of the needs of users of space 
     weather products to identify the space weather research, 
     observations, forecasting, prediction, and modeling advances 
     required to improve space weather products.
       ``(B) Survey considerations.--The survey conducted under 
     subparagraph (A) shall--
       ``(i) assess the adequacy of current Federal Government 
     goals for lead time, accuracy, coverage, timeliness, data 
     rate, and data quality for space weather observations and 
     forecasting;
       ``(ii) identify options and methods to, in consultation 
     with the academic community and the commercial space weather 
     sector, improve upon the advancement of the goals described 
     in clause (i);
       ``(iii) identify opportunities for collection of new data 
     to address the needs of the space weather user community;
       ``(iv) identify methods to increase coordination of space 
     weather research to operations and operations to research;
       ``(v) identify opportunities for new technologies, 
     research, and instrumentation to aid in research, 
     understanding, monitoring, modeling, prediction, forecasting, 
     and warning of space weather; and
       ``(vi) identify methods and technologies to improve 
     preparedness for potential space weather phenomena.
       ``(C) Coordination with agencies.--In carrying out the 
     requirements of this subsection, the advisory group shall 
     communicate and coordinate with the interagency working group 
     to ensure the needs of the governmental space weather user 
     community are adequately and appropriately identified by the 
     survey under subparagraph (A).
       ``(D) Briefing to congress.--Not later than 30 days after 
     the completion of the survey under subparagraph (A), the 
     advisory group shall provide to the Committee on Science, 
     Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate a briefing on the results of the survey under 
     subparagraph (A).
       ``(E) Publication.--Within 30 days of the briefing to 
     Congress, the advisory group shall make the results of the 
     survey under subparagraph (A) publicly available.
       ``(F) Reevaluation.--The advisory group shall review and 
     assess the survey under subparagraph (A) not less than every 
     3 years and update, resubmit, and republish the survey in 
     accordance with the requirements of subparagraphs (D) and 
     (E).
       ``(4) Federal advisory committee act.--Section 14 of the 
     Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not 
     apply to the advisory group.

     ``Sec. 60602. Integrated strategy

       ``(a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Science 
     and Technology Policy, in collaboration with the interagency 
     working group and upon the advice of the advisory group, 
     shall develop a strategy for coordinated observation of space 
     weather among members of the interagency working group (in 
     this chapter, referred to as the `integrated strategy'). The 
     integrated strategy shall identify--
       ``(1) observations and measurements that must be sustained 
     beyond the lifetime of current ground-based and space-based 
     assets, as described under section 60603, that are essential 
     for space weather research, models, forecasting, and 
     prediction;
       ``(2) new observations and measurements that may 
     significantly improve space weather forecasting and 
     prediction; and
       ``(3) plans for follow-on space-based observations under 
     section 60603.
       ``(b) Considerations.--In developing the integrated 
     strategy in subsection (a), the Director of the Office of 
     Science and Technology Policy shall consider, as appropriate, 
     the following:
       ``(1) Potential contributions of commercial solutions, 
     prize authority, academic and international partnerships, 
     microsatellites, small satellite options, ground-based 
     instruments, and hosted payloads for observations identified 
     in section 60602(a)(2).
       ``(2) Work conducted before the date of enactment of the 
     PROSWIFT Act by the National Science and Technology Council 
     with respect to space weather.
       ``(3) The survey under section 60601(d).
       ``(4) Any relevant recommendations from the most recent 
     National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 
     Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics).
       ``(c) Review of Integrated Strategy.--
       ``(1) Review.--The Administrator of the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Administrator of 
     the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 
     consultation with Federal agencies participating in the 
     interagency working group, shall enter into an agreement with 
     the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 
     to review the integrated strategy developed in this section.
       ``(2) Considerations.--The review from paragraph (1) shall 
     also consider the current state, capability, and feasibility 
     of the commercial space weather sector to provide new and 
     supplemental observations and measurements that may 
     significantly improve space weather forecasting and 
     prediction.
       ``(3) Transmittal.--The Director of the Office of Science 
     and Technology Policy, the Administrator of the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Administrator 
     of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall 
     transmit the integrated strategy and the results of the 
     review required under paragraph (1) to the Committee on 
     Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate not later than 1 year after the 
     date of the completion of the survey under section 
     60601(d)(3). The integrated strategy and its review shall be 
     made publicly available within 30 days of submittal to 
     Congress.
       ``(d) Implementation Plan.--Not later than 180 days after 
     delivery of the review of the integrated strategy in 
     subsection (c)(3), the interagency working group shall 
     develop a plan to implement the integrated strategy, 
     including an estimate of the cost and schedule required for 
     implementation. Upon completion, the interagency working 
     group shall submit the implementation plan to the Committees 
     on Science, Space, and Technology and Armed Services of the 
     House of Representatives and the Committees on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation and Armed Services of the Senate. 
     The implementation plan shall be made publicly available 
     within 30 days of submittal to Congress.
       ``(e) Reevaluation.--The Director, in collaboration with 
     the interagency working group, shall update the integrated 
     strategy not later than 1 year after the reevaluation of the 
     user survey from section 60601(d)(3)(F) in accordance with 
     the requirements of subsections (a) through (d).

     ``Sec. 60603. Sustaining and advancing critical space weather 
       observations

       ``(a) Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to--
       ``(1) establish and sustain a baseline capability for space 
     weather observations and to make such observations and data 
     publicly available; and
       ``(2) obtain enhanced space weather observations, as 
     practicable, to advance forecasting and prediction 
     capability, as informed by the integrated strategy in section 
     60602.
       ``(b) Sustaining Baseline Space-based Observational 
     Capabilities.--
       ``(1) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration shall, in cooperation with the European 
     Space Agency and other international and interagency 
     partners, maintain operations of the Solar and Heliospheric 
     Observatory/Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph 
     (referred to in this section as `SOHO/LASCO') for as long as 
     the satellite continues to deliver quality observations.
       ``(2) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration shall prioritize the reception of SOHO/
     LASCO data.
       ``(3) The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration shall maintain, for as long as is 
     practicable, operations of current space-based observational 
     assets, including but not limited to the Geostationary 
     Operational Environmental Satellites system, and the Deep 
     Space Climate Observatory.
       ``(c) Backup Space-based Observational Capability.--The 
     Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense 
     and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration, shall work with Federal and international 
     partners in order to secure reliable backup baseline 
     capability for near real-time coronal mass ejection imagery, 
     solar wind,

[[Page H4457]]

     solar imaging, coronal imagery, and other relevant 
     observations required to provide space weather forecasts.
       ``(d) SOHO/LASCO Operational Contingency Plan.--The 
     Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration shall develop an operational contingency plan 
     to provide continuous space weather forecasting in the event 
     of an unexpected SOHO/LASCO failure, and prior to the 
     implementation of the backup space-based baseline 
     observational capability in section 60603(c).
       ``(e) Briefing.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     enactment of the PROSWIFT Act, the Administrator of the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall provide 
     a briefing to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
     of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the 
     plan to secure reliable backup baseline capability described 
     in subsection (c) and the SOHO/LASCO operational contingency 
     plan developed under subsection (d).
       ``(f) Sustaining Ground-based Observational Capability.--
     The Director of the National Science Foundation, the Director 
     of the United States Geological Survey, the Secretary of the 
     Air Force, and, as practicable in support of the Air Force, 
     the Secretary of the Navy, shall each--
       ``(1) maintain and improve ground-based observations of the 
     Sun, as necessary and advisable, to help meet the needs 
     identified in the survey under section 60601(d)(3); and
       ``(2) continue to provide space weather data through 
     ground-based facilities, including radars, lidars, 
     magnetometers, neutron monitors, radio receivers, aurora and 
     airglow imagers, spectrometers, interferometers, and solar 
     observatories.
       ``(g) Considerations.--In implementing subsections (b), 
     (c), and (d), the Administrators of the National Aeronautics 
     and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration, the Directors of the National 
     Science Foundation and United States Geological Survey, and 
     the Secretaries of the Air Force and the Navy shall 
     prioritize cost-effective and reliable solutions.
       ``(h) Ground-based Observational Data.--The Director of the 
     National Science Foundation shall--
       ``(1) make available to the public key data streams from 
     the platforms and facilities described in subsection (d) for 
     research and to support space weather model development;
       ``(2) develop experimental models for scientific purposes; 
     and
       ``(3) support the transition of the experimental models to 
     operations where appropriate.
       ``(i) Enhanced Space-based Observations.--The Administrator 
     of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 
     coordination with the Secretary of Defense, should develop 
     options to build and deploy space-based observational 
     capabilities, beyond the baseline capabilities referenced in 
     subsection (b), that may improve space weather measurements 
     and observations. These supplemental observational 
     capabilities could include commercial solutions, prize 
     authority, academic partnerships, microsatellites, ground-
     based instruments, and opportunities to deploy the instrument 
     or instruments as a secondary payload on an upcoming planned 
     launch.

     ``Sec. 60604. Research activities

       ``(a) Basic Research.--The Director of the National Science 
     Foundation, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration, and the Secretary of Defense, shall--
       ``(1) continue to carry out basic research on heliophysics, 
     geospace science, and space weather; and
       ``(2) support competitive, peer-reviewed proposals for 
     conducting research, advancing modeling, and monitoring of 
     space weather and its impacts, including the science goals 
     outlined in decadal surveys in solar and space physics 
     conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 
     and Medicine.
       ``(b) Multidisciplinary Research.--
       ``(1) Findings.--Congress finds that the multidisciplinary 
     nature of solar and space physics creates funding challenges 
     that require coordination across scientific disciplines and 
     Federal agencies.
       ``(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     science centers could coordinate multidisciplinary solar and 
     space physics research. The Administrator of the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration and Director of the 
     National Science Foundation should support competitively 
     awarded grants for multidisciplinary science centers that 
     advance solar and space physics research, including research-
     to-operations and operations-to-research processes.
       ``(3) Multidisciplinary research.--The Director of the 
     National Science Foundation, the Administrator of the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the 
     Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration, shall each pursue multidisciplinary research 
     in subjects that further the understanding of solar physics, 
     space physics, and space weather.
       ``(c) Science Missions.--The Administrator of the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration should implement 
     missions that meet the science objectives identified in solar 
     and space physics decadal surveys conducted by the National 
     Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
       ``(d) Research to Operations; Operations to Research.--The 
     interagency working group shall, upon consideration of the 
     advice of the advisory group, develop formal mechanisms to--
       ``(1) transition the space weather research findings, 
     models, and capabilities of the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the 
     United States Geological Survey, and other relevant Federal 
     agencies, as appropriate, to the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Defense;
       ``(2) enhance coordination between research modeling 
     centers and forecasting centers; and
       ``(3) communicate the operational needs of space weather 
     forecasters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration and Department of Defense, as appropriate, to 
     the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
     National Science Foundation, and the United States Geological 
     Survey.

     ``Sec. 60605. Space weather data

       ``(a) In General.--The Administrator of the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Director of the 
     National Science Foundation shall continue to--
       ``(1) make space weather-related data obtained for 
     scientific research purposes available to space weather 
     forecasters and operations centers; and
       ``(2) support model development and model applications to 
     space weather forecasting.
       ``(b) Research.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic 
     and Atmospheric Administration shall make space weather-
     related data obtained from operational forecasting available 
     for research.

     ``Sec. 60606. Space weather knowledge transfer and 
       information exchange

       ``Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
     the PROSWIFT Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
     and Atmospheric Administration, in collaboration with the 
     Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration and the Director of the National Science 
     Foundation, shall enter into an arrangement with the National 
     Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to establish 
     a Space Weather Government-Academic-Commercial Roundtable to 
     facilitate communication and knowledge transfer among 
     Government participants in the space weather interagency 
     working group established under section 60601(c), the 
     academic community, and the commercial space weather sector 
     to--
       ``(1) facilitate advances in space weather prediction and 
     forecasting;
       ``(2) increase coordination of space weather research to 
     operations and operations to research; and
       ``(3) improve preparedness for potential space weather 
     phenomena.

     ``Sec. 60607. Pilot program for obtaining commercial sector 
       space weather data

       ``(a) Establishment.--Not later than 12 months after the 
     date of enactment of the PROSWIFT Act, the Administrator of 
     the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may 
     establish a pilot program under which the Administrator will 
     offer to enter into contracts with one or more entities in 
     the commercial space weather sector for the provision to the 
     Administrator of space weather data generated by such an 
     entity that meets the standards and specifications published 
     under subsection (b).
       ``(b) Data Standard and Specifications.--Not later than 18 
     months after the date of enactment of the PROSWIFT Act, the 
     Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration, in consultation with the Secretary of 
     Defense, may publish standards and specifications for ground-
     based, ocean-based, air-based, and space-based commercial 
     space weather data and metadata.
       ``(c) Contracts.--
       ``(1) In general.--Within 12 months after the date of 
     transmission of the review of the integrated strategy to 
     Congress under section 60602(c)(3) and taking into account 
     the results of the review, the Administrator of the National 
     Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may offer to enter, 
     through an open competition, into at least one contract with 
     one or more commercial space weather sector entities capable 
     of providing space weather data that--
       ``(A) meets the standards and specifications established 
     for providing such data under subsection (b); and
       ``(B) is provided in a manner that allows the Administrator 
     of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to 
     calibrate and evaluate the data for use in space weather 
     research and forecasting models of the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Defense, or 
     both.
       ``(2) Assessment.--If one or more contract is entered into 
     under paragraph (1), not later than 4 years after the date of 
     enactment of the PROSWIFT Act, the Administrator of the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall assess, 
     and submit to the Committees on Science, Space, and 
     Technology and Armed Services of the House of Representatives 
     and the Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     and Armed Services of the Senate, a report on the extent to 
     which the pilot program has demonstrated data provided under 
     contracts described in paragraph (1) meet the standards and 
     specifications established under subsection (b) and the 
     extent to which the pilot program has demonstrated--

[[Page H4458]]

       ``(A) the viability of assimilating the commercially 
     provided data into National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration space weather research and forecasting models;
       ``(B) whether, and by how much, the data so provided add 
     value to space weather forecasts of the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Defense; and
       ``(C) the accuracy, quality, timeliness, validity, 
     reliability, usability, information technology security, and 
     cost-effectiveness of obtaining commercial space weather data 
     from commercial sector providers.

     ``Sec. 60608. Space weather benchmarks

       ``The interagency working group established under section 
     60601(c) shall periodically review and update the benchmarks 
     described in the report of the National Science and 
     Technology Council entitled `Space Weather Phase 1 
     Benchmarks' and dated June 2018, as necessary, based on--
       ``(1) any significant new data or advances in scientific 
     understanding that become available; or
       ``(2) the evolving needs of entities impacted by space 
     weather phenomena.''.
       (c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) The table of chapters of title 51, United States Code, 
     is amended by adding after the item relating to chapter 605 
     the following:

``606. Space Weather.......................................60601''.....

       (2) Section 809 of the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18388) 
     and the item relating to that section in the table of 
     contents under section 1(b) of that Act (Public Law 111-267; 
     124 Stat. 2806) are repealed.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on S. 881, the bill now under 
consideration.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  September 16, 2020, on page H4458, the following appeared: Mr. 
PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 811, the bill now 
under consideration.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. PERLMUTTER. 
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 
legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include 
extraneous material on S. 881, the bill now under consideration.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am very excited we are here today to pass S. 881, 
the PROSWIFT Act, a bill that I have been working on for almost 5 
years.
  Space weather is the electromagnetic activity that comes from the 
Sun, and it can have significant societal, economic, national security, 
and health implications both here on Earth and in space.
  About 5 years ago, Dr. Dan Baker from the University of Colorado 
Boulder testified in front of the Science, Space, and Technology 
Committee about the dangers of space weather events on the electric 
grid. At that hearing, he said that had an observed July 2012 space 
weather event actually hit Earth, we would ``still be picking up the 
pieces.''
  That testimony stuck with me, and when Senators Gary Peters and Cory 
Gardner introduced the first version of this bill a few months later, I 
was eager to start working on the House companion.
  Over the last 4 years, the House and the Senate have been working 
toward the shared goal of passing this legislation into law, but we 
have had a few differences we have had to work out. I am glad we 
finally worked through those differences and can send this bill to the 
President's desk today.
  In 2015, the Office of Science and Technology Policy pulled together 
the best and brightest from within the various agencies working on 
space weather to produce the National Space Weather Strategy and Action 
Plan. These documents helped renew our focus on the critical research 
and operational needs to improve our space weather enterprise, and OSTP 
updated the strategy and action plan in 2019.
  The PROSWIFT Act builds upon this work by providing the structures 
needed for the continued advancement of heliophysics research, 
collection of new data and observations, and improvements to our 
modeling and forecasting.
  This bill also, for the first time, clearly delineates the roles and 
responsibilities of the key Federal agencies involved in space weather, 
including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science 
Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation 
Administration, and the United States Geological Survey, as well as the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy.
  Importantly, our legislation brings in new voices from the academic 
community, commercial space weather sector, and space weather forecast 
end-users. These communities will participate in the space weather 
advisory group created in the bill as well as on a new government-
academia-commercial roundtable we create to be facilitated by the 
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
  Finally, the bill also sets up formal research-to-operations and 
operations-to-research mechanisms to help break down barriers between 
the research community and operational forecasters by encouraging 
sharing of information and requirements to improve the pipeline of new 
observations, technologies, models, and forecasts.
  This bill will improve our understanding of space weather and better 
prepare us for its impacts on the electric power grid, communications 
networks, satellite operations, and airlines. It will also help NASA 
understand the radiation environment for our astronauts on the 
International Space Station, on their way back to the Moon, and, most 
importantly, on their journey to Mars by 2033.
  We have been working on this bill for a long time now, and I want to 
thank the gentleman from Alabama, Representative Mo Brooks, for his 
help pushing for this bipartisan legislation. I also want to thank 
Chairwoman Johnson and her staff for their support over the years, 
getting us to where we are today, and Ranking Member Frank Lucas for 
his support of the bill. I also want to thank my friend, Senator Gary 
Peters from Michigan, who happens to be in the House Chamber today, for 
all the work he and his staff have put into this effort over the years.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 881, the Promoting Research 
and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of 
Tomorrow Act, commonly referred to as the PROSWIFT Act.
  Fluctuations in solar magnetic activity create variations in the 
environment between Earth and the Sun that can affect technologies in 
space and here on Earth. This phenomenon is what we refer to as space 
weather.
  For the most part, space weather has a minimal effect here, but 
increased solar activity and severe events can create widespread 
problems and even disrupt our electric grid. Satellites that have less 
protection from Earth's magnetic field are especially vulnerable.
  Significant space weather events are not a new phenomenon, and we 
have evidence dating back more than 150 years of severe space weather 
events affecting human activity. However, the impact of these events is 
much greater now that we rely on satellites and remote sensing for 
everything from cell phone communication to energy production to GPS 
navigation.
  For example, farmers in Oklahoma have been at the forefront of 
utilizing precision agriculture to help ensure the most effective use 
of our resources when planting crops, a technology dependent on GPS.

  Space weather is also a national security issue. Our military has a 
variety of assets in orbit around the Earth, which could potentially be 
harmed by electromagnetic interference. They rely on satellites built 
by NASA and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, or NOAA, for timely and accurate information about 
potential space weather events.
  It is not only technology that is threatened by space weather events. 
There are the astronauts who currently work on the International Space 
Station more than 200 miles above the Earth's surface and will one day 
serve on missions to the Moon and Mars. While we have developed 
techniques and technology to reduce the threats posed by increased 
radiation exposure due to a severe solar event, we have more work to do 
to mitigate these hazards to our astronauts as we venture beyond low-
Earth orbit.
  In short, severe space weather can have significant effects on each 
and

[[Page H4459]]

every one of us. That is why timely and accurate information from 
agencies like NASA and NOAA is so important. These agencies play an 
important role in better monitoring and forecasting space weather.
  The bill before us today represents a good faith effort by the House 
and Senate to provide a framework that will provide for better 
coordination across the Federal Government. This is especially timely 
given that we are about to enter a period of increased solar activity, 
which will create more space weather events.
  I am pleased this legislation includes an amendment I introduced 
during the markup of this legislation. My amendment creates a pilot 
program that will ensure that emerging private-sector companies will 
have a seat at the table and will be able to provide monitoring and 
forecast data, which the Federal Government can purchase and utilize in 
their space weather forecasts.
  I thank the sponsors of this legislation for their work on this 
important topic. I ask my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.

                              {time}  1230

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Oklahoma (Ms. Kendra S. Horn), my friend, the chair of the 
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics.
  Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Perlmutter 
for yielding me the time.
  Madam Speaker, I begin by saying, I rise in strong support of S. 881, 
the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the 
Forecasting of Tomorrow, or the PROSWIFT Act, and recognize my 
colleague, Mr. Perlmutter, for all of his efforts on this, as well as 
my fellow Oklahoman and ranking member of the committee, Mr. Lucas, and 
particularly, too, recognize Senator Peters for all of his work on this 
important issue, which I think can often go underrecognized and 
unappreciated.
  I was proud to cosponsor the House version of the PROSWIFT Act, H.R. 
5260, with Mr. Perlmutter and many others, which passed out of the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and I would like to, 
again, recognize the leadership on this bipartisan and bicameral bill, 
including Mr. Brooks and others for the committee's work to advance an 
understanding of and the importance of predictive capabilities of space 
weather.
  The PROSWIFT Act is really the culmination of years of work and 
reflects input from hearings, including joint hearings, the 
Subcommittee on Environment and the Subcommittee on Space and 
Aeronautics, which I chair.
  Though, it can feel remote, space weather can have a significant 
impact on us right here on Earth, as you have heard. Space weather, 
such as solar flares, solar wind and geomagnetic storms of energized, 
charged particles can affect everything from our electric power grids, 
to satellites, to aviation operations, human spaceflight operations, 
and much more.
  In short, severe space weather events pose significant risks to our 
infrastructure, and in turn, our economy and our national security. 
This is an important time and an important thing to take action on.
  Madam Speaker, space weather forecasting is years, if not decades, 
behind the maturity of terrestrial forecasting, and that is why S. 881, 
the PROSWIFT Act, is critical.
  Without improvements in space weather forecasts and prediction, we 
run the risk of potential disruptions to our critical infrastructure. 
The PROSWIFT Act establishes U.S. policy to help prepare and protect us 
against the social and economic impacts of space weather phenomena by 
supporting actions to improve space weather forecasts and predictions.
  This act makes clear the importance of federal agency contributions, 
and their effective coordination, including NASA. To carry out research 
on the Sun and its effects on near-Earth environments, NASA operates 
research satellites whose measurements are also essential to NOAA's 
operational space weather forecasts.
  The PROSWIFT Act moves us forward from relying, in part, on these 
research assets, some of which have been operating for over two 
decades, to developing a strategic and coordinated approach to 
sustaining a baseline of space weather operations and better predicting 
space weather events.
  It is also important to enabling our future goals of space, including 
exploration goals to send humans to the Moon and to Mars, as laid out 
in H.R. 5666, the bipartisan NASA Authorization Act of 2020. 
Improvements in space weather forecasts will help keep our astronauts 
safe from harmful space radiation, which can be elevated during solar 
storms.
  In addition, H.R. 5666 complements S. 881, the PROSWIFT Act, by 
directing the NASA administrator to establish a space weather research 
and applications program.
  Madam Speaker, the Senate passed S. 881 on July 27, 2020, and now the 
House must act to make sure this important legislation becomes law.
  Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Brooks).
  Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I support the Promoting 
Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting 
of Tomorrow Act, called the PROSWIFT Act.
  I thank Congressman Perlmutter for his leadership on this important 
issue and for working with me in the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology to advance the Senate bill, which is identical to the House 
version we have worked so long and hard on.
  The PROSWIFT Act advances America's understanding of potentially 
severe weather events and damaging consequences.
  Space weather is a collection of physical processes beginning at the 
Sun with solar winds and ultimately affecting human activities on Earth 
and in space. Humanity needs a better understanding of these solar 
winds and their interaction with Earth's atmosphere. The PROSWIFT Act 
is a step towards that better understanding.
  In Alabama's Marshall Space Flight Center, scientists and engineers 
are at the forefront of space weather research. Under the PROSWIFT Act, 
their enhanced research will advance our understanding of and ability 
to forecast space weather.
  The PROSWIFT Act recognizes that space weather not only impacts us on 
Earth, it can and will impact us in deep space exploration.
  For example, before we launch NASA's Artemis man-to-Moon-missions 
that pave the way to Mars missions, it is best that we should better 
understand how space weather phenomena impacts life in space, 
satellites, and other space instrumentation.
  Madam Speaker, it is critical that we properly forecast space weather 
and prepare for and protect astronauts from the dangers of solar 
radiation.
  Madam Speaker, I, again, thank my colleague, Mr. Perlmutter, for his 
leadership on space weather and his partnership on the PROSWIFT Act.
  I encourage my colleagues to vote for Senate Bill 881 and send it to 
President Trump to sign.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Alabama for 
being a good partner and really working with me and with the Senate to 
refine and get this thing into an excellent product.
  Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters of 
support we received for the PROSWIFT Act: a letter from the University 
of Colorado at Boulder; a letter from the University Corporation for 
Atmospheric Research; a letter from the American Commercial Space 
Weather Association; a letter from the American Astronomical Society; a 
letter from the American Geophysical Union; a letter from the 
University of Michigan; a letter from the University of New Hampshire; 
and a letter from the Pennsylvania State University.


                                                         LASP,

                                                  January 8, 2020.
     Hon. Ed Perlmutter,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Perlmutter: On behalf of my colleagues 
     at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) 
     and the University of Colorado Boulder, I write in support of 
     the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to 
     Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow Act (PROSWIFT) Act (H.R. 
     5260). Given the continued threat and vulnerabilities facing 
     our world from solar interactions with the Earth, we applaud 
     the bicameral and bipartisan approach Congress is taking to 
     address the challenges we face with respect to enhancing our 
     nation's space weather forecasting capabilities.

[[Page H4460]]

       Throughout the Space Age, we have discovered and 
     accumulated a vast knowledge on the governing physical 
     processes of the various regions of both deep space as well 
     as the space surrounding near-Earth. This knowledge has 
     provided an opportunity to expand our reach into the solar 
     system and beyond, as well as increase our Earth observation 
     capabilities. Over time, the increased utilization of 
     satellites continues to have a broad reach across our 
     society, including within the security, public safety and 
     commercial realms. The data we acquire from these satellites 
     is vital in order to protect our national security and 
     economic interests, and interruptions stemming from increased 
     solar activity could prove detrimental in carrying out these 
     important functions.
       As a result, the call to increase our space weather 
     forecasting and mitigation capabilities was amplified by the 
     National Academies Decadal Survey in Solar and Space Physics 
     in 2012, and again through the Office of Science and 
     Technology Policy's Space Weather Action Plan that was 
     released in October 2015. Through these calls, it has become 
     a national imperative to streamline the mechanisms designed 
     to help develop and maintain a forecasting system that not 
     only help to predict space weather events, but to respond to 
     them. We believe the PROSWIFT Act will provide a 
     collaborative framework for the federal government and its 
     agencies to work together alongside academic, international 
     and commercial space communities to advance this critical 
     undertaking.
       An important component of space weather research and 
     monitoring is collaboration and cooperation among its many 
     stakeholders. The legislation's call for the development of a 
     Space Weather Government-Academic-Commercial Roundtable in 
     addition to a Space Weather Advisory Group will foster 
     collaboration among academic, commercial and space weather 
     end users designed to provide the federal interagency working 
     group with guidance from key constituent groups. In addition, 
     the renewed expansion of basic and multidisciplinary research 
     as well as the federal partnership with the National 
     Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to 
     ``implement missions that meet the science objectives 
     identified in solar and space physics decadal surveys'' is a 
     great step forward toward increasing our nation's future 
     forecasting and responsive capabilities. Finally, the strong 
     focus on research and operational capacity within this 
     legislation underscores the important role academic 
     institutions will continue to play in addressing the needs of 
     federal agencies. Here at LASP (and I, daresay, across all of 
     CU-Boulder), we take great pride in our expertise in research 
     to operations and operations to research (R2O/O2R) 
     capabilities, and we stand ready to assist in the cooperative 
     model outlined in the H.R. 5260 to advance our national space 
     weather forecast and response capabilities.
       Again, we applaud this legislation and its aim to 
     streamline federal efforts working in conjunction with 
     academic and commercial space partners in order to better 
     understand and predict space weather activities and their 
     impacts on our national interests. Thank you for your 
     outstanding support and leadership, and please continue to 
     think of us as a resource and partner going forward.
           Sincerely,
     Daniel N. Baker, Ph.D.,
       Distinguished Professor of Planetary & Space Physics, Moog-
     BRE Endowed Chair of Space Sciences, Director, Laboratory for 
     Atmospheric and Space Physics; Professor, Astrophysical and 
     Planetary Sciences; Professor, Department of Physics; 
     Professor, Aerospace Engineering Sciences.
                                  ____

                                                             UCAR,


                                      Office of the President,

                                                  January 8, 2020.
     Hon. Ed Perlmutter,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Perlmutter: As a research organization 
     committed to better understanding the earth system, including 
     the critical role of the sun in geospace sciences, the 
     University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) would 
     like to thank you for proposing H.R. 5260--Promoting Research 
     and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting 
     of Tomorrow Act--and voice our strong support for PROSWIFT. 
     H.R. 5260 will enhance the integration of existing national 
     efforts to understand, predict, prepare for, and mitigate 
     space weather and will strengthen economic and national 
     security as a result.
       Scientists are just beginning to understand the 
     interactions between our sun and the Earth. Given the growing 
     national importance and reliance on technology, it is 
     critical that we expand our scientific understanding of the 
     interactions between the sun and Earth so that we may improve 
     forecasting and mitigate the effects of space weather events. 
     Coupled with the National Space Weather Strategy and National 
     Space Weather Action Plan, this legislation sets national 
     priorities to increase and improve space weather 
     observations, science, and forecasting abilities.
       H.R. 5260 lays out a clear road map for the space weather 
     enterprise which consists of the public, private and academic 
     sectors, and in so doing will enable better research to 
     operations transitions that will benefit all communities that 
     rely on technology both on the ground and in space that can 
     be affected by these sun-driven events. The creation of the 
     Space Weather Advisory Group is to be lauded as an excellent 
     first step as it will establish the necessary linkages 
     between government, academia and the private sector in an 
     organized way that is currently done in an ad hoc fashion. 
     This new approach will allow Congress to be kept up to date 
     on the latest advances in science that are translated into 
     operations and will help to identify the highest priority 
     areas that are in need of resources in both the research and 
     operational realms.
       Most of our understanding of space weather is based on 
     experience and knowledge gained over the last 30 years, 
     though the historical record indicates space weather events 
     of much greater severity have occurred within the last 150 
     years. Impacting airlines, GPS, and electric utilities, space 
     weather events in recent history resulted in economic 
     consequences in the tens of millions of dollars. Estimates 
     for damage resulting from a repeat of the worst known event 
     of the last 150 years range from $1-2 trillion in the first 
     year alone. Scientists do not know the likelihood of such an 
     event recurring, or even whether such an event is the worst-
     case scenario. Thus, predictability of such events needs to 
     be the driver for all research in the space weather domain. 
     As part of the need to organize the research optimally to 
     meet this threat, and in line with input from your recent 
     hearing, UCAR encourages the committee to establish the 
     Geosciences Directorate within the National Science 
     Foundation (NSF) to be the lead within NSF for all space 
     weather research activities.
       Additionally, we commend H.R. 5260 for its emphasis on 
     ``Sustaining Ground-Based Observational Capability'' and we 
     believe it is imperative to draw the distinction between 
     astronomy and space weather research in this regards. Ground-
     based observations are less costly and are the appropriate 
     way to prove an observational capability and ensure risk 
     reduction for instruments that may later be flown in space. 
     Current ground-based telescopes used in astronomy are 
     inadequate for space weather research so this section is 
     vital to ensure a robust ``ground to space'' strategy.
       H.R. 5260 would provide clear roles and responsibilities to 
     the various federal agencies responsible for understanding, 
     predicting, and forecasting space weather, including the 
     National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 
     National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of 
     Defense (DOD). As these are all agencies with which we work 
     regularly, this clarity would enable us to pursue research 
     that will have the best impact on society's ability to 
     predict and respond to space weather events.
       Again, thank you for your tireless work supporting the 
     science community in Colorado and across the United States. 
     We appreciate your efforts on this bill and many other 
     endeavors.
           Best regards,

                                    Dr. Antonio J. Busalacchi,

                                 President, University Corporation
     for Atmospheric Research.
                                  ____

                                         American Commercial Space


                                          Weather Association,

                                                 December 6, 2019.

                              Jeff O'Neil,

     Legislative Director, Office of Congressman Ed Perlmutter 
         (C0-07), Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. O'Neil: On behalf of the American Commercial Space 
     Weather Association (ACSWA), we are writing to express our 
     strong support for H.R. 5260, Promoting Research and 
     Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of 
     Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act. The current version of the bill 
     highlights the growing importance of space weather across a 
     broad range of technology areas. We are pleased to see 
     references to the expanding role of the commercial sector in 
     addressing gaps in fundamental knowledge, providing the means 
     to develop and improve observational resources, enabling the 
     research to operations and operations to research enterprise, 
     and mitigating the impacts of space weather threats. ACSWA 
     stands ready to aid federal agencies in undertaking this 
     critically important enterprise.
       The studies and survey mandated by the bill will be 
     extremely helpful to the space weather community as it 
     mobilizes to address the high priority science and technology 
     objectives that continue to drive space weather activities in 
     federal laboratories, academic institutions, and the private 
     sector. ACSWA member companies strive to continue agency and 
     academia close partnerships that have been established and 
     strengthened through the years. We fully anticipate that the 
     five members of the PROSWIFT Advisory Committee from the 
     commercial sector will ensure that ACSWA expertise, assets, 
     and resources will be fully integrated in the space weather 
     strategies emerging from the PROSWIFT-mandated actions.
       ACSWA fully supports the observational priorities outlined 
     in the PROSWIFT bill. More specifically, ACSWA feels it is 
     important to continue L1 observations with a follow-on 
     mission while simultaneously working aggressively toward 
     developing an L5

[[Page H4461]]

     platform. The combination of solar observations from L1 and 
     L5 orbits provide an unprecedented view of the disturbances 
     from which most space weather effects at Earth originate. 
     Additionally, the rapidly improving capabilities in 
     monitoring the ionosphere using radio occultation techniques 
     will address a long-standing challenge in mitigating space 
     weather effects on navigation and communication systems. The 
     data sets generated by these observations will offer many 
     opportunities for commercial sector companies to develop 
     tailored products for government and industry customers.
       We note that the PROSWlFT bill provides some latitude to 
     federal agencies in how the commercial sector will be 
     involved in space weather research and operations. ACSWA 
     hopes that the language in the bill provides sufficient 
     encouragement for agencies to overcome long-standing barriers 
     that inhibit full cooperation and involvement with the 
     commercial sector, not all of which are based on fiscal 
     constraints. Again, the commercial sector members of the 
     PROSWIFT Advisory Committee will have an important role to 
     play in identifying strategies for taking full advantage of 
     the private sector in meeting space weather goals. The pilot 
     program removed from the earlier version of this bill would 
     have effectively demonstrated the merits of such strategies. 
     ACSWA looks forward to seeing such pilot programs implemented 
     by federal agencies as they strive to meet space weather 
     research and operational goals.
       While we don't want to-jeopardize the passage of the bill, 
     there are additional small changes we believe could be added 
     to the bill to ensure that all available technologies and 
     processes are applied to reduce space weather hazards:
       Page 7, lines 23-24 (Section 60601(d)(3)): change ``Each 
     Federal agency participating in the space weather . . .'' to 
     ``All Federal agencies participating in the space weather . . 
     . .''
       p. 18., line 19 in section 60603(d)(2)): ``. . . airflow 
     imagers, spectrometers, interferometers, airborne radiation 
     instrumentation, and . . . .''
       ACSWA agrees with the Agency changes of Page 21-22; 23-5: 
     ``. . . transition National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration, National Science Foundation, United States 
     Geological Survey, and other relevant Federal agencies space 
     weather research findings, models, and capabilities, as 
     appropriate, to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration and the Department of Defense'' to: 
     ``transition space weather research findings, models, and 
     capabilities, as appropriate, from the National Aeronautics 
     and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, United 
     States Geological Survey, other relevant Federal agencies, 
     the academic community, and the commercial space weather 
     sector to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
     and the Department of Defense''
       ACSWA agrees with the Agency changes of Page 22, 9-15: ``. 
     . . communicate National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration and Department of Defense operational needs of 
     space weather forecasters, as appropriate, to the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science 
     Foundation and United States Geological Survey.'' to: 
     ``communicate National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
     and Department of Defense operational needs of space weather 
     forecasters, as appropriate, to the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, United 
     States Geological Survey, other relevant Federal agencies, 
     the academic community, and the commercial space weather 
     sector.''
       ACSWA appreciates all the hard work and careful thought 
     devoted to crafting the PROSWIFT bill. It not only provides a 
     tremendous boost to the entire space weather enterprise, but 
     also takes a huge step toward protecting the nation from 
     threats to technological infrastructure that is becoming ever 
     more susceptible to space weather disturbances. We hope that 
     this vital bill is quickly approved and federal agencies move 
     forward with the activities so carefully delineated in the 
     document.
           Sincerely,
     Devrie Intriligator,
     W. Kent Tobiska,
     Bob Robinson (SciencePrime, LLC),
       on behalf of the ACS WA Executive Committee:
       Geoff Crowley (Atmospheric and Space Technology Research 
     Associates),
       Alec Engell (NextGen),
       Jennifer Gannon (Computational Physics, Inc.),
       Janet Green (Space Hazards Applications),
       Devrie Intriligator (Carmel Research Center, Inc.),
       Bob Robinson (SciencePrime, LLC),
       Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., VADM USN (ret.) (GeoOptics),
       Bob Schunk (Space Environment Corporation),
       W. Kent Tobiska (Space Environment Technologies),
       American Commercial Space Weather Association (ACSWA) 
     www.ACSWA.us.
                                  ____

                                    American Astronomical Society,


                                      Office of the President,

                                                December 12, 2019.
     Hon. Ed Perlmutter,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington DC.
     Hon. Mo Brooks,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representatives Perlmutter and Brooks: On behalf of 
     the over 8,500 members of the American Astronomical Society 
     (AAS) and its Solar Physics Division (SPD), we write to 
     express our strong support for the Promoting Research and 
     Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of 
     Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Bill and to thank you for your leadership 
     on this vitally important topic. The legislation that you 
     have introduced in the House is comprehensive in its scope, 
     addressing key aspects of space weather and its significance 
     for national security, communications, and human and robotic 
     space operations in low Earth orbit and interplanetary space.
       In particular, we endorse the following components of the 
     bill, all of which are essential to further our understanding 
     of the causes and effects of space weather, as well as to 
     advance our ability to reliably forecast space weather 
     events:
       the recognition of the wide impact of space weather and the 
     concomitant call for strong cooperation between stakeholder 
     agencies such as NOAA, NSF, NASA, FAA, and the Departments of 
     Defense and the Interior through the establishment of an 
     interagency working group through the National Science and 
     Technology Council on space weather, with accountability to 
     Congress through the submission of pertinent reports;
       the call for the formation of a space weather advisory 
     group with broad representation across the academic, 
     commercial, and non-governmental end-user communities to 
     identify new technologies to aid in understanding and 
     forecasting space weather;
       the implementation of an integrated strategy that 
     identifies the observation capabilities necessary for near-
     real-time solar and coronal mass ejection imaging and that 
     must be sustained beyond the lifetime of current ground-based 
     and space-based assets in order to maintain capability;
       the development of space weather instrumentation and 
     competitive, peer-reviewed proposals for conducting research, 
     including interdisciplinary research, in subjects that 
     further the understanding of solar physics, space physics, 
     and space weather and its impacts; and
       increased engagement and cooperation with the 
     international, academic, and commercial space weather 
     communities on the observational infrastructure and 
     scientific research necessary to advance the forecasting of 
     and preparation and protection from space weather phenomena.
       Thank you for your attention to this timely and important 
     issue. The membership of the SPD, which includes the nation's 
     foremost experts in many of the areas addressed in this 
     legislation, stands ready to assist in any way it can. If 
     there is anything we can do, please do not hesitate to 
     contact us.
           Sincerely,
     Megan Donahue,
       President, AAS.
     Dale Gary,
       Chair, SPD.
                                  ____



                                                      AGU 100,

                                                  January 8, 2020.
     Hon. Ed Perlmutter,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mo Brooks,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressmen Perlmutter and Brooks: On behalf of the 
     American Geophysical Union (AGU) and its 60,000 members, I am 
     writing to endorse H.R. 5260, The Promoting Research and 
     Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of 
     Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act, and to thank you for crafting this 
     important legislation.
       Space weather has the potential to inflict trillions of 
     dollars of damage on our economy, weaken our national 
     security, and alter our way of life. The National Research 
     Council estimates that a severe space weather event has the 
     potential to inflict $1-2 trillion dollars of economic and 
     societal damage in the first year alone and impact more than 
     130 million people. To recover from such an event could take 
     from 4-10 years. Moreover, space weather fluctuations are not 
     limited to rare catastrophic events but regularly impact our 
     society and economy. It's estimated that the average economic 
     impact of moderate geomagnetic events on the electric power 
     grid in the U.S. is $7 to $10 billion per year. Additionally, 
     advancing our understanding of the Sun is essential for the 
     United States to realize its space exploration ambitions.
       Given the economic and opportunity costs associated with 
     space weather, we support the bill's approach of creating a 
     national, coordinated plan to advance our understanding of 
     the relationship between the Sun and Earth and to ensure the 
     development of new technologies and forecasting capabilities 
     to mitigate the threat posed by space weather. We appreciate 
     the bill's recognition that a partnership between industry, 
     academia, and federal agencies is needed to further our 
     understanding and capacity to address the impacts of space 
     weather. As a community dedicated to advancing the 
     understanding of Earth and space science, we applaud the 
     bill's intent to further scientifically informed action 
     towards disaster preparation, mitigation, response, and 
     recovery.
       AGU looks forward to working with you as this legislation 
     advances.
           With best wishes,

                                         Christine W. McEntee,

                                           CEO/Executive Director,
                                       American Geophysical Union.

[[Page H4462]]

     
                                  ____
                                               Office of Research,


                                       University of Michigan,

                                                  January 7, 2020.
     Hon. Ed Perlmutter,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Perlmutter: On behalf of the University 
     of Michigan Office of Research, I write to thank you for 
     introducing the Promoting Research and Observations of Space 
     Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act 
     (H.R. 5260).
       As this legislation notes, severe space weather events 
     ``could have significant societal, economic, national 
     security, and health impacts.'' This bipartisan legislation 
     is essential to helping us predict and mitigate such events 
     that could drastically disrupt our economy and national 
     security.
       We are pleased this legislation outlines clear roles and 
     responsibilities for the relevant federal agencies that are 
     involved with improving our understanding, prediction and 
     forecasting of space weather events. Importantly, PROSWIFT 
     recognizes the necessity of engagement and cooperation with 
     the academic community, among other sectors, by establishing 
     a Space Weather Advisory Group whose membership will be 
     equally comprised of a diverse stakeholder group including 
     the academic community. Additionally, this bill creates a 
     Space Weather Government-Academic-Commercial Roundtable to 
     facilitate advances in space weather prediction and 
     forecasting, among other items, which is necessary to 
     efficiently advance our understanding of space weather.
       The University of Michigan is focused on helping to improve 
     the characterization, prediction, and mitigation of space 
     weather events. Researchers on our campus study the effects 
     of large solar eruptions and coronal mass ejections, and 
     develop high-performance computational models to describe and 
     predict hazardous conditions. If any of our experts on campus 
     can ever be a resource, please do not hesitate to reach out.
       Once again, thank you for your leadership on this 
     legislation. We appreciate your continued commitment to 
     improving efforts to predict and mitigate space weather 
     events and we hope the full House of Representatives will 
     approve this legislation expeditiously.
           Sincerely,
                                         Rebecca Cunningham, M.D.,
     Interim Vice President for Research.
                                  ____



                                  University of New Hampshire,

                                                  January 7, 2020.
     Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson,
     Chair, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Frank Lucas,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 
         House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chair Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas: We are writing 
     on behalf of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) to voice 
     our strong support for the PROSWIFT Act (H.R. 5260). UNH 
     urges swift approval of this bipartisan legislation critical 
     to ensuring that the United States is equipped to predict, 
     mitigate, and respond to the hazards that space weather poses 
     to our national security and economic wellbeing.
       Federal support for research and technology development is 
     essential to improving the Nation's space weather readiness. 
     Current space weather monitoring capabilities rely on an 
     observational infrastructure that is incapable of providing 
     the lead time required to undertake proper space weather 
     mitigation measures. We applaud the Committee's recognition 
     of the importance of fundamental research into the physical 
     processes behind space weather. Such research will enable 
     more sophisticated prediction capabilities and equip 
     decision-makers with the information and tools necessary to 
     avert crippling damage to our satellites, electric power 
     grid, and other sensitive assets that underpin our economy 
     and national security apparatus.
       UNH is especially supportive of Sections 60603 and 60604. 
     The former would strengthen support for critical ground-based 
     and space-based space weather observational platforms while 
     the latter would identify specific roles and responsibilities 
     for research, development, and R20/02R activities at relevant 
     agencies such as NASA, NSF, and NOAA. Particularly important 
     to UNH and many of its peer institutions is the legislation's 
     commitment to advancing the consensus-based priorities 
     identified by the scientific community and articulated in the 
     National Academies Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey.
       We thank you for putting forward this important piece of 
     legislation, and we hope that UNH can serve as a resource for 
     you as you continue working to address the pressing issue of 
     space weather.
           Sincerely,
     Dr. Kevin Gardner,
       Vice Provost for Research, University of New Hampshire.
     Dr. Harlan Spence,
       Director, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and 
     Space, University of New Hampshire.
                                  ____



                                                   Penn State,

                                                  January 8, 2020.
     Hon. Ed Perlmutter,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Perlmutter: I write to express support for H.R. 
     5260, the Promoting Research and Observations of Space 
     Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) 
     Act, and appreciation for your leadership on this legislation 
     that aims to improve efforts for predicting and mitigating 
     space weather events.
       By delineating clear roles and responsibilities to federal 
     agencies that study and predict space weather, the 
     legislation will improve resources and make critical 
     measurement data available for the research community to 
     model the frequency and severity of space weather events. 
     This information will be helpful for monitoring space weather 
     events, particularly coronal mass ejections and geomagnetic 
     disturbances that can cause interruptions to the power grid 
     and in satellites, affecting critical infrastructure that is 
     dependent on communications technology and electricity.
       With an increase in focus and attention to space weather 
     activities provided by this legislation, researchers with 
     expertise in data assimilation and big data analysis at Penn 
     State and around the nation can conduct risk analysis and 
     plan for responses to space weather events before they occur. 
     Penn State researchers and educators in meteorology, 
     geoinformatics, energy business and engineering, as well as 
     social science, look forward to the data opportunities made 
     available through this legislation.
       If I or any of our experts in the College of Earth and 
     Mineral Sciences can be of assistance to you, please feel 
     free to contact my federal relations colleagues.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Lee R. Kump,
                                                  John Leone Dean.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I also include in the Record an op-ed 
from The Hill dated September 10, 2020, by Dr. Antonio Busalacchi, who 
supports this bill.

                    [From the Hill, Sept. 10, 2020]

   Congress Needs To Finalize Spa Weather Bill as Solar Storms Pose 
                           Heightened Threat

                       (By Antonio J. Busalacchi)

       The COVID-19 pandemic has left us more dependent than ever 
     on advanced information and communication technologies, with 
     many businesses and schools relying on a range of remote 
     services. In this environment, building resilience to 
     potential threats that can disrupt society's essential daily 
     activities is critical.
       For this reason, it is heartening to see Congress advancing 
     legislation to better protect the nation from solar storms 
     that spew millions of tons of charged matter toward Earth. 
     Such space weather events can distort GPS signals, scramble 
     satellite operations, and disable communications and power 
     systems, with serious consequences for our economy and armed 
     services--a particularly major concern as the Pentagon 
     prepares for future space-based conflicts.
       Significant space weather events occur every decade or so 
     with far-reaching and destructive consequences. A powerful 
     solar storm in 1989 cut off power to millions of Canadians, 
     and major storms in 2003 affected more than half of Earth-
     orbiting spacecraft. Just three years ago, solar flares 
     caused radio blackouts for hours during critical emergency 
     response efforts to approaching hurricanes in the Caribbean 
     and nearby regions.
       A solar superstorm poses even greater risks. The so-called 
     Carrington Event in 1859, which ignited fires in telegraph 
     offices, would have catastrophic impacts on today's society, 
     potentially resulting in widespread damage to power grids, 
     communication networks, and other technologies that would 
     take weeks, months, or even years to repair. Even before 
     COVID-19 led to an increased reliance on e-based 
     technologies, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that 
     such an event could result in as much as $2 trillion in 
     damages--or more than 10 times the costs of Hurricane 
     Katrina.
       Despite a growing array of advanced satellites that monitor 
     the sun, forecasters cannot accurately predict when a major 
     storm will erupt from the sun and begin its one- to four-day 
     journey toward Earth. Observations provide only limited 
     information about where the storm will hit and its potential 
     for damage until it is within about a half-hour of Earth. 
     This does not leave satellite operators and utility managers 
     with sufficient notice to fully shield vulnerable electronics 
     and power down critical hardware.
       To improve its forecasting capability, the nation needs to 
     invest in a new generation of space- and ground-based 
     instruments that can provide continual measurements of 
     magnetic fields throughout the solar atmosphere. These 
     measurements would alert us to conditions that are conducive 
     for storms and help us determine whether an incoming storm 
     will penetrate our atmosphere and target certain regions on 
     Earth, or harmlessly glance off.
       Scientists are also working toward more advanced computer 
     models of the sun. One of their primary goals is to stimulate 
     the buildup of energy in twisted magnetic fields within the 
     solar atmosphere, enabling forecasters to predict when the 
     fields will erupt and spew tons of charged particles toward 
     Earth.
       Fortunately, Congress is starting to take action on this 
     important issue. The Senate last month unanimously passed 
     legislation to improve scientific understanding and 
     forecasting of space weather. The Promoting Research and 
     Observations of Space Weather to

[[Page H4463]]

     Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act would 
     break down barriers between the nation's researchers and 
     forecasters, coordinate the efforts of key federal agencies, 
     and establish an integrated strategy across the federal 
     government to address space weather research and 
     observational needs.
       This legislation, appropriately, has strong bipartisan 
     support. Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Cory Gardner (R-
     Colo.) co-sponsored the Senate bill. In the House of 
     Representatives, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) is working with 
     eight co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle to advance the 
     measure.
       With just months remaining on the calendar of the current 
     Congress, the House must provide the final passage of this 
     important legislation.


     Congress needs to provide flexible funding to states to deploy

       Our solar forecasting capabilities at present are 
     comparable to terrestrial weather prediction before the 
     Second World War when communities had little warning of 
     incoming storms. Since then, government agencies, private 
     companies, and university researchers have collaborated on 
     landmark advances in weather prediction, which have saved 
     countless lives, fostered economic growth, and supported 
     military operations.
       We have now arrived at a pivotal moment in forecasting 
     solar storms. At a time when society is more dependent than 
     ever on advanced e-based technologies, the PROSWIFT Act lays 
     out a clear road map for bringing together expertise in 
     government, the private sector, and academia to forecast 
     these damaging events. If Congress and the administration 
     successfully enact the legislation, this predictive 
     capability will provide a critical safeguard for America's 
     economic competitiveness and national security, and for the 
     business and school technologies that we have all come to 
     rely upon.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, just reading quickly from the op-ed as 
to why we are doing this:
  ``Significant space weather events occur every decade or so with far-
reaching and destructive consequences. A powerful solar storm in 1989 
cut off power to millions of Canadians, and major storms in 2003 
affected more than half of the Earth-orbiting spacecraft. Just 3 years 
ago, solar flares caused radio blackouts for hours during critical 
emergency response efforts to approaching hurricanes in the Caribbean 
and nearby regions.
  ``A solar superstorm poses even greater risks. The so-called 
Carrington Event in 1859, which ignited fires in telegraph offices, 
would have catastrophic impacts on today's society, potentially 
resulting in widespread damage to power grids, communication networks, 
and other technologies.''
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I, again, would like to thank the sponsors of this 
legislation for their hard work on this important topic.
  I encourage all my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for 
supporting this legislation and for both sides of the Capitol. We have 
been working on it for a long time. There has been a lot of serious 
interest in this piece of legislation because of the potential for 
damage that a space weather event can have.
  As I said before, we have worked together on the Committee on 
Science, Space and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation to advance this bill for almost 5 years.
  Each iteration of the bill brought new perspectives and new ideas, 
and we worked across two administrations. We put all that work together 
into the bill before us today, and I, again, thank the Members and 
staff who helped make this possible.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on this 
space weather bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 
881 ``The Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to 
Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow, or PROSWIFT, Act.''
  Space weather is something the American public may not yet have an 
awareness of, but it has the potential to impact society across the 
world--every single day.
  Geomagnetic storms or solar flares can cause disturbances in both 
space and the near-Earth environment.
  These effects can reach the Earth's surface and pose significant 
risks to humans operating in space, some aircraft flights, space 
communications, GPS-based services, the electric grid, pipelines, and 
other space-based and ground-based infrastructure.
  In short, space weather events can have major societal, national 
security, economic, and health impacts.
  That is why I was an original co-sponsor of Mr. Perlmutter's H.R. 
5260, ``The PROSWIFT Act,'' which is the basis of the text of the 
Senate-passed space weather bill we are voting on today. H.R. 5260 was 
widely supported by the space weather community, including academia, 
industry, and not-for-profit entities.
  I want to commend my colleague on the House Science Committee, Mr. 
Perlmutter, for tirelessly pushing to make this legislation a reality 
for over five years.
  He and his dedicated staff worked closely with my Committee staff, 
with the staff of the Committee's Ranking Member, as well as staff of 
our colleagues in the Senate, to bring this legislation to the floor 
today.
  Unlike previous attempts to move this legislation, I am proud that 
the bill being voted on today came out of regular order in the House 
Science Committee.
  This bill took into consideration feedback from major stakeholders in 
the space weather community and was strengthened during our markup 
process to include a commercial space weather pilot program. It was 
further strengthened following negotiations with our colleagues in the 
Senate.
  I am pleased that this bill represents both bicameral and bipartisan 
agreement on this important issue.
  I have supported the overall agenda to advance the space weather 
enterprise and ensure capabilities for space weather observation and 
forecasting for many years and Congresses before this. I am looking 
forward to finally passing this legislation today, and have it enacted 
after years of hard work.
  Being able to better understand and predict space weather events is 
vitally important to protecting our society, our economy, and our 
critical national infrastructure. I urge my colleagues to support this 
bipartisan and good governance bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 881.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________