[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 194 (Monday, November 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6694-S6698]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FLOOD LEVEL OBSERVATION, OPERATIONS, AND DECISION SUPPORT ACT
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 556, S. 4462.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 4462) to establish a national integrated flood
information system within the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill,
which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting
clause and insert in lieu thereof the following
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Flood
Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act'' or
the ``FLOODS Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. National Integrated Flood Information System.
Sec. 4. Observations and modeling for total water prediction.
Sec. 5. Service coordination hydrologists at River Forecast Centers of
the National Weather Service.
Sec. 6. Improving National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
communication of future flood risks and hazardous flash
flood events.
Sec. 7. Freshwater monitoring along the coast.
Sec. 8. Tornado warning improvement.
Sec. 9. Hurricane forecast improvement program.
Sec. 10. Weather and water research and development planning.
Sec. 11. Forecast communication coordinators.
Sec. 12. Estimates of precipitation frequency in the United States.
Sec. 13. Interagency Coordinating Committee on Water Management.
Sec. 14. National Weather Service hydrologic research fellowship
program.
Sec. 15. Identification and support of consistent, Federal set of
forward-looking, long-term meteorological information.
Sec. 16. Gap analysis on availability of snow-related data to assess
and predict flood and flood impacts.
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Sec. 17. Availability to the public of flood-related data.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United
States, and any other territory or possession of the United
States.
(2) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means
the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL INTEGRATED FLOOD INFORMATION SYSTEM.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary shall establish a
system, to be known as the ``National Integrated Flood
Information System'', to better inform and provide for more
timely decision making to reduce flood-related effects and
costs.
(b) System Functions.--The Under Secretary, through the
National Integrated Flood Information System, shall--
(1) provide an effective flood early warning system that--
(A) collects and integrates information on the key
indicators of floods and flood impacts, including streamflow,
reservoir release and diversion, precipitation, soil
moisture, snow water equivalent, land cover, and evaporative
demand;
(B) makes usable, reliable, and timely forecasts of floods;
(C) assesses the severity of flood conditions and effects;
(D) issues flood watches and warnings when necessary;
(E) provides information described in subparagraph (A),
forecasts described in subparagraph (B), and assessments
described in subparagraph (C) at the national, regional, and
local levels, as appropriate; and
(F) communicates flood forecasts, flood conditions, and
flood impacts to public and private entities engaged in flood
planning, preparedness, and response, including--
(i) decision makers at the Federal, State, local, and
Tribal levels of government;
(ii) the private sector; and
(iii) the public;
(2) provide timely data, information, and products that
reflect differences in flood conditions among localities,
regions, watersheds, and States;
(3) coordinate and integrate, through interagency
agreements as practicable, Federal research and monitoring in
support of the flood early warning information system
provided under paragraph (1);
(4) use existing forecasting and assessment programs and
partnerships;
(5) make improvements in seasonal precipitation and
temperature, subseasonal precipitation and temperature, and
flood water prediction; and
(6) continue ongoing research and monitoring activities
relating to floods, including research activities relating
to--
(A) the prediction, length, severity, and impacts of floods
and improvement of the accuracy, timing, and specificity of
flash flood warnings;
(B) the role of extreme weather events and climate
variability in floods; and
(C) how water travels over and through surfaces.
(c) Partnerships.--The Under Secretary, through the
National Integrated Flood Information System, may--
(1) engage with the private sector to improve flood
monitoring, forecasts, land and topography data, and
communication, if the Under Secretary determines that such
engagement is appropriate, cost effective, and beneficial to
the public and decision makers described in subsection
(b)(1)(F)(i);
(2) facilitate the development of 1 or more academic
cooperative partnerships to assist in carrying out the
functions of the National Integrated Flood Information System
described in subsection (b);
(3) use and support monitoring by citizen scientists,
including by developing best practices to facilitate maximum
data integration, as the Under Secretary considers
appropriate; and
(4) engage with, and leverage the resources of, entities
within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in
existence as of the date of the enactment of this Act, such
as the National Integrated Drought Information System, the
Regional Climate Center, and the National Mesonet Program, to
improve coordination of water monitoring, forecasting, and
management.
(d) Consultation.--In developing and maintaining the
National Integrated Flood Information System, the Under
Secretary shall consult with relevant Federal, State, local,
and Tribal government agencies, research institutions, and
the private sector.
(e) Cooperation From Other Federal Agencies.--Each Federal
agency shall cooperate as appropriate with the Under
Secretary in carrying out this section.
SEC. 4. OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING FOR TOTAL WATER PREDICTION.
(a) Partnerships.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall establish
partnerships with 1 or more institutions of higher education
(as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) to evaluate observations that would
improve total water prediction.
(2) Priority observations.--In establishing partnerships
under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall prioritize
partnerships to evaluate observations from unmanned aerial
systems.
(b) Maintained Observations.--If the Under Secretary
determines that incorporating additional observations
improves total water prediction, the Under Secretary shall,
to the extent practicable, continue incorporating those
observations.
(c) Modeling Improvements.--The Under Secretary shall
advance geographic coverage, resolution, skill, and
efficiency of coastal oceanographic modeling, including
efforts that improve the coupling of and interoperability
between hydrological models and coastal ocean models.
(d) Geospatial Data.--The Under Secretary shall advance the
development of models to vertically transform geospatial data
into a common system for use as the Federal standard for
surveys and mapping.
SEC. 5. SERVICE COORDINATION HYDROLOGISTS AT RIVER FORECAST
CENTERS OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
(a) Designation of Service Coordination Hydrologists.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the National Weather
Service (in this section referred to as the ``Director'')
shall designate at least 1 service coordination hydrologist
at each River Forecast Center of the National Weather
Service.
(2) Performance by other employees.--Performance of the
responsibilities outlined in this section is not limited to
the service coordination hydrologist position.
(b) Primary Role of Service Coordination Hydrologists.--The
primary role of the service coordination hydrologist shall be
to carry out the responsibilities required by this section.
(c) Responsibilities.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), consistent with
the analysis described in section 409 of the Weather Research
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-25;
131 Stat. 112), and in order to increase impact-based
decision support services, each service coordination
hydrologist designated under subsection (a) shall, with
respect to hydrology--
(A) be responsible for providing service to the geographic
area of responsibility covered by the River Forecast Center
at which the service coordination hydrologist is employed to
help ensure that users of products and services of the
National Weather Service can respond effectively to improve
outcomes from flood events;
(B) liaise with users of products and services of the
National Weather Service, such as the public, academia, media
outlets, users in the hydropower, transportation, recreation,
and agricultural communities, and forestry, land, fisheries,
and water management interests, to evaluate the adequacy and
usefulness of the products and services of the National
Weather Service;
(C) collaborate with such River Forecast Centers and
Weather Forecast Offices and Federal, State, local, and
Tribal government agencies as the Director considers
appropriate in developing, proposing, and implementing plans
to develop, modify, or tailor products and services of the
National Weather Service to improve the usefulness of such
products and services;
(D) engage in interagency partnerships with Federal, State,
local, and Tribal government agencies to explore the use of
forecast-informed reservoir operations to reduce flood risk;
(E) ensure the maintenance and accuracy of flooding call
lists, appropriate office flooding policy or procedures, and
other flooding information or dissemination methodologies or
strategies; and
(F) work closely with Federal, State, local, and Tribal
emergency and floodplain management agencies, and other
agencies relating to disaster management, to ensure a
planned, coordinated, and effective preparedness and response
effort.
(2) Other staff.--The Director may assign a responsibility
set forth in paragraph (1) to such other staff as the
Director considers appropriate to carry out such
responsibility.
(d) Additional Responsibilities.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a service
coordination hydrologist designated under subsection (a) may,
with respect to hydrology--
(A) work with a State agency to develop plans for promoting
more effective use of products and services of the National
Weather Service throughout the State;
(B) identify priority community preparedness objectives;
(C) develop plans to meet the objectives identified under
subparagraph (B); and
(D) conduct flooding event preparedness planning and
citizen education efforts with and through various State,
local, and Tribal government agencies and other disaster
management-related organizations.
(2) Other staff.--The Director may assign a responsibility
set forth in paragraph (1) to such other staff as the
Director considers appropriate to carry out such
responsibility.
(e) Placement With State and Local Emergency and Floodplain
Managers.--
(1) In general.--In carrying out this section, the Director
may place a service coordination hydrologist designated under
subsection (a) with a State or local emergency or floodplain
manager, if the Director determines that such placement is
necessary or convenient to carry out this section.
(2) Treatment.--If the Director determines that the
placement of a service coordination hydrologist with a State
or local emergency or floodplain manager under paragraph (1)
is near a River Forecast Center of the National Weather
Service, such placement shall be treated as designation of
the service coordination hydrologist at such River Forecast
Center for purposes of subsection (a).
SEC. 6. IMPROVING NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION COMMUNICATION OF FUTURE FLOOD
RISKS AND HAZARDOUS FLASH FLOOD EVENTS.
(a) Assessment of Flash Flood Watches and Warnings.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall--
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(A) conduct an assessment of--
(i) the flash flood watches and warnings of the National
Weather Service; and
(ii) the information delivery to support preparation and
responses to floods; and
(B) submit to Congress a report on the findings of the
Under Secretary with respect to the assessment required by
subparagraph (A).
(2) Elements.--The assessment required by paragraph (1)(A)
shall include the following:
(A) An evaluation of whether the watches, warnings, and
information described in paragraph (1)(A)--
(i) communicate risk to the general public;
(ii) inform action to prevent loss of life and property;
(iii) inform action to support flood preparation and
response; and
(iv) deliver information in a manner designed to lead to
appropriate action.
(B) Subject to subsection (b)(2), such recommendations as
the Under Secretary may have for--
(i) legislative and administrative action to improve the
watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i); and
(ii) such research as the Under Secretary considers
necessary to address the focus areas described in paragraph
(3).
(3) Focus areas.--The assessment required by paragraph
(1)(A) shall focus on the following areas:
(A) Ways to communicate the risks posed by hazardous flash
flood events to the public that are most likely to result in
informed decision making regarding the mitigation of those
risks.
(B) Ways to provide actionable geographic information to
the recipient of a watch or warning for a flash flood,
including partnering with emergency response agencies, as
appropriate.
(C) Evaluation of information delivery to support the
preparation for and response to floods.
(4) Consultation.--In conducting the assessment required by
paragraph (1)(A), the Under Secretary shall consult with--
(A) such line offices of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration as the Under Secretary considers
relevant, including--
(i) the National Ocean Service;
(ii) the National Weather Service; and
(iii) the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research;
(B) individuals in the academic sector, including
individuals in the field of social and behavioral sciences;
(C) other weather services;
(D) media outlets and other entities that distribute the
watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i);
(E) floodplain managers and emergency planners and
responders, including State, local, and Tribal emergency
management agencies;
(F) other government users of the watches and warnings
described in paragraph (1)(A)(i), including the Federal
Highway Administration; and
(G) such other Federal agencies as the Under Secretary
determines rely on watches and warnings regarding flash
floods for operational decisions.
(5) National academy of sciences.--The Under Secretary
shall engage with the National Academy of Sciences, as the
Under Secretary considers necessary and practicable,
including by contracting with the National Research Council
to review the scientific and technical soundness of the
assessment required by paragraph (1)(A), including the
recommendations under paragraph (2)(B).
(6) Methodologies.--In conducting the assessment required
by paragraph (1)(A), the Under Secretary shall use such
methodologies as the Under Secretary considers are generally
accepted by the weather enterprise, including social and
behavioral sciences.
(b) Improvements to Flash Flood Watches and Warnings.--
(1) In general.--Based on the assessment required by
subsection (a)(1)(A), the Under Secretary shall make such
improvements to the watches and warnings described in that
subsection as the Under Secretary considers necessary--
(A) to improve the communication of the risks posed by
hazardous flash flood events; and
(B) to provide actionable geographic information to the
recipient of a watch or warning for a flash flood.
(2) Requirements regarding recommendations.--In conducting
the assessment required by subsection (a)(1)(A), the Under
Secretary shall ensure that any recommendation under
subsection (a)(2)(B) that the Under Secretary considers a
major change--
(A) is validated by social and behavioral science using a
generalizable sample;
(B) accounts for the needs of various demographics,
vulnerable populations, and geographic regions;
(C) responds to the needs of Federal, State, local, and
Tribal government partners and media partners; and
(D) accounts for necessary changes to federally operated
watch and warning propagation and dissemination
infrastructure and protocols.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Watch; warning.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
the terms ``watch'' and ``warning'', with respect to a
hazardous flash flood event, mean products issued by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, intended for
use by the general public--
(i) to alert the general public to the potential for or
presence of the event; and
(ii) to inform action to prevent loss of life and property.
(B) Exclusion.--The terms ``watch'' and ``warning'' do not
include technical or specialized meteorological and
hydrological forecasts, outlooks, or model guidance products.
(2) Weather enterprise.--The term ``weather enterprise''
has the meaning given that term in section 2 of the Weather
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C.
8501).
SEC. 7. FRESHWATER MONITORING ALONG THE COAST.
(a) Data Availability Assessment.--The Under Secretary
shall assess the availability of short- and long-term data on
large-scale freshwater flooding into oceans, bays, and
estuaries, including data on--
(1) flow rate, including discharge;
(2) conductivity;
(3) oxygen concentration;
(4) nutrient load;
(5) water temperature; and
(6) sediment load.
(b) Data Needs Assessment.--The Under Secretary shall
assess the need for additional data to assess and predict the
effect of the flooding and freshwater discharge described in
subsection (a).
(c) Inventory of Data Needs.--Based on the assessments
required by subsections (a) and (b), the Under Secretary
shall create an inventory of data needs with respect to the
flooding and freshwater discharge described in subsections
(a) and (b).
(d) Planning.--In planning for the collection of additional
data necessary for ecosystem-based modeling of the effect of
the flooding and freshwater discharge described in
subsections (a) and (b), the Under Secretary shall use the
inventory created under subsection (c).
SEC. 8. TORNADO WARNING IMPROVEMENT.
Section 103 of the Weather Research and Forecasting
Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8513) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections
(d) and (e), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Innovative Observations.--The Under Secretary shall
ensure that the program periodically examines the value of
incorporating innovative observations, such as acoustic or
infrasonic measurements, observations from phased array
radars, and observations from mesonets, with respect to the
improvement of tornado forecasts, predictions, and
warnings.''.
SEC. 9. HURRICANE FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
Section 104(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting
Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) evaluating and incorporating, as appropriate,
innovative observations, including acoustic or infrasonic
measurements.''.
SEC. 10. WEATHER AND WATER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.
Section 105(2) of the Weather Research and Forecasting
Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8515(2)) is amended by
inserting ``and flood-event'' after ``operational weather''.
SEC. 11. FORECAST COMMUNICATION COORDINATORS.
Section 1762(f)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (15
U.S.C. 8521(f)(1)) is amended, in the second sentence, by
striking ``may'' and inserting ``shall''.
SEC. 12. ESTIMATES OF PRECIPITATION FREQUENCY IN THE UNITED
STATES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Freely associated states.--The term ``Freely Associated
States'' means the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the
Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia,
which have each entered into a Compact of Free Association
with the United States.
(2) United states.--The term ``United States'' means the 50
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States.
(b) In General.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration shall establish a program, to
be known as the ``NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas of the
United States'', to compile, estimate, analyze, and
communicate the frequency of precipitation in the United
States.
(c) Functions.--The NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas of
the United States--
(1) shall better inform the public and provide information
on--
(A) temporal and spatial distribution of heavy
precipitation;
(B) analyses of seasonality in precipitation; and
(C) trends in annual maximum series data; and
(2) may serve as the official source of the Federal
Government on estimates of precipitation frequency and
associated information with respect to the United States.
(d) Requirements.--
(1) Coverage.--The NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas of
the United States shall include such estimates of the
frequency of precipitation in the United States as the
Administrator determines appropriate.
(2) Frequency.--Such estimates--
(A) shall be conducted not less frequently than once every
10 years; and
(B) may be conducted more frequently if determined
appropriate by the Administrator.
(3) Publication.--Such estimates and methodologies used to
conduct such estimates shall be--
(A) subject to an appropriate, scientific process, as
determined by the Administrator; and
(B) published on a publicly accessible website of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(e) Partnerships.--The Administrator may partner with other
Federal agencies, members of
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the private sector, academic cooperative partnerships, or
nongovernment associations to assist in carrying out the
functions described in subsection (c).
(f) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the
Administrator may consult with relevant Federal, State,
local, Tribal, and Territorial government agencies, research
institutions, and the private sector, as the Administrator
determines necessary.
(g) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the
Administrator may coordinate with other Federal agencies.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section, from amounts
otherwise authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator
to carry out this Act, $3,500,000 for each of fiscal years
2021 through 2030.
SEC. 13. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON WATER
MANAGEMENT.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a committee, to be
known as the ``Interagency Coordinating Committee on Water
Management'' (in this section referred to as the
``Committee'').
(b) Membership.--The Committee shall be composed of the
following members:
(1) The Under Secretary.
(2) The Assistant Secretary for Water and Science of the
Department of the Interior.
(3) The head of each of the following:
(A) The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(B) The Army Corps of Engineers.
(C) The National Science Foundation.
(D) The Office of Science and Technology Policy.
(E) The Council on Environmental Quality.
(F) The Department of Energy.
(G) The Department of Agriculture.
(H) Any other Federal agency, as the co-chairs consider
appropriate.
(c) Co-Chairs.--The Committee shall be co-chaired by the
Secretary of the Interior and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
(d) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet not less frequently
than once each year at the call of the co-chairs.
(e) General Purpose and Duties.--The Committee shall ensure
that agencies across the Federal Government that engage in
water-related matters, including water storage and supplies,
water quality and restoration activities, water
infrastructure, transportation on United States rivers and
inland waterways, and water forecasting, work together where
such agencies have joint or overlapping responsibilities to--
(1) improve interagency coordination by Federal agencies on
water resource management and water-related infrastructure
issues;
(2) coordinate existing water-related Federal task forces,
working groups, and other formal cross-agency initiatives, as
appropriate;
(3) designate and consolidate repositories responsible for
archiving and managing water-related matters;
(4) improve interagency coordination of data management,
access, modeling, and visualization with respect to water-
related matters;
(5) conduct integrated planning for Federal investments in
water-related infrastructure; and
(6) support workforce development and efforts to recruit,
train, and retain professionals to operate and maintain
essential water facilities in the United States.
(f) Cross-Agency Priority Research Needs.--Not later than 1
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Committee shall develop and submit to Congress a list of
research needs that includes needs for cross-agency research
and coordination.
SEC. 14. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HYDROLOGIC RESEARCH
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Decision support services.--The term ``decision support
services'' means information, including data and refined
products, that supports water resources-related decision-
making processes.
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given
that term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001)).
(b) Hydrologic Research Fellowship Program.--
(1) Establishment.--The Under Secretary, acting through the
Director of the National Weather Service (in this section
referred to as the ``Director'') shall establish a hydrologic
research fellowship program (in this section referred to as
the ``program'') for qualified individuals.
(2) Qualified individual.--For purposes of this section, a
qualified individual is an individual who is--
(A) a citizen of the United States; and
(B) enrolled in a research-based graduate program, at an
institution of higher education, in a field that advances the
research priorities developed by the Under Secretary under
paragraph (7), such as--
(i) hydrology;
(ii) earth sciences;
(iii) atmospheric sciences;
(iv) computer sciences;
(v) engineering;
(vi) environmental sciences;
(vii) geosciences;
(viii) urban planning; or
(ix) related social sciences.
(3) Award guidelines.--Fellowships under the program shall
be awarded pursuant to guidelines established by the Under
Secretary.
(4) Selection preference.--In selecting qualified
individuals for participation in the program, the Under
Secretary, acting through the Director, shall give preference
to applicants from historically Black colleges and
universities and minority-serving institutions.
(5) Placement.--The program shall support the placement of
qualified individuals in positions within the executive
branch of the Federal Government where such individuals can
address and advance the research priorities developed by the
Under Secretary under paragraph (7).
(6) Fellowship term.--A fellowship under the program shall
be for a period of up to 2 years.
(7) Fellowship research priorities.--The Under Secretary,
acting through the Director, and in consultation with
representatives from the United States Geological Survey, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Army Corps of
Engineers, as appropriate, shall develop and publish
priorities for the conduct of research by fellows, which may
include the following:
(A) Advance the collaborative development of a flexible
community-based water resources modeling system.
(B) Apply artificial intelligence and machine learning
capabilities to advance existing hydrologic modeling
capabilities.
(C) Support the evolution and integration of hydrologic
modeling within an Earth Systems Modeling Framework.
(D) Improve visualizations of hydrologic model outputs.
(E) Advance the state of coupled freshwater and salt water
modeling and forecasting capabilities.
(F) Advance understanding and process representation of
water quality parameters.
(G) Advance the assimilation of in-situ and remotely sensed
observations and data.
(H) Support the integration of social science to advance
decision support services.
(I) Develop methods to study groundwater sustainability and
estimate the efficiency of recharge management.
(c) Direct Hiring.--
(1) Authority.--During fiscal year 2021 and any fiscal year
thereafter, the head of any Federal agency may appoint,
without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter
33 of title 5, United States Code, other than sections 3303
and 3328 of that title, to a position with the Federal agency
a recipient of a fellowship under the program who--
(A) earned a degree from a program described in subsection
(b)(2)(B);
(B) successfully fulfilled the requirements of the
fellowship within the executive branch of the Federal
Government; and
(C) meets qualification standards established by the Office
of Personnel Management.
(2) Exercise of authority.--The direct hire authority
provided by this subsection shall be exercised with respect
to an individual described in paragraph (1) not later than 2
years after the date on which the individual completed the
fellowship under the program.
SEC. 15. IDENTIFICATION AND SUPPORT OF CONSISTENT, FEDERAL
SET OF FORWARD-LOOKING, LONG-TERM
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Extreme weather.--The term ``extreme weather'' includes
observed or anticipated severe and unseasonable atmospheric
conditions, including drought, heavy precipitation,
hurricanes, tornadoes and other windstorms (including
derechos), extreme heat, extreme cold, flooding, sustained
temperatures or precipitation that deviate substantially from
historical averages, and any other weather event that the
Under Secretary determines qualifies as extreme weather.
(2) Long-term.--The term ``long-term'' shall have such
meaning as the Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, in consultation with the Under
Secretary, considers appropriate for purposes of this
section.
(3) Other environmental trends.--The term ``other
environmental trends'' means wildfires, coastal flooding,
inland flooding, land subsidence, rising sea levels, and any
other challenges relating to changes in environmental systems
over time that the Under Secretary determines qualify as
environmental challenges other than extreme weather.
(b) Identification and Support of Consistent, Federal Set
of Forward-looking, Long-term Meteorological Information.--
The Under Secretary shall identify, and support research that
enables, a consistent, Federal set of forward-looking, long-
term meteorological information that models future extreme
weather events, other environmental trends, projections, and
up-to-date observations, including mesoscale information as
determined appropriate by the Under Secretary.
SEC. 16. GAP ANALYSIS ON AVAILABILITY OF SNOW-RELATED DATA TO
ASSESS AND PREDICT FLOOD AND FLOOD IMPACTS.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary, in consultation with
the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the
Interior, and the Army Corps of Engineers, shall conduct an
analysis of gaps in the availability of snow-related data to
assess and predict floods and flood impacts, including data
on the following:
(1) Snow water equivalent.
(2) Snow depth.
(3) Snowpack temperature.
(4) Snow precipitation.
(5) Snow melt.
(6) Rain-snow line.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall submit to
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of
the House of Representatives a report on--
(1) the findings of the gap analysis required by subsection
(a); and
(2) opportunities for additional collaboration among
Federal agencies to collect snow-related data to better
assess and predict floods and flood impacts.
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SEC. 17. AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC OF FLOOD-RELATED DATA.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary shall make flood-
related data available to the public on the website of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(b) Cost.--The Under Secretary may make the data under
subsection (a) freely accessible or available at a cost that
does not exceed the cost of preparing the data.
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as
amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was
agreed to.
The bill (S. 4462), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
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