[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 178 (Thursday, November 17, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6769-S6770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING RESEARCH AND ESTIMATES OF CHANGES IN PRECIPITATION ACT
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1437, which was received
from the House and is at the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 1437) to amend the Weather Research and
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 to direct the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide
comprehensive and regularly updated Federal precipitation
information, and for other purpose.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. SCHUMER. I further ask that the substitute at the desk be
considered and agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a
third time and passed; and the motion to reconsider be considered made
and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 6485) in the nature of a substitute, was agreed
to, as follows:
(Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Providing Research and
Estimates of Changes In Precipitation Act'' or the ``PRECIP
Act''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING
INNOVATION ACT OF 2017 RELATING TO IMPROVING
FEDERAL PRECIPITATION INFORMATION.
(a) In General.--The Weather Research and Forecasting
Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501 et seq.) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``TITLE VI--IMPROVING FEDERAL PRECIPITATION INFORMATION
``SEC. 601. STUDY ON PRECIPITATION ESTIMATION.
``(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of the PRECIP Act, the Administrator, in
consultation with other Federal agencies as appropriate,
shall seek to enter an agreement with the National
Academies--
``(1) to conduct a study on the state of practice and
research needs for precipitation estimation, including
probable maximum precipitation estimation; and
``(2) to submit, not later than 24 months after the date on
which such agreement is finalized, to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate, and make publicly available on
a website, a report on the results of the study under
paragraph (1).
``(b) Study.--The report under subsection (a) shall include
the following:
``(1) An examination of the current state of practice for
precipitation estimation at scales appropriate for
decisionmaker needs, and rationale for further evolution of
this field.
``(2) An evaluation of best practices for precipitation
estimation that are based on the best-available science,
include considerations of non-stationarity, and can be
utilized by the user community.
``(3) A framework for--
``(A) the development of a National Guidance Document for
estimating extreme precipitation in future conditions; and
``(B) evaluation of the strengths and challenges of the
full spectrum of approaches, including for probable maximum
precipitation studies.
``(4) A description of existing research needs in the field
of precipitation estimation in order to modernize current
methodologies and consider non-stationarity.
``(5) A description of in-situ, airborne, and space-based
observation requirements, that could enhance precipitation
estimation and development of models, including an
examination of the use of geographic information systems and
geospatial technology for integration, analysis, and
visualization of precipitation data.
``(6) A recommended plan for a Federal research and
development program, including specifications for costs,
timeframes, and responsible agencies for addressing
identified research needs.
``(7) An analysis of the respective roles in precipitation
estimation of various Federal agencies, academia, State,
tribal, territorial, and local governments, and other public
and private stakeholders.
``(8) Recommendations for data management to promote long-
term needs such as enabling retrospective analyses and data
discoverability, interoperability, and reuse.
``(9) Recommendations for how data and services from the
entire enterprise can be best leveraged by the Federal
Government.
``(10) A description of non-Federal precipitation data, its
accessibility by the Federal Government, and ways for
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve or
expand such datasets.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
$1,500,000 to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to carry out this study.
``SEC. 602. IMPROVING PROBABLE MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION
ESTIMATES.
``(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date on
which the National Academies makes public the report under
section 601, the Administrator, in consideration of the
report recommendations, shall consult with relevant partners,
including users of the data, on the development of a plan
to--
``(1) not later than 6 years after the completion of such
report and not less than every 10 years thereafter, update
probable maximum precipitation estimates for the United
States, such that each update considers non-stationarity;
``(2) coordinate with partners to conduct research in the
field of extreme precipitation estimation, in accordance with
the research needs identified in such report;
``(3) make publicly available, in a searchable,
interoperable format, all probable maximum precipitation
studies developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration that the Administrator has the legal right to
redistribute and deemed to be at an appropriate state of
development on an internet website of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration; and
``(4) ensure all probable maximum precipitation estimate
data, products, and supporting documentation and metadata
developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration are preserved, curated, and served by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as
appropriate.
``(b) National Guidance Document for the Development of
Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates.--The Administrator,
in collaboration with Federal agencies, State, territorial,
Tribal and local governments, academia, and other partners
the Administrator deems appropriate, shall develop a National
Guidance Document that--
``(1) provides best practices that can be followed by
Federal and State regulatory agencies, private meteorological
consultants, and other users that perform probable maximum
precipitation studies;
``(2) considers the recommendations provided in the
National Academies study under section 601;
``(3) facilitates review of probable maximum precipitation
studies by regulatory agencies; and
``(4) provides confidence in regional and site-specific
probable maximum precipitation estimates.
``(c) Publication.--Not later than 2 years after the date
on which the National Academies makes public the report under
section 601, the Administrator shall make publicly available
the National Guidance Document under subsection (b) on an
internet website
[[Page S6770]]
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
``(d) Updates.--The Administrator shall update the National
Guidance Document not less than once every 10 years after the
publication of the National Guidance Document under
subsection (c) and publish such updates in accordance with
such subsection.
``(e) Funding.--Amounts available to carry out this section
may only come from within amounts authorized to be
appropriated to the Administrator.
``SEC. 603. DEFINITIONS.
`` In this title:
``(1) Administrator.--The term `Administrator' means the
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
``(2) National academies.--The term `National Academies'
means the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine.
``(3) United states.--The term `United States' means,
collectively, 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.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1(b) of the Weather
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C.
8501 note) is amended in the table of contents by adding at
the end the following:
``TITLE VI--IMPROVING FEDERAL PRECIPITATION INFORMATION
``Sec. 601. Study on precipitation estimation.
``Sec. 602. Improving probable maximum precipitation estimates.
``Sec. 603. Definitions.''.
The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a
third time.
The bill was read the third time.
The bill (H.R. 1437), as amended, was passed.
____________________