[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 178 (Thursday, November 17, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6787-S6788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6485. Mr. SCHUMER (for Mr. Wicker) proposed an amendment to the 
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 purposes; as follows:

        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

[[Page S6788]]

     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 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.''.
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