[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 192 (Monday, December 12, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H9653-H9658]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     FLOOD LEVEL OBSERVATION, OPERATIONS, AND DECISION SUPPORT ACT

  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 558) to establish a national integrated flood information 
system within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and 
for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 558

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     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 Committee on Water Management and Infrastructure.
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.
Sec. 17. Availability to the public of flood-related data.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration.
       (2) 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.

     SEC. 3. NATIONAL INTEGRATED FLOOD INFORMATION SYSTEM.

       (a) In General.--The Administrator 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 Administrator, 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) 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
       (E) communicates flood forecasts, flood conditions, and 
     flood impacts to appropriate entities engaged in flood 
     planning, preparedness, and response and post-event flood 
     extent, including--
       (i) decision makers at the Federal, State, local, and 
     Tribal levels of government; and
       (ii) 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 Administrator, 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 Administrator determines that such 
     engagement is appropriate, cost effective, and beneficial to 
     the public and decision makers described in subsection 
     (b)(1)(E)(i);
       (2) facilitate the development of 1 or more academic 
     cooperative partnerships to assist in carrying out the 
     functions of the National

[[Page H9654]]

     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 Administrator considers appropriate;
       (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 Weather Service with respect to forecast and 
     warning functions, the National Integrated Drought 
     Information System, the Regional Climate Center, and the 
     National Mesonet Program, to improve coordination of water 
     monitoring, forecasting, and management; and
       (5) engage with and support water monitoring by the United 
     States Geological Survey--
       (A) to improve the availability and continuity of 
     streamflow data at critical locations through the deployment 
     of rapid deployment gages and the flood-hardening of at-risk 
     streamflow gauges; and
       (B) to increase storm surge monitoring data through the 
     deployment of additional storm surge sensors.
       (d) Consultation.--In developing and maintaining the 
     National Integrated Flood Information System, the 
     Administrator 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 Administrator 
     in carrying out this section.

     SEC. 4. OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING FOR TOTAL WATER PREDICTION.

       (a) Partnerships.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator 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 Administrator shall prioritize 
     partnerships to evaluate observations from uncrewed aerial 
     systems.
       (b) Maintained Observations.--If the Administrator 
     determines that incorporating additional observations 
     improves total water prediction, the Administrator shall, to 
     the extent practicable, continue incorporating those 
     observations.
       (c) Modeling Improvements.--The Administrator 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.

     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.

     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 Administrator shall--
       (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 
     Administrator 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) effectively--
       (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 Administrator 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 Administrator 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 Administrator shall consult with--
       (A) individuals in the academic sector, including 
     individuals in the field of social and behavioral sciences;
       (B) other weather services;
       (C) media outlets and other entities that distribute the 
     watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i);
       (D) floodplain managers and emergency planners and 
     responders, including State, local, and Tribal emergency 
     management agencies;
       (E) other government users of the watches and warnings 
     described in paragraph (1)(A)(i), including the Federal 
     Highway Administration; and
       (F) such other Federal agencies as the Administrator 
     determines rely on watches and warnings regarding flash 
     floods for operational decisions.
       (5) National academy of sciences.--The Administrator shall 
     engage with the National Academy of Sciences, as the 
     Administrator 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 Administrator shall use such 
     methodologies as the Administrator 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 Administrator shall make such 
     improvements to the watches and warnings described in that 
     subsection as the Administrator considers necessary--

[[Page H9655]]

       (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 
     Administrator shall ensure that any recommendation under 
     subsection (a)(2)(B) that the Administrator 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 Administrator 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 Administrator 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 Administrator 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 Administrator 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 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 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 
     2022 through 2030.

     SEC. 13. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON WATER MANAGEMENT AND 
                   INFRASTRUCTURE.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established a committee, to be 
     known as the ``Interagency Committee on Water Management and 
     Infrastructure'' (in this section referred to as the ``Water 
     Policy Committee'').
       (b) Membership.--The Water Policy Committee shall be 
     composed of the following members:
       (1) The Administrator.
       (2) The Secretary of the Interior.
       (3) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
     Agency.
       (4) The Secretary of Agriculture.
       (5) The Secretary of Commerce.
       (6) The Secretary of Energy.
       (7) The Secretary of the Army.
       (8) The heads of such other agencies as the co-chairs 
     consider appropriate.
       (c) Co-Chairs.--The Water Policy Committee shall be co-
     chaired by the Secretary of the Interior and the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
       (d) Meetings.--The Water Policy Committee shall meet not 
     less frequently than 6 times each year, at the call of the 
     co-chairs.
       (e) General Purpose and Duties.--The Water Policy Committee 
     shall ensure that agencies and departments 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 and departments have joint 
     or overlapping responsibilities to--
       (1) improve interagency coordination among Federal agencies 
     and departments on water resource management and water 
     infrastructure issues;
       (2) coordinate existing water-related Federal task forces, 
     working groups, and other formal cross-agency initiatives, as 
     appropriate;
       (3) prioritize managing the water resources of the United 
     States and promoting resilience of the water-related 
     infrastructure of the United States, including--
       (A) increasing water storage, water supply reliability, and 
     drought resiliency;
       (B) improving water quality, source water protection, and 
     nutrient management;
       (C) promoting restoration activities;
       (D) improving water systems, including with respect to 
     drinking water, desalination, water reuse, wastewater, and 
     flood control; and
       (E) improving water data management, research, modeling, 
     and forecasting;

[[Page H9656]]

       (4) improve interagency coordination of data management, 
     access, modeling, and visualization with respect to water-
     related matters;
       (5) promote integrated planning for Federal investments in 
     water-related infrastructure to enhance coordination and 
     protect taxpayer investment; and
       (6) support workforce development and efforts to recruit, 
     train, and retain professionals to operate and maintain 
     essential drinking water, wastewater, flood control, 
     hydropower, water delivery, and water storage 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 Water 
     Policy 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) Assistant administrator.--The term ``Assistant 
     Administrator'' means the Assistant Administrator for Weather 
     Services of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration.
       (2) Decision support services.--The term ``decision support 
     services'' means information, including data and refined 
     products, that supports water resources-related decision-
     making processes.
       (3) 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).
       (4) NOAA line offices.--The term ``NOAA line offices'' 
     means the following offices of the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration:
       (A) The National Ocean Service.
       (B) The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and 
     Information Service.
       (C) The National Marine Fisheries Service.
       (D) The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.
       (E) The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.
       (b) Hydrologic Research Fellowship Program.--
       (1) Establishment.--The Administrator 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 Assistant Administrator 
     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 
     Assistant Administrator.
       (4) Selection preference.--In selecting qualified 
     individuals for participation in the program, the Assistant 
     Administrator 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 
     Assistant Administrator 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 Assistant 
     Administrator, in consultation with representatives from the 
     NOAA line offices, 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 2022 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), large hail, extreme heat, extreme cold, flooding, 
     sustained temperatures or precipitation that deviate 
     substantially from historical averages, and any other weather 
     event that the Administrator 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 
     Administrator, 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 Administrator 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 Administrator 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 Administrator.

     SEC. 16. GAP ANALYSIS ON AVAILABILITY OF SNOW-RELATED DATA TO 
                   ASSESS AND PREDICT FLOOD AND FLOOD IMPACTS.

       (a) In General.--The Administrator, 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 and mixed-phase 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 Administrator 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.

     SEC. 17. AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC OF FLOOD-RELATED DATA.

       (a) In General.--The Administrator shall make flood-related 
     data available to the public on the website of the National 
     Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
       (b) Cost.--The Administrator may make the data under 
     subsection (a) freely accessible or available at a cost that 
     does not exceed the cost of preparing the data.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Beyer) and the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BEYER. 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. 558, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 558, the Flood Level 
Observation,

[[Page H9657]]

Operations, and Decision Support Act or FLOODS Act.
  Flooding is the most common weather-related natural disaster in the 
United States. It affects every State in the Nation, with 99 percent of 
U.S. counties having experienced a flooding event in the last 25 years.
  Unfortunately, climate change is predicted to increase the frequency 
and severity of extreme weather events and sea level rise, which will, 
in turn, increase flooding in the future.
  This bill would establish a National Integrated Flood Information 
System to coordinate and integrate flood research at the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. The bill would 
designate a service coordination hydrologist at each National Weather 
Service River Forecast Center and would leverage existing work within 
NOAA and through partnerships to improve timely decisionmaking. It 
would improve observations and modeling for total water prediction 
through partnerships with other Federal agencies and academia and 
create a fellowship for graduate students in hydrologic fields to work 
at Federal agencies. Additionally, this bill amends the Weather 
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act to improve NOAA's tornado 
warning and hurricane forecasting programs.
  Section 13 of the FLOODS Act would also codify the interagency Water 
Subcabinet established under Executive Order 13956 through the 
Interagency Committee on Water Management and Infrastructure 
established in this bill. This existing interagency body plays a key 
role in ensuring Federal agencies can efficiently and effectively 
manage water resources in America. Codifying this body not only shows 
Congress' support for these ongoing efforts, but also ensures the work 
will continue unimpeded. Congress does not intend this act to require 
the creation of an additional Federal interagency committee that would 
be duplicative of, or even in conflict with, the existing interagency 
Water Subcabinet.
  Overall, this bill would improve the coordination and communication 
of flood events by NOAA, as well as improve tornado warning and 
hurricane forecasting. These measures will protect lives and property, 
especially in regions at high risk of flooding.
  I thank Senator Wicker for sponsoring this bill, and I also thank and 
recognize my colleague on the Science Committee, Representative 
Sherrill, for her leadership on the issue of flooding and for leading 
the House companion of this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support the passage of this important legislation so we can send it to 
the President's desk, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I, too, rise in support of the Flood Level 
Observation, Operations, and Decision Support, or FLOODS Act, that we 
are considering here today.
  This legislation establishes and authorizes a number of activities 
that will improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 
forecasting and communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events.
  These extreme weather events occur across the country and impact 
millions of Americans each year. According to the National Weather 
Service, a typical year in the U.S. sees 26,000 thunderstorms, 5,000 
floods, 1,300 tornadoes, and 6 Atlantic Basin hurricanes.
  My home State of Oklahoma is right in the middle of Tornado Alley. We 
are home to 86,000 farms that feed and clothe our State, Nation, and 
world. Entire families' livelihoods depend on weather patterns, so it 
is especially important that severe weather and excessive flooding is 
accurately predicted and quickly communicated.
  One of the most important factors in any farmer's operation is 
precipitation. It is common sense that too little rain results in a 
drought. But people often overlook that too much rain also presents 
problems for crop production.
  Precisely predicting extreme precipitation that can cause flooding--
whether it is over the course of an entire season or from a single 
extreme weather event--helps farmers determine what crops to plant, 
where they are planted, and when to harvest.
  But Oklahoma isn't the only State subject to the dangers of flooding. 
Coastal States face different challenges and have different factors 
that can drive their precipitation.
  The variability in weather across our country means there are no one-
size-fits-all solutions. A mix of Federal and local services is ideal.
  That leads to many bodies seeking different data. S. 558 establishes 
a National Integrated Flood Information System--purposely modeled after 
the National Integrated Drought Information System--to coordinate and 
integrate flood research at NOAA.
  It also establishes partnerships with institutions of higher 
education and Federal agencies to improve total water predictions and 
establishes an interagency committee to ensure coordination of Federal 
departments with joint or overlapping responsibilities in water 
management.
  In one of the first Science, Space, and Technology Committee hearings 
this Congress, we discussed this bill along with the idea of a Federal 
climate service.
  I am pleased to see that in the bill before us today, my colleagues 
heeded my caution against increasing Federal bureaucracy by 
establishing new services. Instead, this legislation focuses on what we 
know works: enabling our established agencies to collect and acquire 
the data they need to be successful.

  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues who worked across the aisle to 
ensure this bill reached bipartisan, bicameral consensus; I urge the 
passage of this bill; and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, once again, I have no more speakers on this 
bill, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time.
  Madam Speaker, the FLOOD Act will be another arrow in the quiver when 
it comes to increasing knowledge that will help us adapt to changes in 
the environment.
  The National Integrated Flood Information System and an interagency 
committee created by this legislation are critical to that effort. But 
that is just the beginning. The legislation also sets the stage for 
weather prediction innovation through things like the National Weather 
Service hydraulic research fellowship program, and a directive to make 
flood-related data available to the public.
  My colleagues and I on the Science Committee had hoped this 
legislation would also be accompanied by a House-produced bill called 
the PRECIP Act that focuses more directly on precipitation data 
improvements. But under good-faith negotiations, we will pass the 
FLOODS Act today and see the PRECIP Act moved through another vehicle 
by the end of this Congress.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues in this Chamber and across the 
Capitol to continue to work with us to see this plan through, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, again, I thank my friend from Oklahoma for presenting 
this with me. I wish we could do everything this way, but it is a very 
nice thing.
  Madam Speaker, as you know, I am privileged to represent one of the 
most environmentally friendly districts in the country right across the 
river. We never get 6 feet of snow. I can't remember a drought. We get 
the occasional vestiges of a hurricane and a tornado once every 10 
years that rips up somebody's garage. But it floods all the time. Not 
only does it flood on the river, it floods 2 miles up the river as all 
the storm sewers back up, storm sewers that were built in the 1930s or 
the 1910s that can't handle the rain that we have right now.
  When they reintroduced earmarks, we discovered with 1,000 nonprofits 
it was difficult to pick a nonprofit for 10 earmarks. So we went to our 
local governments, Alexandria, Falls Church, and Arlington, and said: 
What do you need?
  Every one of them asked for flood relief.

                              {time}  1430

  This is one of those rare instances where an environmental bill has a 
huge impact, even on my own district, and I

[[Page H9658]]

know it has a much greater impact on so many places around the country. 
I think about poor Iowa that was under water for most of a year.
  Madam Speaker, I am thrilled to be able to present this with 
Representative Bice in a bipartisan way, and I urge my colleagues to 
support S. 558.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. SHERRILL. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 558, the ``Flood 
Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act,'' or ``FLOODS 
Act.''
  I am the proud sponsor of H.R. 1438, the House companion to the 
``FLOODS Act'' being considered today. In New Jersey, we are all too 
familiar with the devastation of flooding both from historic weather 
events like Hurricane Irene, Superstorm Sandy, and most recently 
Tropical Storm Ida, as well as more localized high-intensity rainfall 
events that don't get headlines, like the five inches of sudden 
rainfall that caused flash flooding in Parsippany, New Jersey, last 
October. Protecting our communities from these events, both large and 
small, means giving our forecasters, local planners, and first 
responders up-to-date data on where to expect precipitation and 
flooding and in what amounts.
  Sadly, my constituents know the life-and-death impact of not having 
precise and accurate information ahead of flooding. When we experienced 
horrendous flooding in the wake of Tropical Storm Ida, we tragically 
lost 27 lives across New Jersey. In Woodland Park in my district, a 
woman was swept away by the flooding--brave residents at the scene 
tried to rescue her, but the current was too strong and they themselves 
had to be rescued. In another part of my district, I heard from a 
mother who, along with her young children, had to be rescued from her 
home late at night during Ida after she had been told only hours 
earlier that the storm would pass well to the west of her home. Knowing 
the precise location of precipitation and likely flooding makes all the 
difference.
  As Chairwoman of the Science Committee's Subcommittee on Environment, 
I have examined how to prevent flooding from occurring and how to be 
resilient to flooding that does occur. However, while mitigation and 
resiliency solutions such as nature-based infrastructure can help 
address these issues, they cannot fix the root issue of flood 
prevention without the data necessary to map and estimate the location 
and nature of the flooding threat. This bill provides vital data and 
tools to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 
ultimately to local stakeholders.
  The FLOODS Act establishes a National Integrated Flood Information 
System that improves the coordination and integration of flood research 
at NOAA, designates a service coordination hydrologist at each National 
Weather Service River Forecast Center, and leverages existing work 
across NOAA to improve timely decision making related to flooding 
events. Further, it improves observations and modeling for total water 
prediction--a crucial component to understanding mechanisms that cause 
flooding--through partnerships with other federal agencies and 
academia. This bill continues to develop the nations' STEM workforce by 
creating a fellowship for graduate students in hydrologic fields to 
work at federal agencies. Additionally. this bill takes steps to 
improve coordination and communication for hurricane forecasts, tornado 
warnings. and other extreme weather events.
  But one of the most important things needed to improve resilience to 
flooding is accurate estimation of precipitation. This bill directs 
NOAA to update its precipitation frequency estimates, known as Atlas 
14. Atlas 14 estimates are essential for protecting lives and taxpayer 
dollars, as they directly assist emergency planning. Atlas 14 estimates 
are often based on precipitation data records that are in many cases 
decades old. We worked closely with our colleagues on the Senate 
Commerce Committee to reconcile the Atlas 14 language in this bill and 
another bill I led this Congress, H.R. 1437, the PRECIP Act. The 
importance of making updates to Atlas 14--and subsequently keeping 
those estimates up-to-date--has become more apparent. even since we 
first introduced this bill. We encourage NOAA to update the Atlas 14 
estimates as frequently as practicable, more often than the 10-year 
minimum requirement in this bill. And as the impacts of climate change 
on extreme precipitation become impossible to ignore, we further 
encourage the agency to consider assumptions of non-stationarity when 
developing Atlas 14 estimates, in line with the language in my PRECIP 
Act as introduced.
  It is important, now more than ever, to have authoritative data and a 
coordinated response to flooding events as the climate crisis worsens 
for New Jerseyans, and the entire nation. The measures in this 
legislation are essential to protect our homes and families from 
flooding risks. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this 
bill so we can send it to the President's desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer), that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 558.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________