[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 208 (Monday, December 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6027-S6028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NOAA WEATHER RADIO MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2023
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 259, S. 1416.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1416) to provide guidance for and investment in
the upgrade and modernization of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards Network,
and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read
a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made
and laid upon the table.
[[Page S6028]]
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 1416) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading,
was read the third time, and passed as follows:
S. 1416
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``NOAA Weather Radio
Modernization Act of 2023'' or the ``NWR Modernization Act of
2023''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
(a) NOAA Weather Radio.--The term ``NOAA Weather Radio''
means the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Weather Radio All Hazards network.
(b) Under Secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means
the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
SEC. 3. UPGRADING EXISTING SYSTEMS.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary shall, to the maximum
extent practicable, upgrade systems of NOAA Weather Radio in
use as of the date of the enactment of this Act in order to
expand coverage and ensure the reliability of NOAA Weather
Radio.
(b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Under Secretary shall--
(1) maintain support for systems described in such
subsection that serve areas not covered by or having poor
quality cellular service;
(2) ensure consistent maintenance and operations
monitoring, with timely repairs to equipment and antennas at
broadcast transmitter sites;
(3) enhance the ability to amplify non-weather emergency
messages through NOAA Weather Radio as necessary; and
(4) acquire additional transmitters as required to expand
coverage to rural and underserved communities, units of the
National Park System, and National Recreation Areas.
SEC. 4. MODERNIZATION INITIATIVE.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary shall, to the maximum
extent practicable, modernize NOAA Weather Radio to ensure
the capabilities and coverage of NOAA Weather Radio remain
valuable to the public.
(b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Under Secretary shall--
(1) upgrade the telecommunications infrastructure of NOAA
Weather Radio to accelerate the transition of broadcasts to
media that provide an increase in reliability and
repairability over copper media;
(2) accelerate software upgrades to the Advanced Weather
Interactive Processing System of the National Weather
Service, or any relevant successors of the system, in order
to implement partial county notifications and alerts;
(3) enhance the accessibility and usability of data and
feeds of NOAA Weather Radio, with the feedback of the public
and user groups;
(4) develop options, including satellite backup capability
and commercial provider partnerships, for continuity of
service provided by NOAA Weather Radio in the event of
outages among Weather Forecast Offices;
(5) research and develop alternative options, including
microwave capabilities, to transmit signals from NOAA Weather
Radio to transmitters that are remote or do not have Internet
Protocol capability; and
(6) transition critical applications to the Integrated
Dissemination Program of the National Weather Service, or any
relevant successors of the program.
(c) Priorities.--In carrying out subsections (a) and (b),
the Under Secretary shall prioritize practices, capabilities,
and technologies recommended in the assessment required by
subsection (d) in order to maximize the accessibility of NOAA
Weather Radio, particularly in remote areas of the United
States and areas that are at risk for a lack of access to
weather information in the event of an emergency weather
event.
(d) Assessment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall complete
and 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 an
assessment of access to NOAA Weather Radio.
(2) Considerations and recommendations.--In conducting the
assessment required by paragraph (1), the Under Secretary
shall take into consideration and provide recommendations
on--
(A) the need for continuous, adequate, and operational
real-time broadcasts from NOAA Weather Radio;
(B) solicited input on the compatibility of NOAA Weather
Radio data with third-party platforms that provide online
services, such as websites and mobile device applications, or
deliver access to NOAA Weather Radio;
(C) existing or new management systems, which promote
consistent, efficient, and compatible access to NOAA Weather
Radio;
(D) the ability of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to aggregate real-time broadcast feeds at one
or more central locations;
(E) effective coordination between agencies with
responsibilities relating to emergencies and natural
disasters;
(F) the potential effects of an electromagnetic pulse or
geomagnetic disturbance on NOAA Weather Radio; and
(G) improvements of hazardous weather and water event
communications to more clearly inform action and increase the
likelihood that the public takes such action to prevent the
loss of life or property.
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