[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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