[Senate Report 118-140]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


 118th Congress  }                                       {    Report
                              SENATE 
 1st Session     }                                       {   118-140
                                                         
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     


        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS IMPROVEMENT ACT

                               __________

                              R E P O R T

                                 of the

           COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                                   on

                                S. 1414




               December 19, 2023.--Ordered to be printed
               
               
     [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]          
               
               
                    ______

             U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
 49-010          WASHINGTON : 2024
                
               
               
       SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                    one hundred eighteenth congress
                             first session

                   MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, Chair
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota             TED CRUZ, Texas
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii                 JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts      ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
GARY C. PETERS, Michigan             DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin             JERRY MORAN, Kansas
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois            DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
JON TESTER, Montana                  MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona              TODD C. YOUNG, Indiana
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada                  TED BUDD, North Carolina
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico            ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri
JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado          SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia

RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia             CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming
PETER WELCH, Vermont                 J.D. VANCE, Ohio
                       Lila Helms, Staff Director
                  Brad Grantz, Minority Staff Director
                  
                  
                  
                  

118th Congress  }                                             {    Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session    }                                             {   118-140

======================================================================



 
        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS IMPROVEMENT ACT

                                _______
                                

               December 19, 2023.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

      Ms. Cantwell, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 1414]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 
which was referred the bill (S. 1414) to improve the instant 
messaging service used by the National Weather Service, and for 
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably 
thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of S. 1414, the National Weather Service 
Communications Improvement Act, is to amend the Weather 
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017\1\ to improve 
the reliability of the National Weather Service's (NWS) 
internal messaging system during extreme weather events such as 
floods, fires, tornadoes, and tsunami, by authorizing the use 
of a commercial cloud communications service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\15 U.S.C. 8541 et seq.; Public Law 115-25.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          Background and Needs

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 
(NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, 
and climate data as well as forecasts, warnings, and impact-
based decision support services for the purposes of protecting 
life and property and enhancing the national economy. The 
National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act would 
direct the NWS to improve its instant messaging service by 
requiring the NWS to implement a commercial off-the-shelf 
(COTS) communications solution hosted on the public cloud to 
accommodate future growth and improve alert system performance. 
This bill would increase reliability of the internal messaging 
system between NWS forecasters and regional weather offices to 
improve forecasts and real-time data-sharing between NWS 
personnel, and therefore improve accuracy and timeliness of 
hazard communications with the public.
    NWS currently uses NWSChat, an instant messaging service, 
to share important weather information and decision expertise 
with partners across all levels of government, emergency 
managers, and media.\2\ This service allows multiple users to 
communicate with each other in chat rooms and gives each NWS 
office its own specific chat room.\3\ NWSChat is utilized to 
improve decision-making during discussions related to severe 
weather events, to provide real-time feedback to partners, and 
to communicate significant event reports back to NWS personnel 
for effective warning decisions.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\``Frequently Asked Questions,'' NOAA, National Weather Service 
(https://nwschat.
weather.gov/FAQ.php).
    \3\Ibid.
    \4\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

            COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTION

    A COTS communications solution is a pre-packaged, ready-to-
use communications system that is commercially available and 
can be easily integrated into an organization's existing 
infrastructure.\5\ They are often lower in cost, require less 
development time, can be readily integrated into existing 
systems, and can lower lifecycle costs resulting from using 
readily available and up-to-date product.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\Christopher Trick, ``What Is COTS (Commercial-off-the-Shelf)?,'' 
Trenton Systems (https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/what-is-cots-
commercial-off-the-shelf#::text=COTS%2C%20or%20
commercial%2Doff%2D,interoperate%20with%20existing%20system%20components
).
    \6\Firoz Irani, ``Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) vs Custom 
Software Development,'' MotoCMS (https://www.motocms.com/blog/en/
commercial-off-the-shelf/).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         Summary of Provisions

    If enacted, S. 1414 would amend title IV of the Weather 
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017\7\ by doing the 
following:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \7\Public Law 115-25.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Require the Director of the NWS to improve instant 
        messaging services used by the NWS by fiscal year 2028.
   Require the improved internal instant messaging 
        services used by forecasters and other NOAA personnel 
        to be hosted on the public cloud.

                          Legislative History

    S. 1414, the National Weather Service Communications 
Improvement Act, was introduced on May 3, 2023, by Senator 
Cantwell (for herself and Senator Cruz) and was referred to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate. On May 10, 2023, the Committee met in open Executive 
Session and, by voice vote, ordered S. 1416 reported favorably 
without amendment.
    On March 9, 2023, H.R. 1496, a House companion bill to S. 
1414, was introduced by Representative Feenstra (for himself 
and 13 cosponsors) and was referred to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives. 
Three additional cosponsors were later added. On May 16, 2023, 
H.R. 1496 was reported favorably without amendment.

                            Estimated Costs

    In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the 
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget 
Office:




    S. 1414 would require the National Weather Service (NWS) to 
replace its current instant messaging system with an updated, 
cloud-based system. The NWS uses instant messages to share 
critical warning decisions and other types of significant 
weather information with public safety officials, emergency 
personnel, and the media. In 2022, NWS started to replace the 
instant messaging system and allocated $3 million in 2023 to 
continue those activities.
    Using information from the NWS and spending patterns for 
similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1414 
would cost $11 million over the 2024-2028 period; any spending 
would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
    The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall 
within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).

                 TABLE 1.--ESTIMATED INCREASES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION UNDER S. 1414
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        By fiscal year, millions of dollars--
                                                                   ---------------------------------------------
                                                                     2024   2025   2026   2027   2028  2024-2028
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Authorization...........................................      3      3      3      3      0        12
Estimated Outlays.................................................      2      2      3      3      1        11
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On May 11, 2023, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 
1496, the National Weather Service Communications Improvement 
Act, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology on March 29, 2023. The two pieces of 
legislation are similar, and CBO's estimates of their budgetary 
effects are the same.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aurora Swanson. 
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Director of Budget Analysis.

                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                             Director, Congressional Budget Office.

                      Regulatory Impact Statement

    Because S. 1414 does not create any new programs, the 
legislation will have no additional regulatory impact, and will 
result in no additional reporting requirements. The legislation 
will have no further effect on the number or types of 
individuals and businesses regulated, the economic impact of 
such regulation, the personal privacy of affected individuals, 
or the paperwork required from such individuals and businesses.

                   Congressionally Directed Spending

    In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no 
provisions contained in the bill, as reported, meet the 
definition of congressionally directed spending items under the 
rule.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis


Section 1. Short title

    This section would provide that the bill may be cited as 
the ``National Weather Service Communications Improvement 
Act''.

Section 2. National Weather Service communications

    Section 2 would add a new section 415 to title IV of the 
Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017.
    Subsection (a) of this new section 415 would add a 
requirement for the Director of the NWS to improve instant 
messaging services used within the NWS by October 1, 2027. The 
subsection would also require the new instant messaging service 
to be a commercial off-the-shelf communications solution that 
replaces NWSChat and is hosted on the public cloud. The 
subsection would also require the Director of the NWS to ensure 
the communications solution would accommodate future growth, 
perform successfully with increased users, is easy to use and 
is similar to current systems already in use. The subsection 
further would define the term ``public cloud''.
    Subsection (b) of this new section 415 would clarify that 
funds for this section can only come from amounts authorized to 
NOAA before the date of enactment of this Act.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
material is printed in italic, existing law in which no change 
is proposed is shown in roman):

WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING INNOVATION ACT OF 2017

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                        [15 U.S.C. 8541 et seq.]

                 TITLE IV--FEDERAL WEATHER COORDINATION

SEC. 401. * * *

SEC. 415. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS.

  (a) Improvement of Instant Messaging Service.--
          (1) In general.--The Director of the National Weather 
        Service shall improve the instant messaging service 
        used by personnel of the National Weather Service by 
        implementing by October 1, 2027, a commercial off-the-
        shelf communications solution that replaces the instant 
        messaging service commonly referred to as ``NWSChat''.
          (2) Requirements.--The communications solution 
        implemented under paragraph (1) shall--
                  (A) be hosted on the public cloud; and
                  (B) satisfy requirements set forth by the 
                Director to ensure that the solution--
                          (i) best accommodates future growth;
                          (ii) performs successfully with 
                        increased numbers of users;
                          (iii) is easy to use for the majority 
                        of users; and
                          (iv) is similar to systems already in 
                        commercial use.
          (3) Definition of public cloud.--In this subsection, 
        the term ``public cloud'' means an information 
        technology model in which service providers make 
        computing services, including compute and storage and 
        develop-and-deploy environments and applications, 
        available on-demand to organizations and individuals 
        over the public internet.
  (b) No Additional Funds Authorized.--Funds to carry out this 
section may only come from amounts authorized to be 
appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration before the date of the enactment of the National 
Weather Service Communications Improvement Act.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *