[Senate Report 118-141]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
118th Congress } { Report
1st Session } SENATE { 118-141
_______________________________________________________________________
NOAA WEATHER RADIO MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2023
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. 1416
December 19, 2023.--Ordered to be printed
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
49-010 WASHINGTON : 2023
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 } { 118-141
======================================================================
NOAA WEATHER RADIO MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2023
_______
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. 1416]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the 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, having considered the
same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and
recommends that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of S. 1416, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2023, is to
require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) to modernize the outdated technology currently in use
throughout the NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) system to improve
reliability and expand coverage. The bill would also expand the
delivery of weather hazard warnings to rural and Tribal
communities by enhancing the NWR transmission system with
modern technologies, such as satellite communications, and
transition to media other than copper.
BACKGROUND AND NEEDS
NWR is a nationwide network of radio stations operated by
NOAA within the United States. The purpose of NWR is to provide
weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, to the public and emergency responders. NWR
broadcasts continuous weather information directly from nearby
National Weather Service (NWS) offices. This information
includes current weather conditions, forecasts, and any severe
weather warnings or other emergency alerts.\1\ NWR also
provides non-weather emergency messages, such as AMBER alerts,
local and State emergency messages, and earthquake
information.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\NOAA, National Weather Service, ``NOAA Weather Radio Frequently
Asked Questions'' (https://www.weather.gov/phi/
nwrfaq#::text=K%20nown%20as%20the%20%22Voice%20
of,and%20the%20U.S.%20Pacific%20Territories).
\2\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NWR transmissions can be received using special weather
radios, which are designed to automatically activate and sound
an alarm when severe weather or other emergency alerts are
issued. To receive a weather alert broadcast, the radio must be
in range of an NWR transmitter. Currently, of the 750 weather
radio transmitters,\3\ approximately half the transmitters in
current operations are, or will be, over 25 years in service
and cannot continue to be sustained and repaired efficiently in
the future. NWR also currently broadcasts only in the VHF
public service band (between 162.400 and 162.550 megahertz
(MHz)), and therefore one would need a special radio receiver
or scanner in order to pick up the signal.\4\ All NWR stations
broadcast on one of seven frequencies in the VHF public service
band, but some older weather radio receivers only have three
frequencies.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\Ibid.
\4\Ibid.
\5\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The normal broadcast range of a full-power transmitter
(1000 watts) over level terrain is approximately 40 miles.\6\
The effective range depends on terrain, height and power of the
transmitting antenna, quality of the receiver, and whether an
indoor or outdoor antenna is in use.\7\ With these limitations,
only about 95 percent of the U.S. population is reached.
Improvements to NWR would enable these radio transmissions to
reach up to 99 percent of the U.S. population, which would
expand service to up to 13.3 million additional Americans.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\Ibid.
\7\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System
The bill requires NOAA to accelerate software upgrades to
the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS),
thereby replacing the Automation of Field Operations and
Services System that has been in place in the NWS since the
1980s.\8\ AWIPS is a type of computer system that is currently
being introduced into the NWS to analyze and forecast
weather.\9\ This system provides meteorologists with a range of
tools and resources to help them make accurate and timely
weather forecasts and warnings, and is a vital component to the
NWS plans for modernization and restructuring.\10\ AWIPS is
also used by NWS forecasters to intake, process, and display
data from a variety of sources, including satellite and radar
imagery, surface observations, upper air soundings, and
numerical weather prediction models.\11\ The system allows
forecasters to view and manipulate weather data in real-time,
and to quickly analyze and disseminate weather information to
other NWS offices and to emergency managers.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\NOAA, ``AWIPS Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System''
(https://www.weather.gov/okx/Tour_AWIPS).
\9\Ibid.
\10\Ibid.
\11\Ibid.
\12\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copper Reliance
Currently, NWR infrastructure is reliant on copper media.
Copper is a good conductor of electricity and is commonly used
in electrical wiring, but it is not an ideal material for radio
transmitter antennas or other radio frequency (RF)
components.\13\ This is because the electrical properties of
copper wire create resistance and interference, leading to
weaker communication signals the further the transmission
goes.\14\ Copper is also prone to oxidation and corrosion over
time, which can degrade its performance as an RF conductor.
This can lead to signal loss and reduced range for radio
transmissions. The cost of copper is rising due to increased
demand. It is also becoming more expensive to fix and
replace.\15\ Lastly, copper cables are more susceptible to
attenuation\16\ due to several factors, such as impurities in
the copper, physical use, long term exposure to water,
temperature, or other nearby signals.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration,
``Chapter 2. Fundamentals of Telecommunications'' (https://
ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/telecomm_handbook/chapter2_
01.htm).
\14\Ibid.
\15\Ibid.
\16\Eland Cables, ``What is Attenuation in an Electrical System?''
(https://www.elandcables.com/the-cable-lab/faqs/faq-what-is-
attenuation-in-an-electrical-system#::text
=As%20the%20signal%20travels%20through,lengths%20and%20higher%20frequenc
y%20signals).
\17\Horace Pops, ``The Metallurgy of Copper Wire,'' Copper
Development Association Inc. (https://www.copper.org/publications/
newsletters/innovations/1997/12/wiremetallurgy.html).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS
If enacted, S. 1416 would do the following:
Direct NOAA to update, expand, and improve the
reliability of NWR.
Establish requirements for upgrading and modernizing
NWR, including transitioning current infrastructure
away from copper transmissions, ensuring consistent
maintenance and operations monitoring, and acquiring
additional transmitters to expand coverage to rural
communities.
Require the acceleration of software upgrades to
NWS's Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System,
and enhance the accessibility of data and NWR
broadcasts.
Require the development and implementation of
alternate back-up capabilities in the event of an
outage in the NWS forecast offices and the research and
development of an alternative transmitting option for
transmitting signals from NWR to transmitters that are
remote or do not have internet protocol capability.
Require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
and Atmosphere to assess NWR within 1 year of
enactment.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 1416, NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2023, 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.
H.R. 1482, the House companion to S. 1416, was introduced
by Representative Stephanie Bice on March 9, 2023, and was
referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of
the House of Representatives. On March 29, 2023, that Committee
voted 36-0 in favor of H.R. 1482.
In the 117th Congress, H.R. 5324, the NWR Modernization Act
of 2021, was introduced by Representative Stephanie Bice on
September 22, 2021, and was referred to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.
It was passed out of the House on May 11, 2022.
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. 1416 would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) to expand and modernize NOAA Weather
Radio (NWR), a nationwide radio network that continuously
broadcasts weather forecasts as well as warnings and post-event
information for all types of hazards, including earthquakes and
911 outages. The bill would have NOAA expand NWR coverage to
rural and underserved areas, national parks, and recreation
areas. S. 1416 also would direct the agency to modernize the
NWR by using the Internet, accelerating software upgrades, and
assessing and enhancing access to the NWR broadcasts.
For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 1416 will be enacted
near the end of fiscal year 2023. In 2023, NOAA allocated $10
million for NWR activities. Using information from the agency
and based on historical spending patterns for similar
activities, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1416 would cost
$45 million over the 2024-2028 period, assuming appropriation
of the estimated amounts.
That amount consists of $15 million to acquire and install
new transmitters, and $30 million to modernize the system, as
described above. Those estimated costs incorporate the fact
that some of those activities are happening under current law.
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. 1416
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, millions of dollars--
-----------------------------------------------------------
2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2023-2028
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expand NWR Coverage:
Estimated Authorization......................... 0 4 4 4 4 4 20
Estimated Outlays............................... 0 1 3 3 4 4 15
Modernize NWR Infrastructure:
Estimated Authorization......................... 0 8 8 8 8 8 40
Estimated Outlays............................... 0 2 5 7 8 8 30
Total Changes:
Estimated Authorization..................... 0 12 12 12 12 12 60
Estimated Outlays........................... 0 3 8 10 12 12 45
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NWR = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio.
On June 9, 2023, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R.
1482, the NWR Modernization Act of 2023, as reported by the
House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on May 16,
2023. The two bills are similar, and CBO's estimates of their
budgetary effects are the same.
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Kelly Durand
and 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. 1416 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 ``NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2023'' or the
``NWR Modernization Act of 2023''.
Section 2. Definitions
This section would define the terms ``NOAA Weather Radio''
and ``Under Secretary''.
Section 3. Upgrading existing systems
This section would create a requirement for the Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to upgrade the
systems of NWR in order to expand coverage and ensure
reliability. This section also establishes specific
requirements for upgrading NWR, including maintaining support
for areas that are not covered or have poor cellular service,
ensuring consistent maintenance and operations for timely
repairs, enhancing the ability to amplify non-weather emergency
messages, and acquiring additional transmitters to expand
coverage.
Section 4. Modernization initiative
This section would create a requirement for the Under
Secretary to modernize NWR. This section also establishes
specific requirements for modernization, including
transitioning current infrastructure away from copper
transmissions, requiring the acceleration of software upgrades
to NWS's Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System and
enhancing the accessibility of data and feeds of NWR. This
section would also require the development and implementation
of alternate back-up capabilities in the event of an outage in
the NWS forecast offices and the research and development of an
alternative transmitting option for transmitting signals from
NWR to transmitters that are remote or do not have internet
protocol capability. This section would also require the
transition of critical application to the Integrated
Dissemination Program.
This section would also require the Under Secretary to
create an assessment of NWR that must be submitted within 1
year of enactment to Congress. This assessment should provide
recommendations on the need for continuous and real-time
broadcasts from NWR, the compatibility of NWR with third-party
platforms that provide online services, and existing or new
management systems that promote efficiency. This section also
requires that the assessment must evaluate NOAA's ability to
aggregate real-time broadcast feeds at multiple locations, the
effectiveness of coordination between agencies, the potential
effects of an electromagnetic pulse or geomagnetic disturbance,
and any improvements of hazardous weather and water event
communications.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the
bill as reported would make no change to existing law.