[Senate Report 119-26]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 88
119th Congress} { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 119-26
======================================================================
TORNADO OBSERVATIONS RESEARCH AND NOTIFICATION ASSESSMENT FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF OPERATIONS ACT
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. 258
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
June 2, 2025.--Ordered to be printed
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2025
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SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred nineteenth congress
first session
TED CRUZ, Texas, Chairman
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
JERRY MORAN, Kansas EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
TODD YOUNG, Indiana TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
TED BUDD, North Carolina JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico
JOHN CURTIS, Utah JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado
BERNIE MORENO, Ohio JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania
TIM SHEEHY, Montana ANDY KIM, New Jersey
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware
CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
Brad Grantz, Majority Staff Director
Lila Harper Helms, Democratic Staff Director
Calendar No. 88
119th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 119-26
======================================================================
TORNADO OBSERVATIONS RESEARCH AND NOTIFICATION ASSESSMENT FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF OPERATIONS ACT
_______
June 2, 2025.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Cruz, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 258]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the bill (S. 258) to improve forecasting and
understanding of tornadoes and other hazardous weather, and for
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon with amendments and recommends that the bill, as
amended, do pass.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of S. 258, the Tornado Observations Research
and Notification Assessment for Development of Operations
(TORNADO) Act, is to improve forecasting and understanding of
tornadoes and other hazardous weather, and for other purposes.
Background and Needs
Tornadoes are the fifth most deadly weather hazard,
resulting in an average of 48 fatalities per year over the last
10 years.\1\ Tornadoes are distinctively deadly events because
they can form quickly without warning and may be visibly
obscured by rain or clouds. While a tornado is on the ground,
winds can reach up to 300 miles per hour. Damage tracks can be
more than 1 mile wide and 50 miles long.\2\ Around 1,200
tornadoes affect the United States yearly, but this is likely
an underestimation due to discrepancies in reporting
methods.\3\ While most people believe tornadoes only occur in
the Midwest's Tornado Alley, they are present in all 50 States
and can happen at any time of year.\4\ Tornadoes are as common
in the Deep South as in the Great Plains.\5\ Overall, regions
with greater population density, urban sprawl, and manufactured
homes are particularly vulnerable.\6\
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\1\``Hazard Statistics,'' National Weather Service (https://
www.weather.gov/media/hazstat/80years_2023.pdf).
\2\``Tornado Definition,'' National Weather Service (https://
www.weather.gov/phi/Tornado
Definition).
\3\``Severe Weather 101--Tornadoes: Tornado Basics,'' NOAA National
Severe Storms Laboratory (https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/
tornadoes/).
\4\Supra no. 2.
\5\Matthew Cappucci, ``Tornado Alley in the Plains Is an Outdated
Concept. The South Is Even More Vulnerable, Research Shows,'' The
Washington Post, May 16, 2020 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/
2020/05/16/tornado-alley-flawed-concept/).
\6\Supra no. 3.
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TORNADO RATING SCALE AND PUBLIC RESPONSE
The Fujita Scale (F-Scale) was initially developed based on
the damage intensity of tornadoes. However, this did not
account for observed wind speed. Since 2007, meteorologists
have used the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) to classify
tornadoes based on wind speeds and related damage. Both scales
are rated from 0 (weak; 65-85 mph winds) to 5 (violent; 200+
mph winds).\7\ An issue with this rating system is that many
tornadoes move across rural areas with little infrastructure,
meaning their recorded damage may not reflect their true
strength.
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\7\``The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale),'' National Weather
Service (https://www.weather.gov/oun/efscale).
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The public is alerted to tornadoes through a tornado watch
or warning.\8\ The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) issues a watch when the risk of a tornado
is high but has not yet occurred. A warning is issued when a
tornado occurs and there is a threat to life or property.
Although understanding the difference between a tornado watch
and a warning is crucial for a proper public response, at least
a quarter of the individuals surveyed did not know the
difference.\9\ Most advice from local weather stations is about
sheltering in place at home, but when people are at a public
location during a tornado, they are unaware of how to act
safely. The combination of warning and location uncertainty
poses a greater risk for inappropriate safety actions by the
public.
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\8\``Understand Tornado Alerts,'' National Weather Service (https:/
/www.weather.gov/safety/tornado-ww).
\9\Jason Samenow, ``The Problematic Confusion About Difference
Between Tornado Watches and Warnings'', The Washington Post, May 2,
2011 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/
confusion-about-difference-between-tornado-watch-and-tornado-warnings-
thats-a-problem/2011/05/02/AFW53ZaF_blog.html).
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RECENT TORNADO IMPACTS
In 2024, the United States saw 1,473 confirmed tornadoes,
the second most on record. Major outbreaks in April, May, July,
and December caused widespread destruction, with several EF-4
tornadoes hitting the Midwest and Great Plains. May was
especially severe, with 527 tornadoes, nearly double the
average. Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton fueled additional
tornado activity in the fall, including one of Florida's most
significant outbreaks in decades. The year ended with a
December outbreak in the Southeast, bringing 86 tornadoes,
injuries, and fatalities. Tornadoes throughout the year caused
significant damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure
nationwide.\10\
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\10\NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Monthly
Tornadoes Report for Annual 2024, January 2025 (https://
www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/tornadoes/202413).
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On March 31, 2023, 65 tornadoes swept across the Midwest
and South, killing at least 32 people. There was significant
damage and loss of life reported in Illinois, Arkansas,
Alabama, Tennessee, Indiana, Mississippi, and even
Delaware.\11\ In Illinois, a theater roof caved in and left 1
person dead with 40 others injured. The severe storms also
caused significant gas leaks and power outages.\12\
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\11\Gwen Moritz et al., ``At Least 32 Killed as Tornadoes Tear
Through the Midwest and South,'' The New York Times, updated April 2,
2023 (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/us/midwest-storms-flood-
weather.html).
\12\Ibid.
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IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING AND FORECASTING TORNADOES
Alerting people before tornadoes cannot happen without
monitoring for suitable conditions that lead to formation and
funnel touch down. In the South, tornadoes are often difficult
to see due to rain, clouds, and nighttime occurrence.\13\
Overnight tornadoes are 2.5 times more likely to kill than
daytime tornadoes.\14\ Ample warning time and effective public
communications are critical since people may be asleep or
unable to see funnel formation. The NOAA Storm Prediction
Center (SPC) monitors tornado-prone regions and issues daily
forecasts.\15\ Local National Weather Service (NWS) forecast
offices issue tornado warnings that inform area residents.
Meteorologists at NOAA use multiple computer models at once,
referred to as ensemble forecasting, to better predict weather.
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\13\``Severe Weather 101--Tornadoes: Tornado Forecasting,'' NOAA
National Severe Storms Laboratory (https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/
svrwx101/tornadoes/forecasting/).
\14\Matthew Cappucci, ``Weather Service's Tornado Warnings Were
Delayed During Deadly Iowa Outbreak,'' The Washington Post, March 6,
2022 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/03/06/nws-tornado-
warning-dissemination-iowa/).
\15\Supra no. 13.
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However, there have been delays between the time NWS issues
warnings and when the public can access them. This decreases
the time people have to act in the event of a tornado. In Iowa,
on March 5, 2022, 17 tornadoes swept across the State, causing
loss of life and destruction of property. There was up to a 7-
minute delay in a tornado warning notification to the public
due to software and hardware issues at the national office.\16\
Advances in tornado monitoring and forecasting can increase
warning time, but only if notifications can reach the public on
time.
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\16\Supra no. 14.
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NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) conducts
research to better understand how tornados form and to improve
forecasts and warnings.\17\ The NSSL is involved with the Warn-
on-Forecast research program that seeks to improve warning lead
times for severe weather and water events by referencing high-
resolution weather prediction models and high-performance
computing.\18\ NSSL also utilizes unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) in their Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of
Supercells (TORUS) project.\19\ UAVs can safely observe
features near the ground that may be key in tornado formation.
To improve hazard communication to the public, NSSL has created
the Forecasting a Continuum of Environmental Threats (FACETs)
framework.\20\ FACETs aims to modernize weather forecasting and
warnings by incorporating evolving technology and developing
user-specific, clear, and simple communication methods that
will better serve the public during hazardous weather events.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\``NSSL Research: Tornadoes,'' NOAA National Severe Storms
Laboratory (https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/research/tornadoes/).
\18\``Warn on Forecast,'' NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory
(https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/projects/wof/).
\19\``TORUS: Targeted Observations by Radars and UAS of
Supercells,'' NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (https://
www.nssl.noaa.gov/projects/torus/).
\20\``FACETs,'' NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (https://
www.nssl.noaa.gov/projects/facets/).
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THE ROLE OF RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES IN IMPROVING TORNADO FORECASTS AND
WARNINGS
Improvements and advances in tornado forecasting and
warnings would not be possible without the collaboration
between Federal agencies and research universities. NOAA
Cooperative Institutes are academic and nonprofit research
institutions that conduct research supporting NOAA's goals and
strategic plans.\21\ This program includes 80 universities and
research institutions in 33 States, the District of Columbia,
and U.S. territories. Additionally, NOAA Research Laboratories
establish collaborative agreements with universities to develop
joint research institutes that are hubs for leading research on
atmospheric and earth sciences.\22\ At one NOAA Research
Laboratory, the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), the
TORUS project is led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in
partnership with NOAA, the University of Oklahoma Cooperative
Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, Texas Tech, and
the University of Colorado Boulder.
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\21\``Cooperative Institutes,'' NOAA (https://ci.noaa.gov/).
\22\``NOAA Research Laboratories,'' NOAA (https://ci.noaa.gov/
research-themes/noaa-research-laboratories/).
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Summary of Provisions
S. 258 would do the following:
Establish or designate a hazard risk communication
office to improve the communication of severe weather
alerts, more clearly inform action, and increase the
likelihood that the public takes appropriate action to
prevent loss of life or property.
Require NOAA to prepare and submit an action plan
for the national implementation of high-resolution
probabilistic guidance for tornado forecasting and
prediction.
Encourage NOAA to evaluate the current tornado
rating system and make updates.
Require NOAA to coordinate with appropriate entities
for post-storm assessments to optimize data collection,
sharing, and integration.
Require NOAA to provide training, resources, and
access to professional counseling to support the mental
health of employees conducting post-storm assessments.
Legislative History
S. 258, the TORNADO Act, was introduced on January 27,
2025, by Senator Wicker (for himself and Senators Hyde-Smith,
Grassley, Moran, Sheehy, Young, Cruz, Peters, and Warnock) and
was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate. Senator Blackburn is an
additional cosponsor. On February 5, 2025, the Committee met in
open Executive Session and, by voice vote, ordered S. 258 to be
reported favorably with an amendment.
118th Congress
S. 1284, the TORNADO Act, was introduced on April 25, 2023,
by Senator Wicker (for himself and Senators Cruz, Thune,
Grassley, Hyde-Smith, Young, Blackburn, Boozman, and Peters)
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.
1284 to be reported favorably with an amendment (in the nature
of a substitute). Senators Moran and Warnock were later added
as cosponsors.
117th Congress
S. 3817, the TORNADO Act, was introduced on March 10, 2022,
by Senator Wicker (for himself and Senators Grassley, Hyde-
Smith, Thune, and Ernst) and was referred to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. On March
22, 2022, the Committee met in open Executive Session and, by
voice vote, ordered S. 3817 to be reported favorably with an
amendment (in the nature of a substitute). Senators Duckworth,
Cruz, and Peters were later added as cosponsors.
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. 258 would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) to improve forecasting of and warnings
about hazardous weather. The bill also would require NOAA to
initiate a pilot program for communicating tornado hazards.
Finally, the bill would require the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) to report on the National Weather Service's
information technology infrastructure.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall
within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
CBO assumes that S. 258 will be enacted in fiscal year 2025
and that the authorized and estimated amounts will be available
in each year. Based on historical spending patterns, CBO
estimates that implementing the bill would cost $74 million
over the 2025-2030 period, as described below.
VORTEX-USA: The bill would authorize the appropriation of
$11 million annually from 2025 through 2032 for VORTEX-USA
(Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes
Experiment) to develop accurate and timely tornado forecasts,
predictions, and warnings. In 2024, NOAA allocated $11 million
to the project. CBO estimates that implementing this provision
would cost $59 million over the 2025-2030 period and $28
million after 2030, assuming appropriation of the authorized
amounts.
Other Activities: Using information from NOAA, CBO
estimates that the pilot program would require four full-time
employees and one cooperative agreement with a research
university at a total cost of $15 million over the 2025-2030
period. Most of that cost would be for the cooperative
agreement. CBO also estimates that the GAO report would cost
less than $500,000. Any related spending would be subject to
the availability of appropriated funds.
TABLE 1.--ESTIMATED INCREASES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION UNDER S. 258
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, millions of dollars--
----------------------------------------------------------
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2025-2030
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VORTEX-USA
Authorization.................................... 11 11 11 11 11 11 66
Estimated Outlays................................ 3 10 12 12 11 11 59
Other Activities
Estimated Authorization.......................... 1 3 3 3 3 3 16
Estimated Outlays................................ 1 2 3 3 3 3 15
Total Changes
Estimated Authorization.......................... 12 14 14 14 14 14 82
Estimated Outlays................................ 4 12 15 15 14 14 74
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Aurora Swanson
and Johnny Willing. 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. 258 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 ``Tornado Observations Research and Notification Assessment
for Development of Operations Act'' or the ``TORNADO Act''.
Section 2. Definitions.
This section would define the terms ``hazardous weather and
water events'', ``historically Black college or university'',
``Indian Tribe'', ``institution of higher education'',
``National Laboratory'', and ``Under Secretary''.
Section 3. Hazardous weather and water event risk communication.
This section would require maintaining and improving NOAA's
systems for hazardous weather and water event communications to
prevent loss of life and property. It would create a hazard
risk communication office (Office) to simplify and improve
hazard communications. The Office would develop a plan to
enhance public hazard communications, create metrics to track
their impact on public action, and periodically update the plan
based on research and metrics. The Office would also implement
recommendations tailored to vulnerable populations and based on
social, behavioral, risk, and communication science, responding
to the needs of Federal, State, and local partners and various
hazard types. To assess effectiveness, the Office would
collaborate with Federal partners including National
Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes, State and local
governments, Indian Tribes, educational institutions, and media
partners. Data from the Office would be accessible via a
central repository system.
This section would require NOAA to establish or maintain a
hazard communication research program to modernize the creation
of hazard information and responses to hazardous weather and
water events. NOAA would coordinate with States, Indian Tribes,
localities, and emergency managers on research priorities and
results and establish a tornado hazard communication pilot
program to evaluate the research.
This section would require NOAA to maintain a central
repository for NOAA data on hazardous weather and water event
communications, including social, behavioral, risk, and
economic research, and develop methods to prevent tampering
with online hazard communications.
Section 4. Warn-on-forecast strategic plan.
This section would require the Under Secretary to prepare
and submit to Congress a plan to develop and implement a high-
resolution probabilistic forecast and warning system for
hazardous weather and water events no later than 1 year after
enactment. The plan would include priorities for vulnerable
populations, improved forecasting methodologies and modeling,
and risk communication research.
Section 5. Tornado rating system.
This section would require NOAA to evaluate the current
rating system for tornado severity, determine if updates are
needed, and implement necessary changes.
Section 6. Post-storm surveys and assessments.
This section would require NOAA to perform one or more
post-storm surveys and assessments following significant
hazardous weather or water events. Surveys would be coordinated
with Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments;
institutions of higher education; and private entities to
optimize data collection, sharing, and integration. Survey data
would be made available to the public after storm surveys. NOAA
would improve the post-storm survey, assessment methods, and
data collection. Training, resources, and counseling would be
available to staff conducting post-storm surveys and
assessments.
Section 7. VORTEX-USA program.
This section would require the maintenance of a program for
improving tornado forecasts and warnings. NOAA would be
required to award research grants that improve risk
communication and STEM related to tornadoes, prioritizing
research completed at minority-serving institutions. This
section would authorize appropriations of $11 million for each
of fiscal years 2025 through 2032.
Section 8. Government Accountability Office report on hazardous weather
and water alert dissemination.
This section would require the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) to create a report examining the information
technology infrastructure of NWS of NOAA. The report would
focus on the structure of the hazardous weather and water alert
system and assess if alerts are disseminated to the public in a
timely and efficient manner. GAO would be required to submit
the report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives no later
than 540 days after enactment.
Section 9. Elimination of certain report requirements.
This section would eliminate an outdated report on
information systems at NWS.
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. 8513]
SEC. 103. [TORNADO WARNING IMPROVEMENT AND EXTENSION PROGRAM] VORTEX-
USA.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary, in collaboration with
the United States weather industry and academic partners, shall
[establish a tornado warning improvement and extension program]
maintain a program for rapidly improving tornado forecast and
warnings.
(b) * * *
(c) * * *
(d) Warnings.--The program required by subsection (a) shall--
(1) continue the research necessary to develop and
deploy probabilistic weather forecast guidance
technology for tornadoes; and
(2) incorporate, as appropriate, hazard communication
research.
(e) Research.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall, through
the program required by subsection (a), award grants
for research that focuses on improving--
(A) the social, behavioral, risk,
communication, and economic sciences related to
vulnerabilities, risk communication, and
delivery of information critical for saving
lives and property related to tornadoes; and
(B) the physical sciences, engineering, and
technology related to tornado formation, the
interactions of tornadoes with the built and
natural environment, and the interaction of
tornadoes and hurricanes.
(2) Priority institutions.--
(A) In general.--In awarding grants under
paragraph (1), the Under Secretary may
prioritize awarding grants to minority-serving
institutions.
(B) Definition of minority-serving
institution.--In this paragraph, the term
``minority-serving institution'' means--
(i) a part B institution (as defined
in section 322 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061));
(ii) a Hispanic-serving institution
(as defined in section 502(a) of that
Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)));
(iii) a Tribal College or University
(as defined in section 316(b) of that
Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)));
(iv) an Alaska Native-serving
institution (as defined in section
317(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C.
1059d(b)));
(v) a Native Hawaiian-serving
institution (as defined in section
317(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C.
1059d(b)));
(vi) a Predominantly Black
Institution (as defined in section
318(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C.
1059e(b)));
(vii) an Asian American and Native
American Pacific Islander-serving
institution (as defined in section
320(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C.
1059g(b))); or
(viii) a Native American-serving,
nontribal institution (as defined in
section 319(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C.
1059f(b))).
[(d)](f) Program Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator
for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, in coordination with the
Director of the National Weather Service, shall develop a
program plan that details the specific research, development,
and technology transfer activities, as well as corresponding
resources and timelines, necessary to achieve the program goal.
[(e)](g) Annual Budget for Plan Submittal.--Following
completion of the plan, the Under Secretary, acting through the
Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
and in coordination with the Director of the National Weather
Service, shall, not less frequently than once each year, submit
to Congress a proposed budget corresponding with the activities
identified in the plan.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to
be appropriated to the Under Secretary to carry out this
section $11,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2032,
of which not less than $2,000,000 each fiscal year shall be
used for grants awarded under subsection (e).
* * * * * * *
[15 U.S.C. 8543]
SEC. 8543. OFFICE OF OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH AND NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE EXCHANGE PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research and the Director of the National Weather
Service may establish a program to detail Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research personnel to the National Weather Service
and National Weather Service personnel to the Office of Oceanic
and Atmospheric Research.
(b) * * *
(c) * * *
[(d) Annual Report.--Not less frequently than once each year,
the Under Secretary 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 participation in such program and shall highlight
any innovations that come from this interaction.]
* * * * * * *
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF
1992
* * * * * * *
[15 U.S.C. 1537; Public Law 102-567; 106 Stat. 4274]
SEC. 106. DATA AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS.
(a) * * *
(b) * * *
[(c) Needs Assessment for Data Management, Archival, and
Distribution.--(1) Not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act and at least biennially thereafter, the
Secretary of Commerce shall complete an assessment of the
adequacy of the environmental data and information systems of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In
conducting such an assessment, the Secretary shall take into
consideration the need to--
[(A) provide adequate capacity to manage, archive,
and disseminate environmental data and information
collected and processed, or expected to be collected
and processed, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and other appropriate departments and
agencies;
[(B) establish, develop, and maintain information
bases, including necessary management systems, which
will promote consistent, efficient, and compatible
transfer and use of data;
[(C) develop effective interfaces among the
environmental data and information systems of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
other appropriate departments and agencies;
[(D) develop and use nationally accepted formats and
standards for data collected by various national and
international sources; and
[(E) integrate and interpret data from different
sources to produce information that can be used by
decisionmakers in developing policies that effectively
respond to national and global environmental concerns.
[(2) Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of
this Act and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Commerce
shall develop 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 a
comprehensive plan, based on the assessment under paragraph
(1), to modernize and improve the environmental data and
information systems of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. The report shall--.
[(A) set forth modernization and improvement
objectives for the 10-year period beginning with the
year in which the plan is submitted, including facility
requirements and critical new technological components
that would be necessary to meet the objectives set
forth;
[(B) propose specific agency programs and activities
for implementing the plan;
[(C) identify the data and information management,
archival, and distribution responsibilities of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with
respect to other Federal departments and agencies and
international organizations, including the role of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with
respect to large data systems like the Earth Observing
System Data and Information System; and
[(D) provide an implementation schedule and estimate
funding levels necessary to achieve modernization and
improvement objectives.]
* * * * * * *
[all]