(1)

in paragraph (2), by inserting timeliness and before accuracy;

(2)

in paragraph (7), by striking and after the semicolon;

(3)

in paragraph (8), by striking the period and inserting ; and; and

(4)

by adding at the end the following:

(9)

to ensure data and metadata are managed, archived, and made available for operations, research, education, and mitigation activities in accordance with section 305 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017.

(1)

in subsection (b)—

(2)

in subsection (c)—

(3)

by redesignating subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h), respectively;

(4)

by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

(d) Tsunami warning alert level evaluation

The Administrator, in collaboration with social scientists, emergency personnel, and high-risk communities, shall—

(1)

evaluate tsunami alert levels terminology, timing, and effectiveness;

(2)

determine if such alerts produce the desired response and understanding from possible tsunami-prone communities; and

(3)

if necessary, update the alert level system for increased effectiveness.;

(5)

in subsection (e), as so redesignated—

(6)

in subsection (f), as so redesignated—

(7)

in subsection (h)(2)(A), as so redesignated, by striking accuracy of the tsunami model used and inserting timeliness and accuracy of the forecast used to issue the warning.

(1) In general

The Tsunami Warning and Education Act (enacted as title VIII of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–479)) is amended by inserting after section 804 (33 U.S.C. 3203) the following:

804A. Assessment of tsunami watches and warnings

(a) Assessment of tsunami watches and warnings

(1) In general

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Under Secretary shall—

(A)

conduct an assessment of—

(i)

the tsunami watches and warnings of the National Weather Service; and

(ii)

the information delivery to support preparation and responses to tsunamis; and

(B)

submit to Congress a report on the findings of the Under Secretary with respect to the assessment required by subparagraph (A).

(2) Elements

The assessment required by paragraph (1)(A) shall include the following:

(A)

An evaluation of whether the watches, warnings, and information described in paragraph (1)(A) effectively—

(i)

communicate risk to the general public;

(ii)

inform action to prevent loss of life and property;

(iii)

inform action to support tsunami preparation and response; and

(iv)

deliver information in a manner designed to lead to appropriate action.

(B)

Subject to subsection (b)(2), such recommendations as the Under Secretary may have for—

(i)

legislative and administrative action to improve the watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i); and

(ii)

such research as the Under Secretary considers necessary to address the focus areas described in paragraph (3).

(3) Focus areas

The assessment required by paragraph (1)(A) shall focus on the following areas:

(A)

Ways to communicate the risks posed by hazardous tsunami events to the public that are most likely to result in informed decision making regarding the mitigation of those risks.

(B)

Ways to provide actionable geographic information to the recipient of a watch or warning for tsunami, including partnering with emergency response agencies, as appropriate.

(C)

Evaluation of information delivery to support the preparation for and response to tsunamis.

(4) Consultation

In conducting the assessment required by paragraph (1)(A), the Under Secretary shall consult with—

(A)

individuals in the academic sector, including individuals in the fields of social and behavioral sciences;

(B)

other weather services;

(C)

media outlets and other entities that distribute the watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i);

(D)

emergency planners and responders, including State, local, and Tribal emergency management agencies;

(E)

other government users of the watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i), including the Federal Highway Administration; and

(F)

such other Federal agencies as the Under Secretary determines rely on watches and warnings regarding tsunamis for operational decisions.

(5) Methodologies

In conducting the assessment required by paragraph (1)(A), the Under Secretary shall use such methodologies as the Under Secretary considers are generally accepted by the weather enterprise, including methodologies of the fields of social and behavioral sciences.

(b) Improvements to tsunami watches and warnings

(1) In general

Based on the assessment required by subsection (a)(1)(A), the Under Secretary shall make such improvements to the watches and warnings described in that subsection as the Under Secretary considers necessary—

(A)

to improve the communication of the risks posed by tsunami events; and

(B)

to provide actionable geographic information to the recipient of a watch or warning for a tsunami.

(2) Requirements regarding recommendations

In conducting the assessment required by subsection (a)(1)(A), the Under Secretary shall ensure that any recommendation under subsection (a)(2)(B) that the Under Secretary considers a major change—

(A)

is validated by social and behavioral science using a generalizable sample;

(B)

accounts for the needs of various demographics, vulnerable populations, and geographic regions;

(C)

responds to the needs of Federal, State, local, and Tribal government partners and media partners; and

(D)

accounts for necessary changes to federally operated watch and warning propagation and dissemination infrastructure and protocols.

(2) Clerical amendment

The table of contents for the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (enacted as title VIII of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–479)) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 804 the following:

(1)

in paragraph (5)—

(2)

in paragraph (7)(C), by inserting and behavioral after social.

(1)

in subsection (a)—

(2)

in subsection (b)—

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(c) Research and development plan

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and not less frequently than every 3 years thereafter, the Administrator, in consultation with the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services, shall develop a research and development and research to operations plan to improve tsunami detection and forecasting capabilities that—

(1)

identifies and prioritizes research and development priorities to satisfy section 804;

(2)

identifies key research needs for better detecting tsunamis that may occur in open ocean and along the coastlines of the United States and the territories of the United States, improve forecasting of tsunamis that are not seismically driven, and other opportunities determined appropriate;

(3)

develops plans for transitioning research to operations; and

(4)

identifies collaboration opportunities that may advance and align tsunami research, development, warnings, and operations between the centers supported or maintained under section 804, the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Center for Tsunami Research, the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, institutions of higher education, private entities and other appropriate stakeholders.

(1)

in subsection (b)(1), by inserting and behavioral after social; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following:

(e) Sunset

The Panel shall terminate not later than 6 years after the date of the enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026.

(A)

by inserting Federal before observing capabilities; and

(B)

by striking and after the semicolon;

(A)

by inserting , including private sector partnerships or commercial acquisition, after options; and

(B)

by striking the period and inserting a semicolon; and

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall make publicly available not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and update every 5 years thereafter until 2035, a 10-year strategic plan that outlines the high-performance computing and data management requirements and needs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and actions and strategies to address those requirements and needs.

(2) Plan elements

At a minimum, the strategic plan required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(3) Public involvement

In developing the strategic plan required by paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall invite comments and other feedback from the public to inform the strategic plan.

(4) Annual briefings

(1)

in subparagraph (B), by striking aerial and inserting crewed and uncrewed aerial and surface; and

(2)

in subparagraph (G), by striking , including commercial observing systems and inserting , including stationary and mobile commercial observing systems, such as uncrewed aircraft and marine systems, to provide observations of the atmosphere and ocean, and other observations, in cooperation with the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.

(1)

by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

(c) Use of uncrewed aerial systems

(1) In general

In carrying out the program under this section, the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, whenever practical, shall use uncrewed aerial systems to assess damage and assist recovery after an extreme weather or water event.

(2) Authority

In carrying out the program under this section, the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations may acquire uncrewed aerial systems and training resources for the regional offices and partners of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the use and deployment of those systems in storm assessments and response.

(1)

in subsection (a)—

(2)

by amending subsections (b) and (c) to read as follows:

(b) Co-Chairs; Federal Coordinator

The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Under Secretary shall serve as co-chairs of the Interagency Council. The Under Secretary shall serve as the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology.

(c) Further coordination

The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall take such steps as are necessary to coordinate the activities of the Federal Government with stakeholders in the United States weather industry, academic partners, State governments, and emergency managers.; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(d) Functions

The Interagency Council shall be the formal mechanism by which all relevant Federal agencies coordinate implementation of policy and practices to ensure United States global leadership in meteorological services. In doing so, the Interagency Council shall review programs and support relevant weather research and forecast innovation activities, and other related implementation activities, related to Federal meteorological services, including by carrying out the following:

(1)

Identifying and helping prioritize meteorological research and service delivery needs, including relating to observations, operational systems, communications, and infrastructure.

(2)

Providing recommendations to streamline or consolidate activities and develop greater efficiencies in cross-agency activities.

(3)

Leveraging Earth system science research outcomes of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other relevant Federal agencies, including research outcomes related to the relevant recommended key science and applications questions and priorities in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s 2018 report Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A Decadal Strategy for Earth Observation from Space, to understand and predict high-impact weather phenomena.

(4)

Facilitating the expansion and strengthening of partnerships with private sector entities to advance meteorological research, communications, and computing.

(5)

Sharing information regarding meteorological research improvement needs and science opportunities across relevant Federal agencies.

(6)

Providing advice to all relevant Federal agencies regarding potential collaborations and expected levels of resources needed to maintain and operate the Interagency Council.

(7)

Enhancing communication and coordination and promoting sharing within relevant Federal agencies and across the Interagency Council.

(8)

Developing, recruiting, and sustaining a professional workforce for meteorological research and services.

(e) Data inventory

The Interagency Council, in coordination with, and avoiding duplication with the efforts of, the United States Group on Earth Observations, shall promote data and metadata access and archive activities to increase accessibility, interoperability, and reusability by maintaining a data inventory of meteorological observations. Not less frequently than once every 2 years for a period of 10 years beginning on the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Interagency Council shall solicit updated information from private sector entities identifying current and near future sources of such data. Such data shall be made available to participating agencies of the Interagency Council specified under subsection (a).

(f) Coordination office

The Interagency Meteorological Coordination Office shall provide to the Interagency Council such administrative and logistical support as the Interagency Council may require, as determined by the co-chairs.

(g) Cost share

Participating agencies of the Interagency Council specified under subsection (a) may provide reimbursable financial support to the Interagency Meteorological Coordinating Office to enhance cost sharing and collaboration related to weather research and forecast innovation activities.

(h) Report

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter until 2030, the Interagency Council shall publish a report that identifies among participating agencies of the Interagency Council specified under subsection (a) the following:

(1)

Federal programs that use meteorological observations, data sources, and capabilities.

(2)

Federal programs that acquire such observations, data, and capabilities from private sector entities.

(3)

Advancements in meteorological data collection, assimilation, and forecasting that could improve Federal programmatic operational capabilities.

(4)

Barriers to acquiring meteorological observations, data sources, and capabilities that could be used to better meet Federal programmatic needs.

(1) In general

The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended—

(2) Clerical amendments

The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended by striking the items relating to sections 408 through 414 and inserting the following:

(1)

in section 106, by striking subsection (c) (15 U.S.C. 1537); and

(2)

in section 108 (15 U.S.C. 8520)—

(1)

by redesignating section 603 as section 604; and

(2)

by inserting after section 602 the following:

603. Precipitation forecast improvement program

(a) In general

The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the United States weather industry, other Federal agencies, and academic partners, shall maintain a program to improve precipitation forecasting across timescales.

(b) Goal

The goal of the program under subsection (a) shall be to provide more accurate, reliable, and timely precipitation forecasts across timescales through the development and application of a fully coupled Earth system prediction model in order to reduce the loss of life or property related to precipitation extremes, with a focus on the following:

(1)

Improving the understanding and prediction of precipitation extremes from a variety of weather systems, including atmospheric rivers.

(2)

Evaluating and incorporating, as appropriate, innovative observations into operational monitoring and forecast systems to improve precipitation forecasts.

(3)

Improving Earth system model predictions of precipitation extremes from atmospheric rivers, tropical cyclones, summertime thunderstorms, winter storms, and other phenomena, in coordination with relevant programs.

(4)

Enhancing research-to-operations transition through testbeds, including the evaluation of physical and social science, technology, and other research to develop products and services for implementation and use by relevant stakeholders.

(5)

Incorporating best practices from the social, behavioral, and economic sciences into operations for more effective and actionable watch and warning products that support public safety and damage mitigation decisions in coordination with the programs established in accordance with this Act.

(6)

Ensuring data and metadata management processes are in place to support data access and archive for long-term research and operations among multiple partners.

(c) Activities

In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall support research-to-operations work, including the following:

(1)

Implementing key strategies and following priorities and objectives outlined in the Precipitation Prediction Grand Challenge Strategy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(2)

Improving the physical science, operational modeling and tools, and technology related to better forecasting precipitation extremes across timescales.

(3)

Improving the social, behavioral, and economic sciences related to risk communication, and delivery of information critical for reducing the loss of life or property related to extreme precipitation.

(4)

Conducting the research necessary to develop and deploy probabilistic weather forecast guidance technology relating to precipitation extremes in operational practice.

(5)

Enhancing the operational capacity of the National Weather Service to deliver decision support for extreme precipitation.

(6)

Expanding computational resources to improve precipitation modeling.

(d) Annual budget

The Under Secretary shall submit to Congress, with the budget of the President submitted under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for a fiscal year, a proposed budget for activities to carry out this section in that fiscal year.

(e) Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that improved precipitation forecasts should support improved water resource management and resilience to extreme water related events, such as floods and drought, which may include the use of enhanced streamflow prediction.

(1)

enhance forecast accuracy, efficiency, and interpretability;

(2)

leverage innovation from the broader weather enterprise;

(3)

use advanced computing technologies and observational data;

(4)

periodically evaluate existing modeling systems to ensure resources are focused on the most capable and impactful forecast solutions while maintaining operational continuity; and

(5)

explore artificial intelligence-based modeling capabilities and related training data needs.

(1)

develop performance and coverage requirements for the weather radar network of the United States, including for the territories of the United States;

(2)

collaborate with the weather enterprise to determine potential solutions to update the weather radar network of the United States that meet the requirements developed under paragraph (1); and

(3)

develop a plan in accordance with subsection (c).

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall develop a plan to replace the Next Generation Weather Radar system of the National Weather Service in existence as of the date of the enactment of this Act (in this subsection referred to as the NEXRAD system).

(2) Elements

The plan developed under this subsection shall seek to continue and improve weather radar coverage in the United States and its territories and include the following:

(3) Procurement deadline

The Under Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure the plan developed under this subsection is fully implemented and executed by not later than September 30, 2040.

(1) In general

The Under Secretary may partner or contract with entities outside of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to fill data gaps in weather radar coverage using weather radars and data assimilation technologies in order to—

(2) Considerations

In carrying out paragraph (1), the Under Secretary may consider—

(1)

Identifying regions in the United States and the territories of the United States that are under observed, and as a result, have data gaps or experience disproportionate impacts from hazardous weather that threatens human life, health, and property.

(2)

Identifying any challenges that contribute to the lack of weather observations under paragraph (1).

(3)

Increasing weather observations and developing new weather observational capabilities with respect to the regions identified under paragraph (1).

(4)

Establishing or supporting testbeds and deployments of decision support services to Federal, State, and local emergency operations centers to develop and integrate new weather, water, and climate observation or emergency information sharing tools, with respect to the regions identified under paragraph (1).

(5)

To the maximum extent practicable, advancing weather and water forecasting and subseasonal to seasonal modeling capabilities for the regions identified under paragraph (1).

(6)

Undertaking workforce development efforts for emergency management officials and meteorologists in the regions identified under paragraph (1).

(7)

Using observations to fill voids in data and better understand extreme rainfall in complex topography.

(8)

Contributing to a national integrated heat health information system.

(1)

in coordination with the Director of the National Weather Service and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

(2)

in consultation with the United States weather industry and academic partners; and

(3)

in accordance with activities implemented through existing regional atmospheric, coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing systems.

(1) In general

In carrying out this section, the Under Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Weather Service and in collaboration with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall establish an interagency partnership to support pilot projects that accelerate coordination and use of localized weather, water, and subseasonal to seasonal data and impact-based decision support services in infrastructure and emergency management decisions by Federal, State, and local officials.

(2) Priority

At least one pilot project under paragraph (1) shall address key science challenges to using mesonet data in local decision making and development of new tools and training for owners and operators of critical infrastructure (as defined in subsection (e) of the Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of 2001 (42 U.S.C. 5195c)), such as dams, energy generation and distribution facilities, nuclear power plants, and transportation networks.

(1)

establishing skill metrics for atmospheric river forecasts that include assessing the benefits of dynamical modeling, data assimilation, and machine learning improvements in the probabilistic forecasts of landfall location, extreme wind and precipitation, and cascading impacts;

(2)

developing an atmospheric river forecast system within a unified forecast system, and advancing next-generation coupled modeling systems, with the capability of providing seasonal to short-range atmospheric river forecasts that include forecasts of snow accumulation and other hydrologic components;

(3)

advancing scientific understanding of the roles of atmospheric rivers in subseasonal to seasonal precipitation and probabilistic predictions at subseasonal to seasonal scales;

(4)

developing tools and improved forecast products to predict periods of active or inactive atmospheric river landfalls and inland penetration over the United States with a focus on addressing stakeholder and public needs related to perceiving, comprehending, and responding to atmospheric river forecast improvements;

(5)

enhancing the transition of research to operations through testbeds of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the evaluation of physical and social science, technology, and other research to develop products and services for implementation and use by relevant stakeholders; and

(6)

incorporating social, behavioral, and economic sciences into atmospheric river modeling and forecasting, as appropriate.

(1)

develop, test, and operationalize prototype high-resolution Atmospheric River Analysis and Forecasting System models through research and operations partnerships with institutions of higher education and other partners outside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

(2)

enhance data assimilation of current and new satellite and ocean observations that is useful for atmospheric river analysis and forecasting predictions;

(3)

improve data processing techniques related to atmospheric river analysis and forecasting predictions;

(4)

use artificial intelligence and machine learning methods as applicable to atmospheric river analysis and forecasting predictions;

(5)

ensure the surface and subsurface observations of the ocean meet the needs of atmospheric river analysis and forecasting predictions on different timescales; and

(6)

to the maximum extent practicable, improve or establish baseline weather monitoring services in areas that have historically experienced, or are predicted to experience, atmospheric rivers.

(1)

to meet mission requirements of the National Hurricane Operations Plan and the National Winter Season Operations plan;

(2)

to ensure atmospheric river air reconnaissance observations are available throughout the expected seasons of tropical cyclones and atmospheric rivers;

(3)

to the maximum extent practicable and in accordance with paragraph (5), to ensure data and information collected are made available for research and operations purposes;

(4)

to participate in research and operations partnerships that guide flight planning and use research methods to improve and expand the capabilities and effectiveness of atmospheric river reconnaissance over time;

(5)

to develop data management strategies to ensure that data and metadata are adequately stewarded, maintained, and archived; and

(6)

to undertake such other additional activities as the Under Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Air Force, considers appropriate to improve and grow the hurricane hunter and atmospheric river reconnaissance mission.

(1)

to, as appropriate, develop and refine—

(2)

to develop best practices for communication of atmospheric river events and hazards across regions of the United States;

(3)

to gather information from areas prone to hurricanes and atmospheric rivers regarding levels of knowledge and preparedness, including responses to early forecasts and warnings by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and

(4)

to explore strategies to communicate, and the effectiveness of communicating, that hurricane and atmospheric river events are beneficial at lower intensities versus hazardous at higher intensity.

(1)

Improving understanding and capacity for real-time operational prediction of the ocean’s role in coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge events.

(2)

Improving the capacity to mitigate, adapt to, or prevent the impacts of coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge events, including by improving the understanding of coastal communities and the capacity of such communities to perceive, comprehend, and respond to forecast information.

(3)

Incorporating data from in situ distributed sensors into predictive models and re-analyses.

(4)

Developing probabilistic coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge estimates to complement worst-case scenario estimates, including for use in long-term planning and risk management by States, Tribal governments, localities, and emergency managers in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as appropriate.

(5)

Establishing skill metrics for coastal inundation forecasting that quantify the benefits of dynamical modeling, data assimilation, and machine learning improvements in the probabilistic forecast of coastal flooding, including high tide flooding, and storm surge risk and impacts.

(6)

Improving operational regional storm surge models and, in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey, wave prediction models to enhance probabilistic guidance and messaging.

(1) Establishment

The Under Secretary shall establish within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration a system, to be known as the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (in this section referred to as the System).

(2) Purpose

The purpose of the System is to reduce heat-related impacts by—

(1) Establishment of committee

There is established within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration an interagency committee, to be known as the National Integrated Heat Health Information System Interagency Committee (in this section referred to as the Committee).

(2) Purpose

The Committee shall coordinate relevant agencies to execute, as appropriate, activities across such agencies to ensure a united Federal approach to reducing health risks from heat.

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall maintain an airborne observation program (in this subsection referred to as the program) for the acquisition of atmospheric sensor data and the deployment of critical atmospheric sensors, including in partnership with the weather enterprise.

(2) Activities

The program shall include activities that carry out the following:

(3) Budget

The Under Secretary shall submit to Congress, with the budget of the President submitted under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for a fiscal year, a proposed budget for the activities described in paragraph (2) for that fiscal year, including and analysis of activities that can be complemented by aircraft of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(4) Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the program.

(1) In general

The Director of the National Weather Service shall—

(2) Coordination

In carrying out paragraph (1), the Director of the National Weather Service shall—

(1)

by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and (G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:

(F)

aviation weather phenomena, including atmospheric composition and turbulence, to improve scientific understanding and forecast capabilities for the airspace system;

(1) Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that the aviation weather services provided to the Federal Aviation Administration by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are critical to the functions of the Federal Aviation Administration and the safety of the flying public.

(2) Interagency agreement and supplemental services

(3) Briefings

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter through December 31, 2030, the Under Secretary and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall provide a briefing to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives on the status of—

(1) In general

The Assistant Administrator of the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (in this section referred to as the Assistant Administrator) shall maintain a partnership program to enhance engagement with the private sector, academia, and other Federal agencies (in this subsection referred to as the partnership program).

(2) Administration

The Assistant Administrator, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall administer broad agency announcements and other transactional authority or contracting mechanisms, on an annual or more frequent basis, to support the partnership program.

(1) In general

To support the development of next-generation technologies, missions, data systems, spacecraft, and instrument design, the Assistant Administrator, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall maintain a program to transition selected awards from research and study phases into demonstration (in this subsection referred to as the transition program).

(2) Considerations

In selecting awardees for demonstrations under the transition program, the Assistant Administrator shall consider technologies, missions, data systems, spacecraft, and instrument design that—

(3) Operational planning

In carrying out the transition program, the Assistant Administrator shall monitor demonstration phase progress and plan for promising results that meet mission requirements to be transitioned into the operational satellite architecture of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(1)

Integrating and displaying forecast data, including meteorological, hydrological, climate, ocean, satellite, and radar data, for field offices and national centers of the National Weather Service.

(2)

Acquiring and processing observational data from sensors and local sources.

(3)

Providing an interactive communications system, including any relevant capabilities of the existing satellite broadcast network, to connect relevant employees and sites of the National Weather Service.

(4)

Initiating the dissemination of weather, water, marine, ecological, subseasonal to seasonal, aviation, and space warnings and forecasts in a rapid and highly reliable manner.

(1)

Establishment or support of testbeds, pilot projects, and functional testing activities to facilitate remote evaluation and automated testing.

(2)

Coordinated training efforts needed for Federal and non-Federal users and operators of the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System in an operational cloud-based environment referred to in subsection (a).

(3)

Evaluation of bandwidth requirements to achieve a quality user experience.

(4)

Installation of circuits to reduce lapses in network operations and support backup functions.

(5)

Establishment of a cloud-based, remotely accessible repository for data referred to in subsection (b)(2).

(6)

Development and deployment of virtualized systems to replace physical hardware at operational sites.

(7)

Evaluation of commercial cloud providers, including hybrid approaches, to meet mission needs.

(8)

Development, testing, demonstration, evaluation, and operationalization of forecast and warning products, consistent with the mission and scientific expertise of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(1) In general

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Director of the National Weather Service shall submit to the Under Secretary and Congress an assessment of the milestones, timelines, and service level expectations required for the expeditious hiring and timely onboarding of employees of the National Weather Service.

(2) Elements

Each assessment required by paragraph (1) may include the following:

(1) In general

The Director of the National Weather Service shall enter into a contract with, or continue to partner with, an entity other than the National Weather Service to conduct an assessment of medical impacts, including stress and long-term health impacts, on employees of the National Weather Service related to required rotating shift work.

(2) Elements

The assessment required by paragraph (1) may include—

(1) In general

The Director of the National Weather Service may designate at least one service hydrologist at each Weather Forecast Office of the National Weather Service.

(2) Performance by other employees

Notwithstanding paragraphs (3) and (4), the Director of the National Weather Service may assign the performance of the responsibilities described in this subsection to such other staff of the National Weather Service as the Director considers appropriate.

(3) Responsibilities

In order to increase impact-based decision support services, each service coordination hydrologist designated under paragraph (1) shall, with respect to hydrology, carry out the following:

(4) Additional responsibilities

A service coordination hydrologist designated under paragraph (1) may, with respect to hydrology—

(1) In general

The Director of the National Weather Service shall—

(2) Sunset

The authority under paragraph (1) shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(1) In general

Title IV of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8541 et seq.), as amended by section 114(a), is further amended by adding at the end the following:

410. Classification of and staffing plan for employees and protection from hiring freezes

(a) Classification of certain employees

(1) In general

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall categorize each position in the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration specified under paragraph (2) as a protective service occupation under the Standard Occupational Classification System.

(2) Occupational series specified

The positions that are specified in this paragraph are positions in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that are—

(A)

determined by the Under Secretary to be involved in supporting forecasts and warnings to protect human life and property; and

(B)

determined by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to be—

(i)

a position in the Engineering and Architecture occupational series listed under occupational series 0801, 0802, 0810, 0855, or 0856;

(ii)

a position in the Production Controller (Aircraft) occupational series (1152);

(iii)

a position in the Physical Sciences occupational series listed under occupational series 1301, 1313, 1315, 1340, 1341, 1360, 1370, or 1372;

(iv)

a position in the Equipment Specialist Series (Aircraft) occupational series (1670);

(v)

a position in the Information Technology Management occupational series (2210); or

(vi)

a position held by a professional mariner (as defined in section 269B of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of 2002 (33 U.S.C. 3079b), including a position in occupational series 0865, 9901, 9916, 9920, 9923–24, 9927–28, 9931–34, 9944, 9954, 9960, 9965, 9968, 9971, 9973, and 9984).

(3) Congressional briefing

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall provide a briefing on the implementation of this section to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.

(b) 5-Year staffing plan for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a 5-year staffing plan for—

(1)

the National Weather Service; and

(2)

any positions within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that support forecasts and warnings to protect human life and property, including positions that involve—

(A)

collection of data for incorporation into watches and warnings;

(B)

operation and maintenance of equipment for collection of data described in subparagraph (A);

(C)

maintenance of information technology systems;

(D)

modeling for forecasts and warnings; and

(E)

research to improve forecasts, warnings, and communication of those warnings to better protect human life and property.

(2) Clerical amendment

The table of contents for the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 409 the following:

(1) Artificial intelligence

The term artificial intelligence—

(2) Artificial intelligence weather model

The term artificial intelligence weather model means a weather model based primarily on artificial intelligence technology to project future Earth system conditions based on machine learning using weather forecasting training datasets.

(3) Curate

The term curate, with respect to a dataset, means—

(4) Numerical weather model

The term numerical weather model means a weather model based primarily on coupled Earth System processes that uses numerical computation to forecast future Earth system conditions.

(5) Observational data

The term observational data means data and metadata from actual observations of environmental conditions, including remote sensing and in situ platforms.

(6) Synthetic data

The term synthetic data means data produced from a model or statistical method in order to fill gaps in observational data.

(1)

to improve accuracy and timeliness of weather, water, and space weather forecasts and effective dissemination of critical information;

(2)

to strengthen analytic capacity to inform resource deployments in response to and to mitigate harm from weather, water, wildfires, and space weather hazards through the mandated exploration and use of artificial intelligence by Federal agencies;

(3)

to strengthen public-private partnerships to accelerate adoption and outcomes of the use of artificial intelligence in response to and to mitigate such harm; and

(4)

to strengthen public-private partnerships in highly technical, high-risk, and high-reward fields related to weather, water, wildfires, and space weather forecasts.

(1) Training datasets

Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Interagency Council on Advancing Meteorological Services, other appropriate Federal advisory committees as determined by the Under Secretary, and such other technical experts as the Under Secretary considers appropriate, shall develop and curate comprehensive weather forecasting training datasets with relevant Earth system data, quality information, and metadata necessary for weather forecasting.

(2) Use of existing datasets

In order to speed the development of the weather forecasting training datasets required under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall assess, and to the greatest extent practicable build on, existing Earth system reanalysis datasets of the Federal Government.

(3) Artificial intelligence weather model

(4) Use of artificial intelligence to disseminate information

In coordination with an artificial intelligence weather model or models developed under paragraph (3), the Under Secretary may explore the use of artificial intelligence to enhance the dissemination of information with respect to weather and wildfire risks and evaluate the effectiveness of communication for improved public understanding and preparedness.

(5) Continued support for observations, basic research, and numerical weather models

Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection, the Under Secretary shall continue to support and advance the activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—

(6) Observing system coverage

In carrying out this subsection, the Under Secretary may evaluate the use of cost functions in data-driven machine learning model training to balance inequities in observing system coverage and data poor areas.

(7) Uncertainty quantification research

In carrying out this subsection, the Under Secretary may develop uncertainty quantification research for the purpose of accurate environmental risk and hazard communications of probabilistic predictions and forecasts.

(8) Report

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than every 2 years thereafter through 2035, 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 the activities conducted under this subsection.

(1)

improving data assimilation;

(2)

accounting for coupled Earth system processes;

(3)

improving readiness and preparedness to combat wildfires, mitigation of the risk from wildfires, and improving safety for firefighters and communities at risk from wildfires;

(4)

using artificial intelligence weather models to generate ensemble forecasts to more accurately assess flow-dependent forecast uncertainties; and

(5)

improving impact-based decision support for greater societal benefits based on those forecasts.

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall provide—

(2) Assessment of weather models

(3) Technical assistance

In carrying out this subsection, the Under Secretary may provide technical assistance, best practices, and support required under paragraph (1) through the National Weather Service.

(4) Independent study on the impacts of artificial intelligence weather, water, and space weather models

The Under Secretary may enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences or another entity as determined appropriate by the Under Secretary to assess the impacts of artificial intelligence weather models on the weather enterprise and make recommendations to improve the integration of such models in operational forecasting.

(1) In general

The Under Secretary may explore novel structures for partnerships with private, academic, and international entities for research and development of transformative innovation in weather forecasting and other environmental forecasts—

(2) Co-investment

Subject to applicable law, the Under Secretary may consider and adopt novel co-investment strategies with the private academic and international sectors to carry out paragraph (1), including—

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall develop and implement a plan to make available to the public, at no cost and subject to applicable law and policy, the following:

(2) Accommodations

In developing and implementing the plan under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary may make such accommodations as the Under Secretary considers appropriate to ensure that the public release of any artificial intelligence weather model, information, documentation, or data pursuant to the plan does not jeopardize—

(3) Report

(1)

using methods to be competitive with salaries outside the Federal Government;

(2)

developing staff exchange programs and training programs; and

(3)

leveraging applicable hiring and retention strategies authorized for Federal agencies.

(1) In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Under Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, as appropriate, may withhold models or data used under this section if the Under Secretary determines doing so to be necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States.

(2) Rule of construction

Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede any other provision of law governing the protection of the national security interests of the United States.

(1)

for fiscal year 2026, $311,000,000; and

(2)

for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030, $76,000,000.

(1)

An identification of Federal observation capabilities and data gaps related to the composition of Earth’s atmosphere, including the troposphere and stratosphere.

(2)

An analysis of Federal efforts that advance scientific understanding of the effects on the Earth’s radiation budget of direct or indirect actions that may change the composition of Earth’s atmosphere.

(3)

The current and projected use of ground-based, space-based, and maritime-based remote and in situ sensing capabilities, autonomous and manned aerial platforms, and other commercially available technologies and platforms of opportunity to accelerate research and increase observations and monitoring of Earth’s atmosphere.

(4)

Recommendations for the adaptation or expansion of technologies and platforms identified under paragraph (3).

(5)

An identification and prioritization of additional observation and analysis capabilities needed to ensure comprehensive monitoring that detects future changes in atmospheric composition.

(1) In general

The Under Secretary may conduct pilot projects of atmospheric composition observational systems and platforms including—

(2) Consultation and coordination

The Under Secretary shall consult and coordinate with relevant Federal agencies to develop processes for the appropriate deployment of systems and platforms pursuant to pilot projects conducted under paragraph (1).

(1)

for the purchase of atmospheric composition data from commercial providers;

(2)

for the hosting of observational instruments on government or private platforms; and

(3)

to leverage data from international platforms as appropriate.

(1)

the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and

(2)

the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.

(1)

increasing the number of marine-based observations through additional Federal platforms and commercially acquired observations in locations where impacts from marine fog and reduced visibility have major safety and economic impacts, including through the use of—

(2)

advancing geographic coverage, resolution, skill, and accuracy of marine fog modeling, including, when feasible, additional locations and advancements in marine channel forecast capability;

(3)

improving communication of marine fog advisories by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

(4)

communicating risks posed by hazardous marine fog events in a way that maximizes informed decision making by the public; and

(5)

providing decision support services based on environmental information that is actionable to the recipient of a marine fog advisory.

(A)

Severe storms, such as hurricanes and short-fused, small-scale hazardous weather or hydrologic events produced by thunderstorms, including large hail, damaging winds, tornadoes, and flash floods.

(B)

Winter storms, such as freezing or frozen precipitation (including freezing rain, sleet, and snow), or combined effects of freezing or frozen precipitation and strong winds.

(C)

Other weather hazards, such as extreme heat or cold, wildfire, drought, dense fog, high winds, and river, coastal, or lakeshore flooding.

(A) In general

The terms watch and warning, with respect to a hazardous weather or water event, mean products issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, intended for consumption by the general public, to alert the general public to the potential for or presence of such event and to inform action to prevent loss of life or property.

(B) Exception

The terms watch and warning do not include technical or specialized meteorological or hydrological forecasts, outlooks, or model guidance products.

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall maintain a hazard risk communication program (in this subsection referred to as the program), for the purposes of simplifying and improving the communication of hazardous weather and water event risks.

(2) Terminology

The program shall identify, eliminate, or modify unnecessary, redundant, or confusing terms for hazardous weather and water event communications and add new terminology, as appropriate.

(3) Communications improvement

The program shall improve the form, content, and methods 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.

(4) Evaluations

The program shall, in coordination with the performance branch of the National Weather Service, develop metrics for that branch to track and evaluate the degree to which hazardous weather and water event communications inform action and encourage response.

(5) Support plan

The program shall develop a plan for the purpose of supporting the activities described in paragraph (3). The plan shall be periodically updated and informed by internal and extramural research and the results of the evaluation of hazardous weather and water event communications conducted under paragraph (4).

(6) Recommendations

In carrying out this subsection, the program shall develop and implement recommendations that—

(7) Coordination

The program shall coordinate with—

(8) Timeliness and consistency

The program shall develop best practices and guidance for ensuring timely and consistent communication across public-facing platforms that disseminate hazardous weather and water event information.

(1)

modernize the development and communication of risk-based, statistically reliable, probabilistic hazard information, with the goal of informing appropriate responses to hazardous weather or water events; and

(2)

improve the fundamental social, behavioral, and economic science relating to communications, including by means of collecting voluntary data, regarding hazardous weather or water events.

(1) In general

The Under Secretary, in coordination with the VORTEX–USA program under section 103 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8513), as amended by section 103 of this Act, and in collaboration with 1 or more eligible institutions (or consortia thereof), shall establish a pilot program for tornado hazard communications to test incorporation of research into operations with respect to tornadoes.

(2) Merit-based process

Amounts under the pilot program under paragraph (1) shall be awarded to eligible institutions through a merit-based competitive process.

(3) Eligible institution defined

In this subsection, the term eligible institution means any of the following:

(1) In general

The Under Secretary, in coordination with the hurricane forecast improvement program under section 104 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514), as amended by section 104 of this Act, and in collaboration with 1 or more eligible institutions (or consortia thereof), shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate entity, as determined by the Under Secretary, to conduct a pilot study using a mixed methods approach, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews, to gather information from hurricane-prone population areas regarding the levels of preparedness of such areas for hurricanes or in response to early forecasts and warnings of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(2) Elements

The pilot study required under paragraph (1) shall evaluate the following:

(3) Additional criteria

The Under Secretary shall publish the methodology of the pilot study described in paragraph (1) on a publicly accessible website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(4) Eligible institution defined

In this subsection, the term eligible institution means any of the following:

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall carry out research and development activities to improve how the public receives, interprets, responds to, and values hurricane forecasts and warnings.

(2) Elements

In conducting activities under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall—

(1)

transferred to title VII of that Act, as added by subsection (a);

(2)

inserted after section 701 of that Act, as added by subsection (a); and

(3)

redesignated as section 702.

(1)

by striking the item relating to section 407; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following:

(1)

meet the needs of communities without—

(2)

will result in reliable systems, especially during hazardous events.

(1)

examine the role of uncrewed aerial and marine systems in data collection during post-storm surveys and assessments conducted under this section;

(2)

identify gaps in tactics and procedures and update such tactics and procedures to enhance the efficiency and reliability of data obtained from post-storm surveys and assessments; and

(3)

as appropriate, integrate social, behavioral, and economic sciences elements into existing post-storm surveys and assessments, including elements related to the efficacy of forecast and warning information that was shared with the public, barriers that affected the ability of the public to take action, and any challenges with respect to messaging about the hazardous weather or water event.

(1)

An analysis of the information technology infrastructure of the National Weather Service, including software and hardware capabilities and limitations, including an examination of server and data storage methods, broadband, data management, and data sharing.

(2)

An identification of secondary and tertiary fail-safes for the timely distribution to the public of notifications via alerts and updates regarding hazardous weather or water events.

(3)

A determination of the extent to which public notifications via alerts and updates regarding hazardous weather or water events have been delayed and an identification of possible improvements or corrective measures to address delays in the notification process.

(4)

An assessment of whether collaboration with other Federal agencies, States, or private entities could reduce delays in notifications to the public.

(5)

A description of actions being undertaken to better identify critical steps in public notification via alerts and updates for hazardous weather or water events that may be vulnerable to disruption or failure in the event of communication, technologic, or computational failure.

(6)

The geographical differences in availability and effectiveness of rural systems, including an estimated number of rural areas affected by unreliable or unavailable systems and barriers to obtain or upgrade such systems.

(1)

in subsection (a), by striking , through the National Weather Service and other appropriate weather and climate programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,;

(2)

in subsection (b)—

(3)

in subsection (c)—

(4)

by adding at the end the following:

(g) Modeling update

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, the Under Secretary, acting through the National Integrated Drought Information System and the National Weather Service, shall develop a plan to incorporate existing drought products of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and improved dynamical and statistical forecast modeling tools into probabilistic forecasts.

(1)

obtain observations to improve understanding of and forecast capabilities for atmospheric, drought, fire, and water events, with a prioritization on leveraging available commercial, academic, and other non-Federal Government environmental data to enhance coordination across the private, public, and academic sectors of the weather enterprise in the United States;

(2)

establish means to integrate greater density and more types of environmental observations into the Program on an annual basis, including by encouraging local and regional networks of environmental monitoring stations and in situ sensor networks, including soil moisture and ground-based profilers, to participate in the Program;

(3)

establish memoranda of understanding with networks outside of the scope of the Program in furtherance of this section; and

(4)

coordinate with satellite data and services acquired through the Commercial Data Program under section 302 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, as amended by section 301 of this Act.

(1)

increase data density by—

(2)

monitor local meteorological conditions by—

(3)

administer the Program by—

(1) In general

In furtherance of the Program, in a fiscal year, the Under Secretary may award not less than 10 percent of the amount appropriated for the Program for that fiscal year for financial assistance to State, Tribal, private, and academic entities seeking to build, expand, or upgrade equipment and capacity of mesonet systems.

(2) Other Federal awards

Financial assistance under this subsection may be made in coordination with and in addition to awards from other Federal agencies.

(3) Agreements

Before receiving financial assistance under paragraph (1), the State, Tribal, private, or academic entity seeking financial assistance under this subsection shall enter into an agreement with the Under Secretary to provide data to the Program, subject to verification by the Program of the relative operational value and evaluation of the cost of such data, for use in weather prediction, severe weather warnings, and emergency response.

(4) Assistance and other support

The Under Secretary may provide—

(5) Terms

In providing financial assistance under this subsection, the Under Secretary shall establish terms to ensure that each State, Tribal, private, or academic entity that receives financial assistance under this subsection receives a level of support commensurate with the quality and other characteristics of the data to be provided.

(6) Determination

A State, Tribal, private, or academic entity may only receive financial assistance under this subsection if the Under Secretary determines such entity will provide sufficient financial support from non-Federal Government sources and fully maintain the quality of the mesonet system and associated data standards required by the Program for a period of not less than 5 years.

(7) Priority

The Under Secretary shall prioritize providing assistance under paragraph (1) to not fewer than 1 entity in a remote area or an area that has a lack of environmental monitoring stations described in subsection (a)(2).

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall ensure the Program has an active advisory committee of subject matter experts to make recommendations to the Administration on the identification, implementation, procurement, and tracking of data needed to supplement the Program, and recommend improvements, expansions, and acquisitions of available data.

(2) Designation of existing committee

The Under Secretary may designate an existing advisory committee, subcommittee, or working group of the Federal Government, including the Science Advisory Board of the Administration, to carry out the requirement under paragraph (1).

(3) Academic expertise

The advisory committee under paragraph (1), in consultation with the Program, shall include expertise from 1 or more institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) to assist the advisory committee to identify, evaluate, and recommend potential partnerships, regional or subregional consortia, and collaborative methods that would expand the number of participants and volume of data in the Program.

(1) In general

Not less frequently than annually through 2030, the Under Secretary shall provide regular briefings to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives on all activities under the Program.

(2) Briefing content

Each briefing required under paragraph (1) shall include information relating to the following:

(1)

$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.

(2)

$55,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.

(3)

$61,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.

(4)

$68,000,000 for fiscal year 2029.

(5)

$70,000,000 for fiscal year 2030.

(1)

Establishing a visible, user-friendly website.

(2)

Developing a set of criteria for high-quality data sources.

(3)

Supporting research necessary to develop or improve soil moisture monitoring products at a national scale.

(4)

Increasing the number of long-term, high-quality, in situ and remote sensing soil moisture monitoring stations across the United States.

(5)

Sharing methodologies and validation protocols with the private sector.

(6)

Developing, releasing, and promoting new nationwide point-based and gridded soil moisture data products.

(7)

Supporting community, outreach, and data sharing to the network of individuals engaged with soil moisture monitoring, from data collection to end-user decision making.

(A)

in paragraph (1)(A)—

(B)

in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following:

(F)

Serving as the primary center within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for research, development, collaboration, and coordination of the water research and forecast activities of the Administration and other centers and networks of the Federal Government, including those of the Department of Agriculture, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the United States Geological Survey, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

(G)

Integrating and promoting consistency among national and regional hydrological forecast operations and service delivery.; and

(C)

by adding at the end the following:

(3) Incorporation into unified forecast system

The Under Secretary shall use the Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System, or any successor system, to support the development and implementation of advanced water resources modeling capabilities under paragraph (2)(B) and shall incorporate those modeling capabilities into the unified forecast system.;

(1) In general

Section 603 of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4001) is amended—

(2) Clerical amendment

The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by striking the item relating to section 603 and inserting the following:

(3) Conforming amendment

Section 102 of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2004 (33 U.S.C. 4001a) is amended by striking In developing and all that follows through management..

(1)

in subsection (a)—

(2)

in subsection (c)—

(3)

in subsection (d), by striking Except as provided in subsection (h), the and inserting The;

(4)

in subsection (e)—

(5)

by amending subsections (f) to read as follows:

(f) Cooperation; duplication of effort

The Under Secretary shall work cooperatively with and avoid duplication of effort of other agencies on the Task Force and States, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and nongovernmental organizations concerned with marine and freshwater issues.; and

(6)

by striking subsection (g), (h), and (i).

(1) In general

Section 603B of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4003) is amended to read as follows:

603B. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration activities

(a) In general

The Under Secretary shall—

(1)

carry out response activities for marine, coastal, and Great Lakes harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events;

(2)

develop and enhance operational harmful algal bloom observing and forecasting programs, including operational observations and forecasting, monitoring, modeling, data management, and information dissemination;

(3)

develop forecast modeling that includes the effect of hurricanes and other weather events on the resuspension of bioavailable nutrients in sediments and related interactions with harmful algal blooms;

(4)

enhance communication and coordination among Federal agencies carrying out activities and research relating to marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia;

(5)

leverage existing resources and expertise available from local research universities and institutions; and

(6)

use cost effective methods in carrying out this section.

(b) Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System

The collection of monitoring and observing data under this section shall comply with all data standards and protocols developed pursuant to the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). Such data shall be made available through the National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System established under section 12304 of that Act (33 U.S.C. 3603).

(2) Clerical amendment

The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by striking the item relating to section 603B and inserting the following:

(1) In general

The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 603B (33 U.S.C. 4003) the following:

603C. Environmental Protection Agency activities

(a) In general

The Administrator shall—

(1)

carry out research on the ecology and human health impacts of freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events;

(2)

develop and enhance operational freshwater harmful algal bloom monitoring, observing, and forecasting programs in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, and coordinate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on such programs in the Great Lakes and estuaries (including tributaries thereof), including operational observations and forecasting, monitoring, modeling, data management, and information dissemination, to support event response, prioritization, prevention, adaptation, and mitigation activities;

(3)

enhance communication and coordination among Federal agencies carrying out freshwater harmful algal bloom and hypoxia activities and research;

(4)

to the greatest extent practicable, leverage existing resources and expertise available from Federal and State partners and local research universities and institutions; and

(5)

use cost-effective methods in carrying out this section.

(b) Nonduplication

The Administrator shall ensure that activities carried out under subsection (a) focus on new approaches to addressing freshwater harmful algal blooms and are not duplicative of existing research and development programs authorized by this title or any other law.

(2) Clerical amendment

The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 603B the following:

(1) In general

Section 606 of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4005) is amended to read as follows:

606. National harmful algal bloom observing network

(a) In general

The Under Secretary, acting through the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Integrated Ocean Observing System of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall integrate Federal, State, regional, and local observing capabilities to establish a national network of observing systems for the monitoring, detection, and forecasting of harmful algal blooms by leveraging the capacity of regional associations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System, including through the incorporation of emerging technologies and new data integration methods.

(b) Coordination and data assembly

In carrying out subsection (a), the Program Office of the Integrated Ocean Observing System shall—

(1)

coordinate with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science regarding observations, data integration, and information dissemination;

(2)

organize, integrate, disseminate, and provide a central architecture to support ecological forecasting of harmful algal blooms; and

(3)

coordinate with the Water Quality Portal to store and serve discrete data related to the monitoring of freshwater, estuarine, and coastal harmful algal blooms.

(2) Clerical amendment

The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by striking the item relating to section 606 and inserting the following:

(1) In general

The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 606 (33 U.S.C. 4005) the following:

606A. National-level incubator program

(a) In general

The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the Administrator and research universities and institutions, shall establish a national-level incubator program (in this section referred to as the program) to increase the number of strategies, technologies, and measures available to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms.

(b) Framework

The program shall establish a framework for preliminary assessments of novel strategies, technologies, and measures to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms in order to determine the potential effectiveness and scalability of such technologies.

(c) Funding

The program shall provide merit-based funding, using amounts otherwise available to the Under Secretary for the award of grants, for strategies, technologies, and measures that eliminate or reduce, through biological, chemical, or physical means, the levels of harmful algae and associated toxins resulting from harmful algal blooms.

(d) Database

The program shall include a database for cataloging the licensing and permitting requirements, economic costs, feasibility, effectiveness, and scalability of novel and established strategies, technologies, and measures to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms.

(e) Prioritization

In carrying out the program, the Under Secretary shall prioritize proposed strategies, technologies, and measures that would, to the maximum extent practicable—

(1)

protect key habitats for fish and wildlife;

(2)

maintain biodiversity;

(3)

protect public health;

(4)

protect coastal resources of national, historical, and cultural significance; or

(5)

benefit low-income communities, Indian tribes, and rural communities.

(2) Clerical amendment

The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 606 the following:

(1)

in paragraph (1), by striking means the comprehensive research plan and action strategy established under section 603B and inserting means the action strategy for harmful algal blooms in the United States most recently submitted under section 603(c);

(2)

by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:

(3) Harmful algal bloom

The term harmful algal bloom means a high concentration of marine or freshwater algae (including diatoms), macroalgae (including Sargassum), or cyanobacteria resulting in nuisance conditions or harmful impacts on marine and freshwater ecosystems, subsistence resources, communities, or human health through the production of toxic compounds or other biological, chemical, or physical impacts of the bloom.;

(3)

by striking paragraph (9);

(4)

by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), (6), (7), and (8) as paragraphs (5), (8), (9), (11), and (13), respectively;

(5)

by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:

(4) Harmful algal bloom and hypoxia event

The term harmful algal bloom and hypoxia event means the occurrence of a harmful algal bloom or hypoxia as a result of a natural, anthropogenic, or undetermined cause.;

(6)

in paragraph (5), as redesignated by paragraph (4)—

(7)

by inserting after paragraph (5), as redesignated by paragraph (4), the following:

(6) Indian tribe

The term Indian tribe has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

(7) Native Hawaiian organization

The term Native Hawaiian organization has the meaning given that term in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517) and includes the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.;

(8)

by inserting after paragraph (9), as redesignated by paragraph (4), the following:

(10) Subsistence use

The term subsistence use means the customary and traditional use of fish, wildlife, or other freshwater, coastal, or marine resources by any individual or community to meet personal or family needs, including essential economic, nutritional, or cultural applications.; and

(9)

by inserting after paragraph (11), as redesignated by paragraph (4), the following:

(12) Tribal organization

The term Tribal organization has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

(1)

by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

(a) In general

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title, for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030—

(1)

$19,500,000 to the Under Secretary; and

(2)

$8,000,000 to the Administrator.; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following:

(c) Transfer authority

As specifically provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Under Secretary or the Administrator may transfer funds made available to carry out this title to the head of any Federal department or agency, with the concurrence of such head, to carry out, as appropriate, relevant provisions of this title and section 9(g) of the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2018 (33 U.S.C. 4010).

(A)

in subparagraph (B), by adding at the end the following new sentence: The appropriate Federal official may waive the non-Federal share requirements of the preceding sentence if such official determines no reasonable means are available through which the recipient of the Federal share can meet the non-Federal share requirement.; and

(B)

by adding at the end the following:

(D) Contract, cooperative agreement, and grant authority

The appropriate Federal official may enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants with States, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, local governments, or other entities to pay for or reimburse costs incurred by such entities for the purposes of supporting the determination of, and assessing the environmental, economic, subsistence use, and public health effects of, an event of national significance.;

(A)

in subparagraph (A), by inserting a leadership official of an affected Indian tribe, the executive official of the District of Columbia, or the executive official of an affected territory or possession of the United States, after State,; and

(B)

in subparagraph (B), by striking consider and all that follows through boundary. and inserting “consider factors such as—

(i)

the risk to public health and the potential severity of the detrimental environmental effects of the hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event, as indicated by—

(I)

data on shellfish or water quality obtained through sampling programs, including baseline data, and regulatory or advisory thresholds established to explain management actions related to the event;

(II)

toxin levels in fish, marine mammals, seabirds, shellfish, or water during the event;

(III)

toxic aerosols produced during the event, including potential human exposures to toxic aerosols;

(IV)

reports of human or animal illnesses or mortalities during the event;

(V)

any closures of fishing or shellfish harvesting locations or recreational public waters, including beaches, during the event;

(VI)

the duration and spatial extent of the event; or

(VII)

impacts to habitats or ecosystems associated with the event;

(ii)

the potential economic, food safety and security, and subsistence impacts associated with the hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event, including to fisheries and aquaculture, recreation and tourism, monitoring and management, resource use, and event response activities, assessed in comparison with historical data from when a State or region did not experience such an event, as possible, as indicated by—

(I)

increases in public health expenditures;

(II)

losses to commercial fisheries and aquaculture industries, recreation and tourism, real estate, and other impacted industries or businesses;

(III)

increases in monitoring and management expenditures, including costs incurred for event response and clean-up (such as for beach clean-up following an influx of biomass or a fish-kill) by public or private sectors; or

(IV)

impacts to subsistence resources, including nutritional, resource use, and economic effects on subsistence communities;

(iii)

the relative magnitude of those impacts in relation to past occurrences of hypoxia or harmful algal bloom events that occur on a recurrent or annual basis; and

(iv)

the geographic scope of the hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event, including the potential of the event to affect several municipalities, to affect more than 1 State, or to cross an international boundary.;

(A)

the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and

(B)

the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.

(A)

the environmental conditions, such as soil moisture, vegetation, topography, snowpack, atmospheric temperature, moisture, and wind, that influence—

(B)

the associated environmental impacts occurring during and after fire events.

(1)

to support readiness, responsiveness, understanding, and resilience of the United States to wildfires, fire weather, wildfire smoke, post-fire flooding and debris flows, and associated hazards and impacts in built and natural environments;

(2)

to collaboratively develop and disseminate accurate, precise, effective, and timely risk communications, forecasts, watches, and warnings relating to wildfires, fire weather, wildfire smoke, post-fire flooding and debris flows, and other associated conditions, hazards, and impacts, as applicable, with Federal land management agencies;

(3)

to partner with and support the public, Federal and State government entities, Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and academic and local partners through the development of capabilities, impact-based decision support services, and overall service delivery and utility related to fire weather;

(4)

to conduct and support research and development of new and innovative models, technologies, techniques, products, systems, processes, and procedures to predict and improve understanding of wildfires, fire weather, related air quality, post-fire flooding and debris flows, and the fire environment;

(5)

to develop processes to transition research into operational use and inform additional areas of research to deliver fire weather products, services, and decision support tools to operational users and platforms;

(6)

to develop communications networks and strategies to ensure parity of fire forecasts, warning services, and information about current fire location, for remote, isolated, and rural communities, including communities where the public acts as the first responder to wildfire; and

(7)

to develop, in coordination with Federal land management agencies, impact-based decision support services that operationalize and integrate the functions described in paragraphs (1) through (6) in order to provide comprehensive impact-based decision support services that encompass the fire environment.

(1)

development of a fire weather-enabled Earth system model and data assimilation systems that—

(2)

advancement of existing and new observational capabilities, including satellite-, airborne-, air-, and ground-based systems and technologies, and social networking and other public information-gathering applications that—

(3)

development and implementation of advanced and user-oriented impact-based decision tools, science, and technologies that—

(4)

ensuring the parity of access to and support from the tools, science, and technologies developed under this subsection for remote, isolated, and rural communities.

(1)

conduct relevant physical and social science research activities in support of the functions described in subsection (b) and the priorities described in subsection (c);

(2)

conduct relevant activities, in coordination with Federal land management agencies and Federal science agencies, to assess fuel characteristics, including moisture, loading, and other parameters used to determine fire risk levels and outlooks;

(3)

support and conduct research that assesses impacts to marine, riverine, watershed, and other relevant ecosystems, which may include forest and rangeland ecosystems, resulting from activities associated with mitigation of and response to wildfires;

(4)

support and conduct attribution science research relating to wildfires, fire weather, fire risk, wildfire smoke, and associated conditions, risks, and impacts;

(5)

develop wildfire smoke and air quality forecasts, forecast guidance, and prescribed burn weather forecasts, and conduct research on the impact of such forecasts on response behavior that minimizes health-related impacts from wildfire smoke exposure;

(6)

use, in coordination with Federal land management agencies, wildland fuels information and fire resource intelligence to inform fire environment impact-based decision support services and products for safety;

(7)

work with Federal agencies to provide data, tools, and services to support the implementation of mitigation measures by such agencies;

(8)

provide training and support to ensure effective media utilization of impact-based decision support services and products to the public regarding actions needing to be taken;

(9)

provide comprehensive training to ensure staff of the program established under subsection (a) is properly equipped to deliver the impact-based decision support services and products described in paragraphs (1) through (6); and

(10)

acquire, through contracted purchase, private sector-produced observational data to fill identified gaps, as needed.

(1)

competitive grants;

(2)

contracts under the mobility program under subchapter VI of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program);

(3)

cooperative agreements; and

(4)

co-location agreements as described in section 502 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2020 (33 U.S.C. 851 note prec.).

(1) In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a plan that details how the program established under subsection (a) will be administered and governed within the Administration.

(2) Elements

The plan required by paragraph (1) should include a description of—

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall—

(2) Pilots required

In carrying out paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall conduct pilots of uncrewed systems for fire weather and fire environment observations, including—

(3) Savings clause

(1)

Advanced products to detect fire from satellites.

(2)

Procurement and use of commercial data.

(3)

Investigation and evaluation of information needs of users and decision makers.

(1)

in subparagraph (C), by inserting and after the semicolon; and

(2)

in subparagraph (D)—

(1)

by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections (g) and (h), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after subsection (e) the following:

(f) Data availability and management

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall—

(A)

make data and metadata generated or collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that the Under Secretary has the legal right to redistribute fully and openly available, in accordance with chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, and the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–435; 132 Stat. 5529) and the amendments made by that Act, and preserve and curate such data and metadata, in accordance with chapter 31 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the Federal Records Act of 1950), in order to maximize use of such data and metadata; and

(B)

manage and steward the access, archival, and retrieval activities for the data and metadata described in subparagraph (A) by—

(i)

using—

(I)

enterprise-wide infrastructure, emerging technologies, commercial partnerships, and the skilled workforce needed to provide appropriate data management from collection to broad access; and

(II)

associated information services; and

(ii)

pursuing the maximum interoperability of data and information by—

(I)

leveraging data, information, knowledge, and tools from across the Federal Government to support equitable access, cross-sectoral collaboration and innovation, and local planning and decision making; and

(II)

developing standards and practices for the adoption and citation of digital object identifiers for datasets, models, and analytical tools.

(2) Collaboration

In carrying out this subsection, the Under Secretary shall collaborate with such Federal partners and stakeholders as the Under Secretary considers relevant—

(A)

to develop standards to pursue maximum interoperability of data, information, knowledge, and tools across the Federal Government, convert historical records into common digital formats, and improve access and usability of data by partners and stakeholders;

(B)

to identify and solicit relevant data from Federal and international partners and other relevant stakeholders, as the Under Secretary considers appropriate; and

(C)

to develop standards and practices for the adoption and citation of digital object identifiers for datasets, models, and analytical tools.

(1)

in subsection (c)(3), by inserting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, after Federal Aviation Administration,;

(2)

in subsection (e)(2)—

(3)

in subsection (f)—

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall develop and maintain a comprehensive, centralized, and publicly accessible digital presence designed to promote findability, accessibility, interoperability, usability, and utility of the services, tools, data, and information produced by the program established under section 702(a).

(2) Digital platform and tools

In carrying out paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall seek to ensure the digital platform and tools of the Administration integrate geospatial data, decision support tools, training, and best practices to provide real-time fire weather forecasts and address fire-related issues and needs.

(1) In general

The Under Secretary shall seek to acquire sufficient high-performance computing resources and capacity for research, operations, and data storage in support of the program established under section 702(a).

(2) Considerations

In acquiring high-performance computing capacity under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall consider requirements needed for—