--- kind: "diff" citation: "S. 141" bill: "115-s-141" heading: "Space Weather Coordination Act" from: "rfh" from_label: "Referred in House" to: "rh" to_label: "Reported in House" sections_amended: 2 sections_added: 0 sections_removed: 4 url: "https://uscodex.org/bills/115/s/141/changes/rh" --- # S. 141 — what changed S. 141, Space Weather Coordination Act — 2 sections amended and 4 removed between Referred in House and Reported in House. Edits are marked `struck` and `inserted`. ## Section 1 Short title - This Act may be cited as the “Space Weather Research and Forecasting Coordination Act”. ## Sec. 2 Space weather - (a) In general— Subtitle VI of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding after chapter 605 the following: - “607 “606 Space weatherWeather - “60701. “60601. Space weatherweather findings; policy - “(a) Findings—Congress makes finds the following findings:following: - “(1) Space weather events pose a significant threat to humans working in the space environment and environment, to modern technological systems.systems, and critical terrestrial infrastructure. - “(2) The effects of severe space weather events on the electric power grid, satellites and satellite communications communications, services, orbits and information, airline operations, astronauts living and working in space, and space-based space based position, navigation, and timing systems could have significant societal, economic, national security, and health impacts. - “(3) Earth and space observations provide crucial data necessary to predict Space weather observation and warn about forecasting are essential for the success of deep space weather events.exploration. - “(4) Clear roles and accountability of Federal departments and agencies are critical for an efficient Earth and effective response space observations provide crucial data necessary to threats posed by predict and warn about space weather.weather events. - “(5) In October 2015, the National Science Clear roles and Technology Council published a National Space Weather Strategy accountability of Federal departments and a National Space Weather Action Plan seeking to integrate national space weather efforts agencies are critical for an efficient and add new capabilities effective response to meet increasing demand for threats posed by space weather information.weather. - “(b) Federal agency roles“(6) Observations and measurements closer to the sun and advanced instrumentation would provide for more advanced warning of solar activity resulting in space weather activity. - “(1) Findings—Congress finds that—“(7) Coordination and collaboration between Federal departments and agencies, international partners, the academic community, and the commercial sector is necessary to improve the Nation’s ability to understand, prepare for, avoid, mitigate, and respond to severe space weather events. - “(A) the National Oceanic “(8) The commercial sector should be solicited to support and Atmospheric Administration provides operational enable Federal space weather forecasting and monitoring for civil applications, maintains ground activities and space-based assets encouraged to provide observations needed for forecasting, prediction, and warnings, and develops requirements for separately invest in innovative space weather forecasting technologies data and science;services. - “(B) “(b) Statement of national policy—It is the Department policy of Defense provides operational space weather forecasting, monitoring, and research for the department's unique missions and applications;United States that— - “(C) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides increased understanding of the fundamental physics of “(1) the Sun-Earth system through space-based observations and modeling, develops new space-based technologies and missions, United States should establish and monitors maintain baseline capabilities for space weather for NASA's observation and forecasting to protect civil aviation, space missions;transportation, national security, human life, critical infrastructure, commercial enterprise, and economic vitality in the United States; - “(D) “(2) the National Science Foundation provides increased understanding establishment and maintenance of such baseline capabilities for space weather should, to the Sun-Earth system through ground-based measurements, technologies, extent practicable, leverage the space weather observation capabilities, data, and modeling;services of the academic community and commercial sector; - “(E) the Department of the Interior collects, distributes, and archives operational ground-based magnetometer data in the United States and its territories, and works with the international community to improve global geophysical monitoring and develops crustal conductivity models to assess and mitigate risk from “(3) space weather induced electric ground currents; observation and forecasting are not exclusive functions of the Federal Government; and - “(F) “(4) the Federal Aviation Administration provides operational requirements for space weather services in support of aviation and for coordination of these requirements with the International Civil Aviation Organization, integrates Government should, as practicable, obtain space weather data and products into the Next Generation Air Transportation System, and conducts real-time monitoring of services through contracts with the charged particle radiation environment to protect commercial sector, when the health data and safety of crew services are available, cost-effective, and passengers during space weather events.add value. - “(2) Office of Science and Technology Policy—The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall—“60602. Space weather coordination - “(A) coordinate the development and implementation of Federal Government activities to improve the Nation's ability to prepare, avoid, mitigate, respond to, and recover from potentially devastating impacts “(a) Sense of space weather events; andCongress - “(B) coordinate “(1) National space council—It is the activities sense of the space weather interagency working group established under subsection (c).Congress that— - “(c) Space weather interagency working group—In order to continue coordination “(A) members of executive branch efforts to understand, prepare, coordinate, and plan for space weather, the National Science and Technology Space Council shall establish an interagency working group on are key stakeholders of the Federal Government with respect to space weather.weather; - “(d) Membership—In order to understand and respond to “(B) the adverse effects Users’ Advisory Group of space weather, the interagency working group established under subsection (c) shall leverage capabilities across participating Federal agencies, including—National Space Council should effectively and efficiently represent and advocate on behalf of nongovernmental organizations and the academic community within the Nation’s space weather enterprise; and - “(1) “(C) the National Oceanic Space Council is the appropriate Federal entity to review, establish, and Atmospheric Administration;coordinate the Nation’s space weather priorities. - “(2) Office of science and technology policy—It is the National Aeronautics sense of Congress that the Office of Science and Space Administration;Technology Policy— - “(3) “(A) efficiently and effectively identifies opportunities and avenues to advance the National Science Foundation;leadership of the United States in science and technology; and - “(4) the Department “(B) is well positioned to identify opportunities for advancement in coordination of Defense;space weather research-to-operations and operations-to-research. - “(5) the Department “(b) Coordinating authority—The National Space Council shall oversee efforts and activities of the Interior;Federal Government— - “(6) “(1) to implement the Department of Homeland Security;Nation’s space weather priorities; and - “(7) the Department of Energy;“(2) to prepare for, avoid, mitigate, and respond to space weather events. - “(8) the Department of Transportation, including the Federal Aviation Administration; and“(c) National committee for space weather observation and forecasting - “(9) “(1) Establishment—In order to address the Department Nation’s space weather priorities and further coordinate efforts to monitor, prepare for, avoid, mitigate, and respond to space weather events, the President shall, in consultation with the Chair of State.the National Space Council— - “(e) Interagency agreements“(A) establish a committee with respect to space weather observation and forecasting to be known as the “National Committee for Space Weather Observation and Forecasting” (in this chapter referred to as the “National Committee”); and - “(1) Sense of Congress—It is “(B) establish one advisory committee for the sense purpose specified in paragraph (3)(B), the composition of Congress that which shall be determined by the interagency collaboration between Co-Chairs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Committee and shall include equal representation from the National Oceanic academic community, commercial sector, and Atmospheric Administration on terrestrial space weather observations provides—end users. - “(A) an effective mechanism for improving weather and climate data collection while avoiding unnecessary duplication of capabilities across Federal agencies; and“(2) National Committee composition—The National Committee shall— - “(B) an agency collaboration model “(A) be co-chaired by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Commerce, or their designated representatives, provided that could benefit space weather observations.such designated representatives are of the Under Secretary or Assistant Secretary level or higher; - “(2) Interagency agreements—The Administrator of “(B) include as permanent voting members all Federal departments or agencies determined to be key space weather stakeholders or otherwise necessary for inclusion as such permanent voting members by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and President, with the Administrator agreement of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall enter into one or more interagency agreements providing for cooperation and collaboration in the development Chair of space weather spacecraft, instruments, and technologies in accordance with this chapter.the National Space Council; and - “60702. Observations and forecasting“(C) be empowered, with the approval of the Chair of the National Space Council, to allow a relevant, non-member Federal department or agency to participate in meetings of the National Committee as either a non-permanent observer or semi-permanent liaison to the National Committee. - “(a) Policy—It is the policy of the United States to establish and sustain a baseline capability for space weather observations.“(3) Duties - “(b) Integrated strategy“(A) National Committee—The duties of the National Committee are the following: - “(1) In general—The Director of the Office of Science “(i) To effectively and Technology Policy, in efficiently promote coordination with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the Secretary of Defense, and in consultation with between Federal agencies, the academic community, and the commercial communities, shall develop an integrated strategy for solar and solar wind observations beyond sector to advance the lifetime of current assets, that considers—Nation’s space enterprise. - “(A) “(ii) To coordinate the provision implementation of solar wind measurements and other measurements essential to the national space weather forecasting; andplan developed under section 60603(b) across the Federal Government, in partnership with the academic community, international partners, and the commercial sector. - “(B) “(iii) To collaborate with the provision Director of solar the Office of Science and space weather measurements important Technology Policy to identify opportunities for scientific purposes.the academic community and commercial sectors to advance the understanding of space weather. - “(2) Considerations—In developing the strategy under paragraph (1), the Director “(B) Advisory committees—The duty of the Office of Science and Technology Policy advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) shall consider small satellite options, hosted payloads, commercial options, international options, and prize authority.be to advise the National Committee with respect to— - “(c) Critical observations—In order to sustain current space-based observational capabilities, “(i) the Administrator development and implementation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall—national space weather plan established under section 60603(b); and - “(1) in cooperation with “(ii) the European Space Agency, maintain operations capabilities of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Large Angle academic community and Spectrometric Coronagraph (referred to in this section as “SOHO/LASCO”) for as long as the satellite continues commercial sector to deliver quality observations; andmeet the national space weather priorities identified under section 60603(a). - “(2) prioritize the reception of LASCO data.“(d) User survey - “(d) Additional capability for solar imaging“(1) In general—The Chair of the National Space Council, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, the academic community, and the commercial sector, shall direct the Users’ Advisory Group of the Council to conduct a comprehensive survey to identify the space weather observation, research, modeling, forecasting, and prediction needs of the space weather user community. - “(1) In general—The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall secure reliable secondary capability for near real-time coronal mass ejection imagery.“(2) Survey considerations—The survey conducted under paragraph (1) shall— - “(2) Options—The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and “(A) assess the Administrator adequacy of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall develop options to build current Federal Government goals for lead time, accuracy, coverage, timeliness, data rate, and deploy one or more instruments data quality for near real-time coronal mass ejection imagery.space weather observations and forecasting; - “(3) Considerations—In developing “(B) identify options under paragraph (2), the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall consider commercial solutions, prize authority, methods to, in consultation with the academic and international partnerships, microsatellites, ground-based instruments, community and opportunities to deploy the instrument or instruments as a secondary payload on an upcoming planned launch.commercial sector, improve the goals specified in subparagraph (A); - “(4) Costs—In implementing paragraph (1), “(C) identify opportunities for the Administrator generation of new data to address the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall prioritize a cost-effective solution.needs of the space weather user community; - “(5) Operational planning—The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall develop an operational contingency plan “(D) identify methods to provide continuous increase coordination of, with respect to space weather forecasting in the event of a SOHO/LASCO failure.weather, research-to-operations and operations-to-research; - “(6) Briefing—Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of the Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act, the Administrator of “(E) identify the National Oceanic most efficient and Atmospheric Administration shall provide a briefing to effective formal mechanism or mechanisms for the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation sharing of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, space weather data, operational forecasting needs, research needs, findings, models, and Technology of capabilities between the House of Representatives on Federal Government, the options for building and deploying academic community, the instrument or instruments described in paragraph (2) commercial sector, and the operational contingency plan developed under paragraph (5).space weather user community; - “(e) Follow-On space-Based observations—The Administrator of the National Oceanic “(F) identify opportunities for new technologies, research, and Atmospheric Administration, instrumentation to aid in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall develop requirements research, understanding, monitoring, modeling, prediction, and a plan for follow-on space-based observations for operational purposes, in accordance with the integrated strategy developed under subsection (b).forecasting of space weather; and - “(f) Report—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act, the Director of the Office of Science “(G) identify methods and Technology Policy shall submit technologies 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 integrated strategy under subsection (b), including the plans improve preparedness for follow-on space-based observations under subsection (e).potential space weather events. - “(g) Ground-Based observations—The “(e) Special authority—In order to better understand space weather, the National Science Foundation, Space Council may leverage expertise from any Federal agency or partner, as deemed appropriate by the Air Force, and where practicable in support Chair of the Air Force, National Space Council, including through the Navy shall each—use of— - “(1) maintain and improve, as necessary and advisable, ground-based observations of the Sun in order to help meet the priorities identified in section 60703(a); andinteragency agreements; - “(2) provide space weather data by means of its set memoranda of ground-based facilities, including radars, lidars, magnetometers, radio receivers, aurora and airglow imagers, spectrometers, interferometers, and solar observatories.understanding; and - “(h) Ground-Based observations data—The National Science Foundation shall—“(3) shared personnel. - “(1) provide key data streams from the platforms described in subsection (g) for research and to support space “60603. Space weather model development;priorities, plan, and research roadmap - “(2) develop experimental models “(a) National space weather priorities—The National Space Council, in consultation with the Users’ Advisory Group of the National Space Council, the academic community, and the commercial sector, shall establish national priorities for scientific purposes; andspace weather, with respect to— - “(3) support “(1) the transition protection of the experimental models to operations where appropriate.life and property; - “60703. Research “(2) the support of the leadership, economic development, and technologynational security of the United States; and - “(a) User needs“(3) the space weather prediction and forecasting needs of end-users. - “(1) In general—The Administrator of the “(b) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Secretary of the Air Force, and where practicable in support of the Air Force, the Secretary of the Navy, in conjunction with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall conduct a comprehensive survey to identify and prioritize the needs of space weather forecast users, including space weather data and plan—The National Committee shall develop a national space weather forecast data needed plan to improve services and inform research implement the priorities and technology needs.established under subsection (a). Such plan shall, with respect to activities carried out to meet such priorities— - “(2) Contents—In conducting the comprehensive survey under paragraph (1), the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Secretary of the Air Force, and where practicable in support of the Air Force, the Secretary of the Navy, at a minimum, shall—“(1) delineate appropriate roles among Federal agencies; - “(A) “(2) consider the goals for forecast lead time, accuracy, coverage, timeliness, data rate, small satellite options, hosted payloads, public-private partnerships, and data quality for space weather observations;commercial options such as data-buys, and other acquisition approaches, that maximize Federal investment and minimize overall costs to the Federal Government; - “(B) “(3) identify opportunities to address the needs identified under paragraph (1) knowledge gaps and their resolution through collaborations with academia, the private sector, specific research and the international community;development activities to improve operational space weather forecasting; - “(C) identify “(4) describe collaborative opportunities for new technologies and instrumentation to address with stakeholders, including the needs identified under paragraph (1); andacademic community, nongovernmental organizations, the commercial sector, and foreign governments; - “(D) publish a report on “(5) leverage the findings under subparagraphs (A) work conducted through (C).the National Space Weather Strategy and National Space Weather Action Plan of the National Science and Technology Council before the date of the enactment of this section; - “(3) Publication—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act, the Administrator “(6) include a formal mechanism to share operational needs of the National Oceanic space weather forecasters with Federal agencies engaged in space weather research and Atmospheric Administration, the Secretary of development activities, the Air Force, academic community, and where practicable in support of the Air Force, the Secretary of the Navy, shall—commercial sector; and - “(A) make the results of “(7) appropriately prioritize the comprehensive survey publicly available; andcritical land-based, sea-based, air-based, or space-based observation capabilities. - “(B) notify the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation “(c) National space weather research roadmap—The Director of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, Office of Science and Technology of the House of Representatives of the publication under subparagraph (A).Policy shall issue a national space weather research roadmap that— - “(b) Research activities“(1) considers the national space weather priorities established under subsection (a); - “(1) Basic research—The Director of the National Science Foundation, Administrator of “(2) considers the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Secretary of Defense shall continue to carry out basic research activities on heliophysics, geospace science, and space weather and support competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for research, modeling, and monitoring of national space weather and its impacts, including science goals outlined in Solar and Space Physics Decadal surveys conducted by the National Academy of Sciences.plan issued under subsection (b); - “(2) Multidisciplinary research“(3) considers the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s decadal survey recommendations; - “(A) Findings—Congress finds “(4) includes a formal mechanism that provides for the multidisciplinary nature sharing of solar the research needs, findings, models, and capabilities with space physics creates funding challenges that require coordination across scientific disciplines and Federal agencies.weather operational forecasting centers; and - “(B) Multidisciplinary research—The Director of the National Science Foundation, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall pursue multidisciplinary “(5) enhances coordination between research in subjects that further our understanding of solar physics, space physics, modeling centers, forecasting centers, and space weather.the commercial sector. - “(C) Sense of Congress—It is the sense of Congress that the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and “60604. Space Administration and Director of the National Science Foundation should support competitively awarded Heliophysics Science Centers.weather reports - “(c) Science missions—The Administrator “(a) Survey and priorities—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Space Weather Coordination Act, the Chair of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Council shall seek submit to implement missions that meet the science objectives identified in Solar Committee on Science, Space, and Space Physics Decadal surveys conducted by Technology of the National Academy House of Sciences.Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a report on— - “(d) Research to operations“(1) the findings of the user survey under section 60602(d); and - “(1) In general—The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Secretary of the Air Force, and where practicable in support of the Air Force, the Secretary of “(2) the Navy, shall—recommended space weather priorities under section 60603(a). - “(A) develop a formal mechanism to transition “(b) National Aeronautics and space weather plan—Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of the Space Administration, Weather Coordination Act, the Chair of the National Science Foundation, Air Force, and Navy research findings, models, and capabilities, as appropriate, Space Council shall submit to National Oceanic the Committee on Science, Space, and Atmospheric Administration Technology of the House of Representatives and Department the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of Defense the Senate, the national space weather operational forecasting centers; andplan developed under section 60603(b). - “(B) enhance coordination between “(c) National space weather research modeling centers roadmap—Not later than one year after the date of enactment of the Space Weather Coordination Act, the Director of the Office of Science and forecasting centers.Technology Policy shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the national space weather research roadmap issued under section 60603(c). - “(2) Operational needs—The Administrator “(d) Revaluation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and content—Not later than one year after the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with date on which each Presidential term begins, as well as when determined to be necessary by the Administrator Chair of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Council during the Director of intervening years, the National Science Foundation, applicable entities shall develop a formal mechanism to communicate the operational needs of space weather forecasters to review and assess the research community.content previously developed under this section and update and resubmit such content when appropriate. - “(e) Technology development“60605. Pilot program for obtaining commercial sector space weather data - “(1) Findings—Congress finds that observations and measurements closer to the Sun and advanced instrumentation would provide for more advanced warning of space weather disturbances (as defined in section 3 of the Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act).“(a) Pilot program - “(2) Technology and instrumentation development—The Administrator “(1) Establishment—Not later than one year after the date of the National Aeronautics and enactment of the Space Administration and Weather Coordination Act, the Director Secretary of the National Science Foundation shall support Commerce, acting through the development Under Secretary of technologies Commerce for Oceans and instrumentation Atmosphere (in this section referred to improve space weather forecasting lead-time and accuracy as the “Secretary”), shall establish a pilot program under which the Secretary will offer to meet enter into contracts with one or more entities in the needs identified by commercial sector for the Administrator provision to the Secretary of space weather data generated by such an entity that meets the National Oceanic standards and Atmospheric Administration.specifications published under paragraph (2). - “60704. “(2) Data standards and specifications—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of the Space Weather Coordination Act, the Secretary shall publish standards and specifications for ground-based, ocean-based, air-based, and space-based commercial space weather datadata and metadata. - “(a) In general—The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Director of the National Science Foundation shall—“(3) Contracts - “(1) make space weather related data obtained for scientific research purposes available “(A) In general—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of the Space Weather Coordination Act, the Secretary shall offer to enter, through an open competition, into at least one contract with one or more commercial sector entities capable of providing space weather forecasters and operations centers; anddata that— - “(2) support model development “(i) meets the standards and model applications to space weather forecasting.specifications established by the Secretary for providing such data; and - “(b) Research—The Administrator “(ii) is provided in a manner that allows the Secretary to calibrate and evaluate the data for use in space weather research and forecasting models of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall make space weather related data obtained from operational forecasting available for scientific research.”Administration. - “(B) Assessment—Not later than the date that is 3 years after the date on which the Secretary enters into a contract under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall assess, and submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on, the extent to which data provided under such contract meet the standards and specifications established under paragraph (1) and the extent to which the pilot program has demonstrated— - “(i) the viability of assimilating the commercially provided data into National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration space weather research and forecasting models; - “(ii) whether, and by how much, the data so provided add value to space weather forecasts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and - “(iii) the accuracy, quality, timeliness, validity, reliability, usability, information technology security, and cost-effectiveness of obtaining commercial space weather data from commercial sector providers. - “(4) Authorization of appropriations—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, to remain available until expended. - “(b) Data and hosted satellite payloads—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may enter into agreements for— - “(1) the purchase of space weather data through contracts with commercial providers; and - “(2) the placement of space weather satellite instruments on payloads co-hosted by the Federal Government and the commercial sector. - “(c) Obtaining future data—If an assessment under subsection (a)(3)(B) demonstrates the ability of commercial space weather data to meet data and metadata standards and specifications published under subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall— - “(1) where appropriate, cost-effective, and feasible, obtain space weather data from commercial sector providers; - “(2) as early as possible in the acquisition process for any future National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration space weather observational capability, consider whether a suitable, cost-effective, commercial capability is or will be available to meet the observational requirements by the planned operational date of the system; - “(3) if a suitable, cost-effective, commercial capability is or will be available as described in paragraph (2), determine whether it is in the national interest to develop a governmental observational capability; and - “(4) submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report detailing any determination made under paragraph (2) or (3). - “(d) Data sharing practices - “(1) In general—The Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, leverage United States leadership in space weather observation and forecasting to incentivize international partners to increase their space weather observational and forecasting capabilities and contribute additional space weather observations, data, models, predictions, and forecasts. The Under Secretary shall continue to meet international data sharing agreements entered into prior to the date of enactment of this Act. - “(2) NASA and NSF data—The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Director of the National Science Foundation shall each make space weather related data obtained for scientific research purposes available to space weather forecasters, operations centers, and the commercial sector and support model development and model applications for space weather forecasting. - “(3) NOAA data—The Secretary shall work with the academic community to make space weather related data obtained from operational forecasting available for scientific research. - “(e) Research for Improved Space Weather Forecasting—The Secretary, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall support basic and applied research which could improve space weather forecasting lead time and accuracy. - “60606. Definitions - “In this chapter: - “(1) National Space Council—The term “National Space Council” means the National Space Council established under Executive Order 13803, (82 Fed. Reg. 31429, relating to establishment of National Space Council) or any successor entities as determined by the President.” - (b) Technical and conforming amendments— - (1) Repeal of section 809—Conforming repeal— Section 809 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18388) and the item relating to that section in the table of contents under section 1(b) of that Act (124 Stat. 2806) are repealed. - (2) Table of chapters— The table of chapters of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding after the item relating to chapter 605 the following: ## Sec. 3 Space weather metrics — removed - (a) Definitions— In this section: - (1) Space weather disturbance— The term space weather disturbance includes geo-electric fields, ionizing radiation, ionospheric disturbances, solar radio bursts, and upper atmospheric expansion. - (2) Space weather benchmark— The term space weather benchmark means the physical characteristics and conditions describing the nature, frequency, and intensity of space weather disturbances. - (b) Benchmarks— - (1) Preliminary— Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Space Weather Interagency Working Group, established under section 60701 of title 51, United States Code, in consultation with academic and commercial experts, shall— - (A) assess existing data, the historical record, models, and peer-reviewed studies on space weather; and - (B) develop preliminary benchmarks, based on current scientific understanding and the historical record, for measuring solar disturbances. - (2) Final— Not later than 18 months after the date the preliminary benchmarks are developed under paragraph (1), the Space Weather Interagency Working Group shall publish final benchmarks. - (3) Review— The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall contract with the National Academy of Sciences to review the benchmarks established under paragraph (2). - (4) Revisions— The Space Weather Interagency Working Group shall update and revise the final benchmarks under paragraph (2), as necessary, based on— - (A) the results of the review under paragraph (3); - (B) any significant new data or advances in scientific understanding that become available; or - (C) the evolving needs of entities impacted by solar disturbances. ## Sec. 4 Protection of critical infrastructure — removed - (a) In general— The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall provide information about space weather hazards to the Secretary of Homeland Security for purposes of this section. - (b) Critical infrastructure— The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with sector-specific agencies, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall— - (1) include, in meeting national critical infrastructure reporting requirements, an assessment of the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to space weather events, as described by the space weather benchmarks under section 3; and - (2) support critical infrastructure providers in managing the risks and impacts associated with space weather. - (c) Prohibition on new regulatory authority— Nothing in subsection (b) may be construed to grant the Secretary of Homeland Security any authority to promulgate regulations that was not in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act. - (d) Definition of sector-Specific agency— In this section, the term sector-specific agency has the meaning given the term in Presidential Policy Directive–21 of February 12, 2013 (Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience), or any successor. ## Sec. 5 Protection of national security assets — removed - (a) In general— The National Security Council, in consultation with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall— - (1) assess the vulnerability of the national security community to space weather events, as described by the space weather benchmarks under section 3; and - (2) develop national security mechanisms to protection national security assets from space weather threats. - (b) Cooperation— The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall provide information about space weather hazards to the National Security Council, Director of National Intelligence, and heads of Defense Agencies for purposes of this section. ## Sec. 6 Ensuring the safety of civil aviation — removed - (a) In general— The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall— - (1) assess the safety implications and vulnerability of the national airspace system by space weather events, as described by the space weather benchmarks under section 3; - (2) assess methods to mitigate the safety implications and effects of space weather on aviation communication systems, aircraft navigation systems, satellite and ground-based navigation systems, and potential health effects of radiation exposure; and - (3) assess options for incorporating space weather into operational training for pilots, cabin crew, dispatchers, air traffic controllers, meteorologists, and engineers. - (b) Space weather communication— The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall develop methods to increase the interaction between the aviation community and the space weather research and service provider community.