US Codex
Bill
Notes

H.R. 3915 — what changed

Aviation Weather Improvement Act

From Introduced in House to Reported in House. 3 sections amended between Introduced in House and Reported in House.

Sec. 2 Aviation weather and data innovation

(a)
changed Program— The Director of the National Weather Service shall maintain an aircraft-based airborne observation program (in this section referred to as the “program”) to partner for the acquisition of atmospheric sensor data and the deployment, in partnership with the weather industry for the deployment on aircraft enterprise, of critical atmospheric sensors.
(b)
Activities— The program shall include activities that carry out the following:
(1)
changed Procurement of weather data available from commercial aircraft, including Mode S data, water vapor data, or data from Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay or Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting systems.as determined by the Director of the National Weather Service.
(2)
changed Acquisition of additional vertical profile observations that provide the spatial and temporal density required for numerical weather prediction systems.density, as determined by the Director.
(3)
added Analysis of procured data when incorporated into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s unified forecast system in order to provide improved forecast information for aircraft.
(c)
changed Budget— The Director of the National Weather Service shall, not less frequently than annually, submit to Congress a proposed budget corresponding with the activities described in subsection (b).(b), including an analysis of such activities that can be complemented by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aircraft.
(d)
changed Authorization of appropriations— There is authorized to appropriated From amounts made available to the Operations, Research, and Facilities account of the National Weather Service Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is authorized to be appropriated up to $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this section.
(e)
changed Definition— In this section, the term “weather industry” enterprise” has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501).

Sec. 3 Aviation weather and turbulence forecasting coordination

(a)
changed In general— The Director of the National Weather Service shall include turbulence events or phenomena, icing conditions, or other phenomena in the forecasting capabilities of the National Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center, and deliver operational forecasts with consistent, timely, and accurate weather and turbulence information for the world airspace system and the protection of lives and property.
(b)
changed Coordination— In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the National Weather Service shall coordinate with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to improve weather and turbulence forecasting capabilities, including the following:shall—
(1)
changed Establishing within give consideration to recommendations from the Administrator of the Federal Government an interagency working group to determine weather and environmental data or observation requirements, needs, and potential solutions related to aviation weather and turbulence forecasting.Aviation Administration in furtherance of section 44720 of title 49, United States Code; and
(2)
changed Identifying current improve weather and future potential data gaps related to turbulence events or phenomena that can—forecasting capabilities by—
(A)
added designating or establishing within the Federal Government an interagency working group to determine weather and environmental data or observation requirements, needs, and potential solutions related to aviation weather and turbulence modeling or forecasting;
(B)
added identifying current and future potential data gaps related to turbulence events or phenomena that can—
(i)
renumbered was (3)(4)(2) identify or inform route specific flight planning; and
(ii)
added be supplemented or filled by commercial aviation tools;
(C)
added transitioning research initiatives and pilot programs, including a pilot program of instrumentation for observing greenhouse gases and other atmospheric factors deployed on commercial aircraft and supporting the evaluation of a sustained observing network using such platforms, into operations that improve the forecasting missions of the Aviation Weather Center;
(D)
added developing and deploying improved probabilistic aviation weather forecast guidance technology; and
(E)
added updating interagency agreements, as appropriate, including to address reimbursable agreements.
(B)
removed be supplemented or filled by commercial aviation tools.
(3)
removed Transitioning research initiatives and pilot programs, including a pilot program of instrumentation for observing greenhouse gases and other atmospheric factors deployed on commercial aircraft and supporting the evaluation of a sustained observing network using such platforms, into operations that improve the forecasting missions of the Aviation Weather Center.

Sec. 4 Next generation aviation research

Paragraph (3) of section 102(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8512(b)), is amended—

(1)
by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and (G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and
(2)
by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following new subparagraph:

changed “(F) aviation weather, contrails, weather phenomena, including atmospheric composition, composition and turbulence events or phenomena turbulence, to improve scientific understanding and forecast capabilities for the world airspace system;”