Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2023” or the “NWR Modernization Act of 2023”.
NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2023
AN ACT
To provide guidance for and investment in the upgrade and modernization of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards network, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Definitions
NOAA Weather Radio— The term NOAA Weather Radio means the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards network.
Under Secretary— The term Under Secretary means the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Sec. 3 Upgrading existing systems
In general— The Under Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, upgrade systems of NOAA Weather Radio in use as of the date of the enactment of this Act in order to expand coverage and ensure the reliability of NOAA Weather Radio.
Requirements— In carrying out subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall—
maintain support for systems described in such subsection that serve areas not covered by or having poor quality cellular service;
ensure consistent maintenance and operations monitoring, with timely repairs to equipment and antennas at broadcast transmitter sites;
enhance the ability to amplify non-weather emergency messages through NOAA Weather Radio as necessary; and
acquire additional transmitters as required to expand coverage to rural and underserved communities, units of the National Park System, and National Recreation Areas.
Sec. 4 Modernization initiative
In general— The Under Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, modernize NOAA Weather Radio to ensure the capabilities and coverage of NOAA Weather Radio remain valuable to the public.
Requirements— In carrying out subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall—
upgrade the telecommunications infrastructure of NOAA Weather Radio to accelerate the transition of broadcasts to media that provide an increase in reliability and repairability over copper media;
accelerate software upgrades to the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System of the National Weather Service, or any relevant successors of the system, in order to implement partial county notifications and alerts;
enhance the accessibility and usability of data and feeds of NOAA Weather Radio, with the feedback of the public and user groups;
develop options, including satellite backup capability and commercial provider partnerships, for continuity of service provided by NOAA Weather Radio in the event of outages among Weather Forecast Offices;
research and develop alternative options, including microwave capabilities, to transmit signals from NOAA Weather Radio to transmitters that are remote or do not have Internet Protocol capability; and
transition critical applications to the Integrated Dissemination Program of the National Weather Service, or any relevant successors of the program.
Priorities— In carrying out subsections (a) and (b), the Under Secretary shall prioritize practices, capabilities, and technologies recommended in the assessment required by subsection (d) in order to maximize the accessibility of NOAA Weather Radio, particularly in remote areas of the United States and areas that are at risk for a lack of access to weather information in the event of an emergency weather event.
Assessment—
In general— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall complete and submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives an assessment of access to NOAA Weather Radio.
Considerations and recommendations— In conducting the assessment required by paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall take into consideration and provide recommendations on—
the need for continuous, adequate, and operational real-time broadcasts from NOAA Weather Radio;
solicited input on the compatibility of NOAA Weather Radio data with third-party platforms that provide online services, such as websites and mobile device applications, or deliver access to NOAA Weather Radio;
existing or new management systems, which promote consistent, efficient, and compatible access to NOAA Weather Radio;
the ability of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to aggregate real-time broadcast feeds at one or more central locations;
effective coordination between agencies with responsibilities relating to emergencies and natural disasters;
the potential effects of an electromagnetic pulse or geomagnetic disturbance on NOAA Weather Radio; and
improvements 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.