Title I — Pub. L. 115-25

SEC. 101. Public Safety Priority.

In conducting research, the Under Secretary shall prioritize improving weather data, modeling, computing, forecasting, and warnings for the protection of life and property and for the enhancement of the national economy.

SEC. 102. Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation.

(a)

Program.— The Assistant Administrator for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research shall conduct a program to develop improved understanding of and forecast capabilities for atmospheric events and their impacts, placing priority on developing more accurate, timely, and effective warnings and forecasts of high impact weather events that endanger life and property.

(b)

Program Elements.— The program described in subsection (a) shall focus on the following activities:

(1)

Improving the fundamental understanding of weather consistent with section 101, including the boundary layer and other processes affecting high impact weather events.

(2)

Improving the understanding of how the public receives, interprets, and responds to warnings and forecasts of high impact weather events that endanger life and property.

(3)

Research and development, and transfer of knowledge, technologies, and applications to the National Weather Service and other appropriate agencies and entities, including the United States weather industry and academic partners, related to—

(A)

advanced radar, radar networking technologies, and other ground-based technologies, including those emphasizing rapid, fine-scale sensing of the boundary layer and lower troposphere, and the use of innovative, dual-polarization, phased-array technologies;

(B)

aerial weather observing systems;

(C)

high performance computing and information technology and wireless communication networks;

(D)

advanced numerical weather prediction systems and forecasting tools and techniques that improve the forecasting of timing, track, intensity, and severity of high impact weather, including through—

(i)

the development of more effective mesoscale models;

(ii)

more effective use of existing, and the development of new, regional and national cloud-resolving models;

(iii)

enhanced global weather models; and

(iv)

integrated assessment models;

(E)

quantitative assessment tools for measuring the impact and value of data and observing systems, including Observing System Simulation Experiments (as described in section 107), Observing System Experiments, and Analyses of Alternatives;

(F)

atmospheric chemistry and interactions essential to accurately characterizing atmospheric composition and predicting meteorological processes, including cloud microphysical, precipitation, and atmospheric electrification processes, to more effectively understand their role in severe weather; and

(G)

additional sources of weather data and information, including commercial observing systems.

(4)

A technology transfer initiative, carried out jointly and in coordination with the Director of the National Weather Service, and in cooperation with the United States weather industry and academic partners, to ensure continuous development and transition of the latest scientific and technological advances into operations of the National Weather Service and to establish a process to sunset outdated and expensive operational methods and tools to enable cost-effective transfer of new methods and tools into operations.

(c)

Extramural Research.—

(1)

In general.— In carrying out the program under this section, the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research shall collaborate with and support the non-Federal weather research community, which includes institutions of higher education, private entities, and nongovernmental organizations, by making funds available through competitive grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.

(2)

Sense of congress.— It is the sense of Congress that not less than 30 percent of the funds for weather research and development at the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research should be made available for the purpose described in paragraph (1).

(d)

Annual Report.— Each year, concurrent with the annual budget request submitted by the President to Congress under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a description of current and planned activities under this section.

SEC. 103. Tornado Warning Improvement and Extension Program.

(a)

In General.— The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the United States weather industry and academic partners, shall establish a tornado warning improvement and extension program.

(b)

Goal.— The goal of such program shall be to reduce the loss of life and economic losses from tornadoes through the development and extension of accurate, effective, and timely tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings, including the prediction of tornadoes beyond 1 hour in advance.

(c)

Program Plan.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, in coordination with the Director of the National Weather Service, shall develop a program plan that details the specific research, development, and technology transfer activities, as well as corresponding resources and timelines, necessary to achieve the program goal.

(d)

Annual Budget for Plan Submittal.— Following completion of the plan, the Under Secretary, acting through the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and in coordination with the Director of the National Weather Service, shall, not less frequently than once each year, submit to Congress a proposed budget corresponding with the activities identified in the plan.

SEC. 104. Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program.

(a)

In General.— The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the United States weather industry and such academic entities as the Administrator considers appropriate, shall maintain a project to improve hurricane forecasting.

(b)

Goal.— The goal of the project maintained under subsection (a) shall be to develop and extend accurate hurricane forecasts and warnings in order to reduce loss of life, injury, and damage to the economy, with a focus on—

(1)

improving the prediction of rapid intensification and track of hurricanes;

(2)

improving the forecast and communication of storm surges from hurricanes; and

(3)

incorporating risk communication research to create more effective watch and warning products.

(c)

Project Plan.— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary, acting through the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and in consultation with the Director of the National Weather Service, shall develop a plan for the project maintained under subsection (a) that details the specific research, development, and technology transfer activities, as well as corresponding resources and timelines, necessary to achieve the goal set forth in subsection (b).

SEC. 105. Weather Research and Development Planning.

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once each year thereafter, the Under Secretary, acting through the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and in coordination with the Director of the National Weather Service and the Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services, shall issue a research and development and research to operations plan to restore and maintain United States leadership in numerical weather prediction and forecasting that—

(1)

describes the forecasting skill and technology goals, objectives, and progress of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in carrying out the program conducted under section 102;

(2)

identifies and prioritizes specific research and development activities, and performance metrics, weighted to meet the operational weather mission of the National Weather Service to achieve a weather-ready Nation;

(3)

describes how the program will collaborate with stakeholders, including the United States weather industry and academic partners; and

(4)

identifies, through consultation with the National Science Foundation, the United States weather industry, and academic partners, research necessary to enhance the integration of social science knowledge into weather forecast and warning processes, including to improve the communication of threat information necessary to enable improved severe weather planning and decisionmaking on the part of individuals and communities.

SEC. 106. Observing System Planning.

The Under Secretary shall—

(1)

develop and maintain a prioritized list of observation data requirements necessary to ensure weather forecasting capabilities to protect life and property to the maximum extent practicable;

(2)

consistent with section 107, utilize Observing System Simulation Experiments, Observing System Experiments, Analyses of Alternatives, and other appropriate assessment tools to ensure continuous systemic evaluations of the observing systems, data, and information needed to meet the requirements of paragraph (1), including options to maximize observational capabilities and their cost-effectiveness;

(3)

identify current and potential future data gaps in observing capabilities related to the requirements listed under paragraph (1); and

(4)

determine a range of options to address gaps identified under paragraph (3).

SEC. 107. Observing System Simulation Experiments.

(a)

In General.— In support of the requirements of section 106, the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research shall undertake Observing System Simulation Experiments, or such other quantitative assessments as the Assistant Administrator considers appropriate, to quantitatively assess the relative value and benefits of observing capabilities and systems. Technical and scientific Observing System Simulation Experiment evaluations—

(1)

may include assessments of the impact of observing capabilities on—

(A)

global weather prediction;

(B)

hurricane track and intensity forecasting;

(C)

tornado warning lead times and accuracy;

(D)

prediction of mid-latitude severe local storm outbreaks; and

(E)

prediction of storms that have the potential to cause extreme precipitation and flooding lasting from 6 hours to 1 week; and

(2)

shall be conducted in cooperation with other appropriate entities within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, other Federal agencies, the United States weather industry, and academic partners to ensure the technical and scientific merit of results from Observing System Simulation Experiments or other appropriate quantitative assessment methodologies.

(b)

Requirements.— Observing System Simulation Experiments shall quantitatively—

(1)

determine the potential impact of proposed space-based, suborbital, and in situ observing systems on analyses and forecasts, including potential impacts on extreme weather events across all parts of the Nation;

(2)

evaluate and compare observing system design options; and

(3)

assess the relative capabilities and costs of various observing systems and combinations of observing systems in providing data necessary to protect life and property.

(c)

Implementation.— Observing System Simulation Experiments—

(1)

shall be conducted prior to the acquisition of major Government-owned or Government-leased operational observing systems, including polar-orbiting and geostationary satellite systems, with a lifecycle cost of more than $500,000,000; and

(2)

shall be conducted prior to the purchase of any major new commercially provided data with a lifecycle cost of more than $500,000,000.

(d)

Priority Observing System Simulation Experiments.—

(1)

Global navigation satellite system radio occultation.— Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research shall complete an Observing System Simulation Experiment to assess the value of data from Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation.

(2)

Geostationary hyperspectral sounder global constellation.— Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research shall complete an Observing System Simulation Experiment to assess the value of data from a geostationary hyperspectral sounder global constellation.

(e)

Results.— Upon completion of all Observing System Simulation Experiments, the Assistant Administrator shall make available to the public the results an assessment of related private and public sector weather data sourcing options, including their availability, affordability, and cost-effectiveness. Such assessments shall be developed in accordance with section 50503 of title 51, United States Code.

SEC. 108. Annual Report on Computing Resources Prioritization.

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than once each year thereafter, the Under Secretary, acting through the Chief Information Officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and in coordination with the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the Director of the National Weather Service, shall produce and make publicly available a report that explains how the Under Secretary intends—

(1)

to continually support upgrades to pursue the fastest, most powerful, and cost-effective high performance computing technologies in support of its weather prediction mission;

(2)

to ensure a balance between the research to operations requirements to develop the next generation of regional and global models as well as highly reliable operational models;

(3)

to take advantage of advanced development concepts to, as appropriate, make next generation weather prediction models available in beta-test mode to operational forecasters, the United States weather industry, and partners in academic and Government research; and

(4)

to use existing computing resources to improve advanced research and operational weather prediction.

SEC. 109. United States Weather Research Program.

Section 108 of the Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–567; 15 U.S.C. 313 note) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)—

(A)

in paragraph (3), by striking “ ; and” and inserting a semicolon;

(B)

in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(C)

by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:

“(5) 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, not less frequently than once each year, a report, including—

“(A) a list of ongoing research projects;

“(B) project goals and a point of contact for each project;

“(C) the five projects related to weather observations, short-term weather, or subseasonal forecasts within Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research that are closest to operationalization;

“(D) for each project referred to in subparagraph (C)—

“(i) the potential benefit;

“(ii) any barrier to operationalization; and

“(iii) the plan for operationalization, including which line office will financially support the project and how much the line office intends to spend;

“(6) establish teams with staff from the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the National Weather Service to oversee the operationalization of research products developed by the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research;

“(7) develop mechanisms for research priorities of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research to be informed by the relevant line offices within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the relevant user community, and the weather enterprise;

“(8) develop an internal mechanism to track the progress of each research project within the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and mechanisms to terminate a project that is not adequately progressing;

“(9) develop and implement a system to track whether extramural research grant goals were accomplished;

“(10) provide facilities for products developed by the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research to be tested in operational simulations, such as test beds; and

“(11) encourage academic collaboration with the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the National Weather Service by facilitating visiting scholars.”

(2)

in subsection (b), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “ Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the” and inserting “ The”; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(c) Subseasonal Defined.—In this section, the term ‘subseasonal’ means the time range between 2 weeks and 3 months.”

SEC. 110. Authorization of Appropriations.

(a)

Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018.— For each of fiscal years 2017 and 2018, there are authorized to be appropriated to Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research—

(1)

$111,516,000 to carry out this title, of which—

(A)

$85,758,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes; and

(B)

$25,758,000 is authorized for weather and air chemistry research programs; and

(2)

an additional amount of $20,000,000 for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4).

(b)

Limitation.— No additional funds are authorized to carry out this title and the amendments made by this title.

Title I — United States Weather Research and Forecasting Improvement

TITLE I United States Weather Research and Forecasting Improvement