Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026

(a) Short title.— This Act may be cited as the “Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026”.

(b) Table of contents.— The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

(a) In general.— In this Act, the terms seasonal, State, subseasonal, Under Secretary, weather enterprise, weather data, and weather industry have the meanings given such terms in section 2 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501).

(b) Weather data defined.— Section 2 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501) is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:

“(5) Weather data.— The term “weather data” means information used to track and predict weather conditions and patterns, including forecasts, observations, and derivative products from such information.”.

Section 101 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8511) is amended to read as follows:

“101. Public safety priority.—

(a) In general.— The Under Secretary shall ensure that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration focuses on providing accurate and timely weather forecasts that protect lives and property and enhance the national economy, including by—

(1) coordinating and modernizing observational infrastructure, weather forecasting systems, communications, and impact-based decision support services; and

(2) improving operational weather forecasts, products, and services.

(b) Research.— In conducting research, the Under Secretary shall prioritize improving weather data, modeling, computing, forecasting, and warnings and support transition of advancements into operational forecasting and services, for the protection of life and property and for the enhancement of the national economy.”.

Section 110 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8519) is amended to read as follows:

“110. Authorization of appropriations.—

(a) Authorization of appropriations.— There are authorized to be appropriated to the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research to carry out this title the following:

(1) $166,736,000 for fiscal year 2026, of which—

(A) $94,000,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes;

(B) $39,491,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program;

(C) $21,125,000 is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and

(D) $12,120,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title.

(2) $168,403,000 for fiscal year 2027, of which—

(A) $94,940,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes;

(B) $39,886,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program;

(C) $21,336,000 is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and

(D) $12,241,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title.

(3) $170,089,000 for fiscal year 2028, of which—

(A) $95,890,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes;

(B) $40,285,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program;

(C) $21,550,000 is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and

(D) $12,364,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title.

(4) $171,789,000 for fiscal year 2029, of which—

(A) $96,849,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes;

(B) $40,688,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program;

(C) $21,765,000 is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and

(D) $12,487,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title.

(5) $173,506,000 for fiscal year 2030, of which—

(A) $97,817,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes;

(B) $41,094,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program;

(C) $21,983,000 is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and

(D) $12,612,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title.

(b) Limitation.— No additional funds are authorized to carry out this title or the amendments made by this title.”.

(a) In general.— Section 103 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8513) is amended to read as follows:

“103. Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment–United States of America (VORTEX–USA).—

(a) In general.— The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the United States weather industry and academic partners, shall maintain a program for rapidly improving tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings, including forecaster training in radar interpretation and information integration from new sources.

(b) Goal.— The goal of the program under subsection (a) shall be to develop and extend accurate tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings in order to reduce the loss of life or property related to tornadoes, with a focus on the following:

(1) Improving the effectiveness and timeliness of tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings.

(2) Optimizing lead time and providing actionable information beyond one hour in advance.

(3) Transitioning from warn-on-detection to warn-on-forecast.

(c) Innovative observations.— The Under Secretary shall ensure the program under subsection (a) periodically examines, tests, and evaluates the value of incorporating innovative observations, such as novel sensor technologies, observation tools or networks, crewed or uncrewed systems, and hosted instruments on commercial aircrafts, vessels, and satellites, with respect to the improvement of tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings.

(d) Activities.— In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall award grants for research, including relating to the following:

(1) Implementing key goals and achieving program milestones to the maximum extent practicable, as outlined by the 2019 report of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration entitled, “Tornado Warning Improvement and Extension Program Plan”.

(2) In coordination with the Social and Behavioral Sciences Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council, improving the social, behavioral and economic sciences regarding risk communication, and delivery of information critical for reducing the loss of life or property related to tornadoes.

(3) Improving the physical sciences, computer modeling, and tools related to tornado formation, the impacts of tornadoes on the built and natural environment, and the interaction of tornadoes and hurricanes.

(e) Priority institutions.—

(1) In general.— In awarding grants under subsection (d), the Under Secretary shall give priority to eligible institutions selected through a competitive, merit-based process.

(2) Eligible institution defined.— In this subsection, the term eligible institution means any of the following:

(A) An institution that is frequently subjected to severe weather, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, or floods.

(B) An institution of higher education in close proximity to a Weather Forecast Office of the National Weather Service.

(f) Warnings.— In carrying out subsection (a), the Under Secretary, in coordination with the program established under section 403(a) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, shall—

(1) conduct and transition to operations the research necessary to develop and deploy probabilistic weather forecast guidance technology for tornadoes and related weather phenomena;

(2) incorporate into tornado modeling and forecasting, as appropriate, social, behavioral, risk, communication, and economic sciences;

(3) enhance workforce training on radar interpretation and use of tornado warning systems; and

(4) expand computational resources, including cloud computing, to support higher-resolution modeling to advance the capability for warn-on-forecast.

(g) Tornado rating system.— The Under Secretary, in collaboration with local communities and emergency managers, shall—

(1) evaluate the system used as of the date of the enactment of this section to rate the severity of tornadoes;

(2) determine whether updates to such system are required to ensure such ratings accurately reflect the severity of tornados; and

(3) if determined necessary, update such system.

(h) 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.

(i) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to the Under Secretary to carry out this section $11,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, of which not less than $2,000,000 each fiscal year shall be used for grants awarded to institutions under subsection (e).”.

(b) Clerical amendment.— The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended by amending the item relating to section 103 to read as follows:

Section 104 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514) is amended to read as follows:

“104. Hurricane forecast improvement program.—

(a) In general.— The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the United States weather industry and academic partners, shall maintain a program to improve hurricane forecasting, predictions, and warnings.

(b) Goal.— The goal of the program under subsection (a) shall be to develop and extend accurate hurricane forecasts, predictions, and warnings in order to reduce the loss of life or property related to hurricanes, with a focus on the following:

(1) Improving the understanding, prediction, and communication of rapid intensity change and projected path of hurricanes, including probabilistic methods for hurricane hazard mapping.

(2) Improving the forecast and impact-based communication of inland flooding, compound flooding, and storm surges from hurricanes, in coordination with the program established under section 205 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026.

(3) Incorporating social, behavioral, risk, communication, and economic sciences to clearly inform response to prevent the loss of life or property.

(4) Evaluating and incorporating, as appropriate, innovative observations, including acoustic or infrasonic measurements, novel sensor technologies, observation tools or networks, crewed or uncrewed systems, and hosted instruments on commercial aircrafts, vessels, and satellites.

(c) Activities.— In carrying out subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall award grants for research, including relating to the following:

(1) Implementing key strategies and following priorities and objectives outlined by the 2019 report of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration entitled, “Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program”.

(2) In coordination with the Social and Behavioral Sciences Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council and other relevant interagency committees, 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 hurricanes.

(3) Improving the physical sciences, operational modeling, and tools related to hurricane formation, the impacts of wind and water-based hurricane hazards on the built and natural environment, and the interaction of hurricanes and tornadoes.

(d) Warnings.— In carrying out subsection (a), the Under Secretary, in coordination with the program established under section 403(a) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, shall—

(1) conduct and transition to operations the research necessary to develop and deploy probabilistic weather forecast guidance technology relating to hurricanes and related weather phenomena;

(2) incorporate into hurricane modeling and forecasting, as appropriate, social, behavioral, and economic sciences research; and

(3) expand computational resources, including cloud computing, to support and improve higher resolution operational modeling of hurricanes and related weather phenomena.

(e) Annual report.— Not later than June 1 of each year until 2029, the Under Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, 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 that includes the following:

(1) The number and causes of missed mission requirements for the National Hurricane Operations Plan and the National Winter Season Operations Plan, including those related to equipment malfunction, aircraft availability, aircraft maintenance, flight hour limits, and availability of pilots or other air and maintenance crew members.

(2) Requirements related to the plans described in paragraph (1) that were requested by forecasters but not tasked, and the reasons why those were not tasked.

(3) A workforce management plan addressing any shortfalls in human capital resources that are necessary for hurricane observational data collection aboard aircraft or uncrewed systems.

(4) A summary of—

(A) hurricane technology that is under research and development to improve confidence in hurricane track and intensity predictions;

(B) hurricane technology that is at the prototype demonstration stage or beyond; and

(C) plans for transitioning the hurricane technology described in subparagraph (B) into operations.”.

(a) Title heading.— The Tsunami

(a) Title heading; definitions.—

(1) Title heading.— 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 in the title heading, by inserting “, Research,” after “Warning”.

(2) Definitions.— Section 802 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3201) is amended by adding at the end the following:

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

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

(5) The term Tribal organization has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

(6) The term tsunami means a series of waves that is caused by a tsunamigenic event.

(7) The term tsunamigenic event means any event, such as an earthquake, volcanic eruption, submarine landslide, coastal rockfall, or other event, with the magnitude to cause a tsunami.”.

(b) Purposes.— Section 803 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3202) is amended—

(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

(3) by amending paragraph (8) to read as follows:

“(8) to improve coordination for detection, warnings, and outreach for tsunami and other coastal impacts with Federal, State, and international partners, and Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations; 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.”.

(c) Tsunami forecasting and warning program.— Section 804 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3203) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (4), by inserting “, using industry and scientific best practices,” after “operational condition”;

(B) in paragraph (5)—

(1) in subsection (a), by striking “the Pacific and Arctic Ocean regions and for the Atlantic Ocean region, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico” and inserting “the United States and its territories”;

(2) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “subsection (d)” and inserting “subsection (e)”;

(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting “, or a successor system,” after “buoy array”;

(C) in paragraph (4), by inserting “, using industry and scientific best practices,” after “operational condition”; and

(D) in paragraph (5)—

(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking “global seismic network” and inserting “Global Seismic Network”;

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

(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (F) and subparagraph (G) as subparagraphs (E) through (G) and subparagraph (I), respectively;

(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:

“(D) the global navigation satellite system network;”;

(iv) in subparagraph (G), as so redesignated, by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon; and

(v) by inserting after subparagraph (G), as so redesignated, the following:

“(H) tidal gauges, water level gauges, and buoys; and”;

(C)(E) by amending paragraph (6) to read as follows:

“(6) ensure data quality and management systems, support data and metadata access and archiving, and support the requirements of the program pursuant to the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–435) and chapter 31 of title 44, United States Codesupport data and metadata access and archiving;”;

(D)(F) in paragraph (7)—

(i) by amending the matter preceding subparagraph (A) to read as follows: “include a cooperative effort among the Administration, the United States Geological Survey, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation under which the Director of the United States Geological Survey, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall—”;

(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” at the end; and

(iii) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:

“(B) support operators of seismic stations installed before the date of enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 that supplement coverage areas of sparse instrumentation, with a focus on the most seismically active States and on stations with multi-State benefits;”; and

(iii)(iv) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) provide reliable and real-time support for the global navigation satellite system network data streams from networks maintained by the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the United States Geological Survey, and supplement instrumentation coverage for rapid earthquake assessment;

(D) assess the data and information relating to warning systems of collaborating agencies for potential utilization in the warning system of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, taking into consideration advancement in research and technology;

(C) provide support for the global navigation satellite system network data streams from such agencies, and supplement instrumentation coverage for rapid earthquake assessment; and

(D) assess the data and information of such agencies for potential use in the Administration's warning system;”;

(E) incorporate, as practicable, tsunami notifications and warnings in the Earthquake Early Warning System of the United States Geological Survey; and

(F) incorporate, as practicable, preliminary analysis or data from the National Earthquake Information Center regarding the source and magnitude of an offshore earthquake within 5 minutes of detection;”;

(G) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (10) as paragraphs (9) through (11), respectively;

(H) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:

“(8) include a cooperative effort between the Administration and the United States Geological Survey to assess additional methods of rapid delivery for tsunami notifications and warnings, including via the Earthquake Early Warning System of the United States Geological Survey;”;

(E) in paragraph (8)—

(i) by inserting “and decision support aides” after “graphical warning products,”; and

(ii) by inserting “-prone” after “tsunami”;

(F) in paragraph (9), by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(G) in paragraph (10), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and

(H) by adding at the end the following:

“(11) update tsunami inundation maps, models,”.

(I) in paragraph (9), as so redesignated—

(i) by striking “graphical warning products, to at-risk States, territories, and tsunami communities” and inserting “graphical warning products and decision support tools, to communities at risk of tsunami”; and

(ii) by striking “utilization” and inserting “use”;

(J) in paragraph (10), as so redesignated, by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(K) in paragraph (11), as so redesignated, by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and

(L) by adding at the end the following:

“(12) update inundation maps, models, or other geographic products, in order to best support, as appropriate, relevant agencies with tsunami mitigation and recovery activities.”;

(2)(3) in subsection (c)—

(A) by striking paragraph (1) and redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; and

(B) in paragraph (1), as so redesignated—

(i) by striking “the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, that are determined—” and inserting “the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, that are determined to pose significant risks of tsunami for States and United States territories along the coastal areas of such regions; and”; and

(ii) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B);

(B) by amending paragraph (1), as so redesignated, to read as follows:

“(1) is capable of forecasting and providing adequate warnings, including tsunami arrival time, alert levels, and inundation models where applicable, for the United States and its territories; and”;

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

(4)(5) 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—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, the Administrator, in collaboration with social scientists, Federal, State, and local emergency personnel, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, 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.”;; and

(4) provide 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 briefing on the activities under this subsection.”;

(5)(6) in subsection (e), as so redesignated—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting “responsible for Alaska, the continental United States, Hawaii, United States territories, and international entities the Administrator determines appropriate” before the period;

(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “Centers shall” and inserting “centers shall”;

(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking “, which is primarily responsible for Alaska and the continental United States”; and

(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “, which is primarily responsible for Hawaii, the Caribbean, and other areas of the Pacific not covered by the National Center”;

(B) in paragraph (2)—

(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting “current,current, surface and ground water level,” after “sea level,”;

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “and volcanic eruptions” and inserting “volcanic eruptions, or other sources”;

(ii) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:

“(B) Evaluating tsunamigenic sources.”;

(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking “buoy data and tidal” and inserting “and coastal”;

(iv) in subparagraph (E), by striking “Integrated Ocean Observing System of the Administration” and inserting “United States and global ocean and coastal observing system”;

(v) in subparagraph (H), by inserting “monitoring needs,” after “response,”; and

(vi) by amending subparagraph (I) to read as follows:

“(I) Providing a Tsunami Warning Coordinator to coordinate with partners and stakeholders products and services of the centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1).”;

(v) in subparagraph (F), by striking “Federal, State, tribal, and local government officials” and inserting “Federal, State, and local government officials, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,”;

(vi) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) and (H) and subparagraphs (I) and (J) as subparagraphs (H) and (I) and subparagraphs (K) and (L), respectively;

(vii) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:

“(G) Providing a Tsunami Warning Coordinator at each center supported or maintained under paragraph (1) to coordinate with partners and stakeholders on products and services provided by each such center.”;

(viii) in subparagraph (I), as so redesignated, by inserting “monitoring needs,” after “response,”; and

(ix) by inserting after subparagraph (I), as so redesignated, the following:

“(J) Updating, as appropriate, forecast points, breakpoints, and special procedure areas.”; and

(x) by adding at the end the following:

“(M) Conducting, not less than annually, a tsunami warning drill with Federal, State, and local emergency managers, and emergency managers of Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.”;

(C) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:

“(3) Fail-safe warning capability.— The Administrator shall support and maintain fail-safe warning capability for the tsunami warning centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1), and such centers shall conduct at least one service backup drill biannually.”;

“(3) Fail-safe warning capability.—

(A) In general.— The Administrator shall support and maintain fail-safe warning capability for the tsunami warning centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1).

(B) Service back-up drills.— Not less than biannually, such centers shall conduct a service back-up drill to ensure they are able to perform back-up duties for each other.”;

(D) in paragraph (4)—

(i) by amending the matter preceding subparagraph (A) to read as follows: “The Administrator shall coordinate with the weather forecast offices of the National Weather Service, the centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1), and such national and regional program offices of the Administration as the Administrator or the coordinating committee, as established in section 805(b), consider appropriate to ensure that regional and local weather forecast offices—”;

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and

(iv) by adding at the end the following:

“(D) conduct education and outreach efforts to help prepare coastal communities for tsunami hazards.”;

(E) in paragraph (5)—

(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking “Uniform” and inserting “Standardized”;

(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking “uniform” and inserting “standardized”;

(iii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking “uniform” and inserting “standardized”;

(iv) in subparagraph (D), by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(v) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and

(vi) by adding at the end the following:

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as subclauses (I) through (III), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;

(iii) in subparagraph (C), by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;

(iv) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (E) as clauses (i) through (v), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;

(v) by striking “The Administrator” and inserting the following:

“(A) In general.— The Administrator”;

(vi) in clause (i), as so redesignated, by striking “uniform” and inserting “standardized”;

(vii) in clause (iii)(II), as so redesignated, by striking “uniform” and inserting “standardized”;

(viii) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;

(ix) in clause (v), as so redesignated, by striking the period and inserting “; and”;

(x) by adding after clause (v), as so redesignated, the following:

“(F) align

(vi) align the analytic techniques and methodologies of the existing tsunami warning centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1) to ensure seamless continuity of operations and mitigate risk of operational failure by prioritizing investments that include—

(i) replacing

(I) replacing end of life equipment;

(ii) ensuring

(II) ensuring product consistency;

(iii) enabling

(III) enabling consistent operational process for backup capabilities;

(iv) mitigating

(IV) mitigating existing operational security risks; and

(v) meeting

(V) meeting information security requirements specified in chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code.”; and

(xi) by adding at the end the following:

“(B) Regional differences.— Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall allow for regional differences with respect to the communication methods and decision support tools used by the centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1) in order to meet the unique needs of the community served by such centers.”;

(F) by adding

(F) in paragraph (6), in the first sentence, by inserting “, including personnel,” after “resources”; and

(G) by adding at the end the following:

“(7) Reporting.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this paragraph and annually thereafter until such time as all relevant requirements have been satisfiedfor 3 years, the Administrator shall provide 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 update briefing on the progressan update in person or in writing on the progress and expected timelines of the following:

(A) Standardizing products and procedures under paragraph (5), including tsunami assessments, forecast guidance, and related products.

(B) Migrating the message generation systems of the centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1) to the Advanced Weather InformationInteractive Processing System, or successor systems.

(C) The structural reorganization effort, if necessary, to align the organizational charts of those centers.

(D) The expected timeline for the full completion of standardizing the products and procedures of those centers.”;

“(C) Any structural reorganization efforts as may be necessary following the enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026.

(D) Such centers conducting drills required under paragraphs (2)(M) and (3)(B).”;

(6)(7) in subsection (f), as so redesignated—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting “detect, measure, and” after “used to”; and

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(iii)(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking “and the Advanced National Seismic System;” and inserting “the Advanced National Seismic System, and the global navigation satellite system; and”; and

(iv) by adding at the end the following:

“(D) by ensuring research is coordinated with tsunami warning operations;”; and

(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting “according to industry best practices” before the period; and

(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”.

(8) in subsection (h)(2), as so redesignated—

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “accuracy of the tsunami model used” and inserting “accuracy and timeliness of the tsunami model and forecast used”; and

(B) in subparagraph (C)—

(i) by inserting “and timeliness” after “effectiveness”; and

(ii) by striking “local, and tribal partners” and inserting “and local partners, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations”.

(d) Assessment of tsunami watches and warnings.—

(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:

(e) National tsunami hazard mitigation program.— Section 805(c) of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3204(c)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (5)—

(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), and (G) as subparagraphs (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), and (H), respectively;

(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

(1) in subsection (b)—

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—

(i) by inserting “and maintain” after “establish” each place it appears; and

(ii) by striking “Federal, State, local, and tribal government officials” and inserting “Federal, State, local, and Tribal government officials and representatives of Native Hawaiian organizations”; and

(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting before the semicolon “, such as vertical evacuation structures, sirens, and other potentially life-saving measures to ensure that communities designated as TsunamiReady have sufficient tsunami response options”;

(2) in subsection (c)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “tribes,” and inserting “Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,”;

(B) in paragraph (4), by striking “tribal, and local governments” and inserting “and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,”;

(C) in paragraph (5)—

(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking “in the region, including paleotsunami data” and inserting “and tsunamigenic events in the region”;

(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) and subparagraphs (C) through (G) as subparagraph (C) and subparagraphs (E) through (I), respectively;

(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

“(B) Coastal digital elevation models to support the development of inundation maps.”; and

(iv) by inserting after subparagraph (C), as so redesignated, the following:

“(D) Probabilistic tsunami hazard analysis maps.”; and

(C)(D) by adding at the end the following:

“(I)(J) Evaluation of the variation of inundation impact resulting from tsunami-driven sediment transport.

(J)(K) Evaluation of tsunami debris impact on critical infrastructure (as defined in subsection (e) of the Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of 2001 (42 U.S.C. 5195c)) and lifelines.

(K) High-resolution and high-quality digital elevation models needed for at-risk coastlines, ports, and harbors, particularly for regions not covered by existing inundation maps.”; and

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

“(L) High-resolution and high-quality digital elevation models needed for at-risk waterways, ports, and harbors, particularly for regions with outdated or low-quality data, not covered by existing inundation maps, or identified as a priority by the Administrator.”;

(D) in paragraph (7)—

(i) in subparagraph (C), by inserting “and behavioral” after “social”; and

(ii) by adding at the end the following:

“(E) The development and regular maintenance of a user-friendly repository of inundation and evacuation maps and evacuation mapping guidelines for States, local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations on the website of the program conducted under subsection (a).

(F) Coordination with tsunami-prone, rural communities to enhance emergency planning and response efforts, including through the TsunamiReady program.”; and

(E) in paragraph (8)(A)—

(i) by redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively; and

(ii) by inserting after clause (i) the following:

“(ii) tsunami source parameters;”;

(3) in subsection (d)—

(A) in paragraph (3), by striking “tribal” and inserting “Tribal”; and

(B) in paragraph (6), by striking “tribal, and territorial governments and agencies,” and inserting “and territorial governments and agencies, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,”; and

(4) in subsection (e), by striking “tribes,” and inserting “Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,”.

(f) Tsunami research program.— Section 806 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3205) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) by striking “State, tribal, and territorial governments, and academic institutions” and inserting “State and territorial governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and academic institutions (including Tribal Colleges or Universities)”;

(A)(B) by striking “section 805(d)” and inserting “section 805(b)”; and

(B)(C) by inserting “and management” after “data collection”;

(2) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting “deployment and” after “may include”;

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking “social science research” and inserting “social and behavioral science research, including data collection,”;

(C) in paragraph (4), by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(D) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (7); and

(E) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:

“(5) develop decision support tools;

(6) leverage and prioritize research opportunities; and”; and

“(5) develop and maintain a data portal for advancing research and model development;

(6) develop decision support tools; and”; and

(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 until 2035, 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;

(2) identifies key research needs for better detecting and forecasting tsunamis impacting the United States and its territories;

(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, State and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, institutions of higher education, private entities and other appropriate stakeholders.”.

(g) Global tsunami warning and mitigation network.— Section 807(d) of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3206(d)) is amended by inserting “and management” after “data sharing”.

(g) Global tsunami warning and mitigation network.— Section 807 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3206) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)—

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “Pacific Ocean nations participating in the International Tsunami Warning System of the Pacific,” and inserting “Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea nations participating in the International Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System,”;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “national warning systems, and make information” and inserting “, maintaining, and strengthening the capacities of their national warning systems, by making information”;

(C) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively;

(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

“(3) provide decision support services and improve preparedness and tsunami readiness through exercises and drills, outreach, training, and capacity development of national tsunami warning centers and disaster and emergency management agencies;”;

(E) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated—

(i) by striking “maintain a library of materials” and inserting “serve as an information source”; and

(ii) by striking “tsunami in general” and inserting “tsunamis and tsunami hazard-related risks to the public”; and

(F) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by inserting “, tools,” after “materials”; and

(2) in subsection (d), by inserting “and management” after “data sharing”.

(h) Tsunami Science and Technology Advisory Panel.— Section 808 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3206a) is amended—

(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.”.

(i) Authorization of appropriations.— Section 809 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3207) is amended to read as follows:

“809. Authorization of appropriations.— ”.

(i) Annual notifications; government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes.—

(1) In general.— The Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.) is amended—

(A) by redesignating section 809 as section 811; and

(B) by inserting after section 808 the following:

“809. Annual notifications.— Not later than September 30 of each fiscal year until fiscal year 2030, the Administrator shall provide the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a notification with an accounting of funds spent in such fiscal year for the programs authorized under this title, that includes—

(1) the amount of funds allocated for the tsunami hazard mitigation program under section 805; and

(2) the amount of funds allocated for the tsunami research program under section 806.

810. Government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes.— The Administrator shall conduct government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes in implementing this title.”.

(2) Table of contents amendment.— The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–479; 120 Stat. 3575) is amended by striking the item relating to section 809 and inserting the following:

(j) Authorization of appropriations.— Section 811 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, as so redesignated, is amended to read as follows:

“811. Authorization of appropriations.— There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this title $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 20262027 through 2030, of which—

(1) not less than 27 percent of the amount appropriated for each fiscal year shall be for activities conducted at the State level under the national tsunami hazard mitigation program under section 805; and

(2) not less than 8 percent of the amount appropriated shall be for the tsunami research program under section 806.”.

(k) Use of IPAWS to deliver tsunami alerts.—

(1) In general.— The Administrator, in consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission, shall clarify and document the responsibilities and decision-making processes of the Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Federal Communications Commission with respect to the use of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System to deliver tsunami alerts to the Emergency Alert System and the Wireless Emergency Alerts system.

(2) Memorandum of understanding.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall—

(A) update its memorandum of understanding with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission to reflect the responsibilities and processes clarified under paragraph (1); and

(B) provide the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives with a copy of such updated memorandum of understanding.

(l) Outreach responsibilities.— Section 511 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (33 U.S.C. 3208) is amended—

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting “and Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations (for purposes of this section, as such terms are defined in section 802 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3201))” after “managers”; and

(2) in paragraph (1), by striking “and emergency managers” and inserting “, emergency managers, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations”.

(m) Report on certain tsunami threats.—

(1) Definitions.— In this subsection:

(A) Covered event.— The term covered event means a tsunami or combined earthquake and tsunami event that impacts the United States.

(B) Critical infrastructure.— The term critical infrastructure has the meaning given such term in subsection (e) of the Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of 2001 (42 U.S.C. 5195c).

(2) Report.—

(A) In general.— Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with the entities described in paragraph (3), shall produce a report on how the United States should prepare for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from each of the following types of covered events:

(i) A covered event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

(ii) A covered event that impacts Alaska, including in the Alaska-Aleutian Subduction Zone.

(iii) A covered event in the Kuril-Kamchatka Subduction Zone.

(B) Requirements.— The report under this paragraph shall, with respect to each type of covered event described in subparagraph (A) include each of the following:

(i) A description of a command structure plan, including the roles of Federal agencies, State and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations for during and following the covered event.

(ii) A description of how Federal agencies can improve coordination to enhance the ability to prepare and plan for, mitigate against, provide warning of, respond to, and recover from the covered event.

(iii) A strategy to ensure collaboration between relevant Federal agencies for purposes of—

(I) completing a risk assessment of Federal facilities to identify such facilities that may need improvements to withstand the covered event; and

(II) developing a strategic plan to—

(aa) support mitigation efforts for and retrofitting of Federal, State, local, and Tribal critical infrastructure; and

(bb) help save lives during and immediately after the covered event.

(iv) A strategy to improve Federal guidance and assistance to State and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations in developing and implementing comprehensive plans to develop the ability to prepare and plan for, mitigate against, provide warning of, respond to, and recover from the covered event.

(v) In the case the covered event is large scale, an interagency search and rescue strategy for such covered event, which strategy shall include—

(I) a command structure plan, including the roles of Federal agencies, State and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations if such command structure would differ from the structure under clause (i);

(II) the sources of personnel and assets that can be utilized to support search and rescue efforts;

(III) an estimation of the required personnel and assets and an identification of any gaps in personnel and assets; and

(IV) an identification of and a strategy to address the vulnerabilities of existing infrastructure that will be necessary for search and rescue efforts.

(vi) A strategy for addressing the impacts of the covered event to critical infrastructure, including the responsibilities of Federal agencies, State and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and private entities.

(vii) Recommendations on how Federal agencies can develop a mitigation strategy, including providing financial assistance to State, local, and Tribal operators, for any infrastructure that provides information to support or issue warnings for the covered event.

(viii) Recommendations on administrative or legislative changes required to implement the report for the covered event.

(C) Public availability.— Not later than 1 month after completing the report under this paragraph, the Comptroller General shall make such report available to the public.

(3) Entities described.— The entities described in this paragraph are—

(A) the Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States Geological Survey, the National Guard Bureau, the Coast Guard, the United States Transportation Command, the Department of Transportation, and other Federal agencies as determined appropriate by the Comptroller General;

(B) the States of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington;

(C) the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;

(D) Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations;

(E) local governments;

(F) institutions of higher education and other research institutions with relevant expertise; and

(G) private sector representatives that may be impacted by the applicable type of covered event described in paragraph (2)(A).

(4) Strategy.— Not later than 1 year after the completion of the report required under paragraph (2), the Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall, in consultation with the National Guard Bureau, the Coast Guard, the United States Transportation Command, the United States Geological Survey, the Department of Transportation, and other Federal agencies as determined appropriate, provide the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a written strategy and briefing on how the relevant Federal agencies will implement such report within their respective statutory authorities for each type of covered event described in paragraph (2)(A).

(n) Definitions.— In this section, the terms Administration, Administrator, Indian Tribe, Native Hawaiian organization, Tribal organization, and tsunami have the meanings given such terms in section 802 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3201).

Section 106 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8516) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (3)—

(A) by inserting “Federal” before “observing capabilities”; and

(B) by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(2) in paragraph (4)—

(A) by inserting “, including private sector partnerships or commercial acquisition,” after “options”; and

(B) by striking the period and inserting a semicolon; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(5) compare costs and schedule, including cost-benefit analyses, of Federal and private sector supplemental options to fill the observation data requirements under paragraph (1) and gaps identified pursuant to paragraph (3); and

(6) not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, submit to Congress a report that provides an analysis of the technical, schedule, cost, and cost-benefit analyses relating to placing an operational polar-orbiting environmental satellite capability in the early morning orbit to support the weather enterprise and the mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.”.

Section 107 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8517) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)(3), by striking “providing data” and inserting “comparison to current or experimental commercial system capabilities that provide data”;

(2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking “, including polar-orbiting and geostationary satellite systems,”;

(3) by striking subsection (d); and

(4) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d).

(a) Computing research initiative.— Section 108 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8518) is amended by striking subsection (a)(3)(C) and all that follows through subsection (b)(7) and inserting the following:

“(b) Artificial intelligence investments.—

(1) In general.— The Under Secretary shall leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to facilitate, optimize, and further leverage advanced computing to accomplish critical missions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(2) Acquisition of systems.— The Under Secretary shall include computing requirements needed to support technologies specified in paragraph (1) as part of major acquisitions of high-performance computing systems or cloud computing services for research, testing and evaluation, and operations.

(c) Centers of excellence.—

(1) In general.— The Under Secretary may expand, and where applicable establish, centers of excellence to aid the adoption of next-generation artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled advanced computing capabilities.

(2) Activities.— Each center expanded or established under paragraph (1) may carry out activities that include the following:

(A) Leveraging public-private partnerships for infrastructure development training, and workforce development.

(B) Developing and optimizing tools, libraries, algorithms, data structures, and other supporting software necessary for specific applications on high-performance computing systems.

(C) Applying modern artificial intelligence, deep machine learning, and advanced data analysis technologies to address current and emerging challenges.

(D) To the maximum extent practicable, exploring quantum computing and related partnerships with public, private, and academic entities to improve the accuracy and resolution of weather predictions.

(d) Multiyear contracts.—

(1) In general.— The Under Secretary may enter into multiyear contracts in accordance with section 3903 of title 41, United States Code, and shall ensure compliance with all contract clauses provided in such section.

(2) Exception for contract duration limitation.— The limitation on the duration of such contracts provided under subsection (a) of such section of title 41, United States Code, shall not apply to contracts for operations, research, and development related to high-performance and cloud computing infrastructure or systems, including any associated services or support, provided that such contracts comply with applicable law and include appropriate safeguards for any with an unfunded contingent liability in the event of cancellation.

(e) Report.— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, the Under Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Energy, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report evaluating the following:

(1) A best estimate of the overall value of high-resolution probabilistic forecast guidance for hazardous weather or water events (as defined in section 401 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026) using a next-generation weather forecast and warning framework.

(2) The need for cloud computing, quantum computing, or high-performance computing, visualization, and dissemination collaboration between the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(3) A timeline and guidance for implementation of the following:

(A) High-resolution numerical weather prediction models.

(B) Methods for meeting the cloud computing, quantum computing, or high-performance computing, visualization, and dissemination needs identified under paragraph (2).”.

(b) Strategic plan on high-Performance computing and data management needs.—

(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:

(A) A 10-year prospective outlook of computing resources and upgrades needed to meet the mission needs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for fisheries management, oceanographic forecasting, and ecological forecasting.

(B) A discussion of—

(i) computing and processing resources of the Administration and a 10-year projected need for such resources, disaggregated by line office of the Administration;

(ii) facilities, commercial contracts, and partnerships (with other Federal agencies or other institutions or entities) of the Administration that are providing computing and data management support or capacity as of the date of the plan;

(iii) the use by the Administration of cloud computing and other emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning;

(iv) additional technologies that have the potential to increase effectiveness and efficiency for data storage and processing power, including challenges to access and use of those technologies;

(v) the distribution of computing resources among the operations and research functions of the Administration;

(vi) products and services of the Administration that have not become available to the public because of a lack of computing resources;

(vii) current and future workforce development needs of the Administration, such as information technology and software engineering needs; and

(viii) the high-performance computing requirements of the Administration, with a special focus on requirements that are common across line offices of the Administration.

(C) Timelines, and performance measures for assessing progress toward attaining goals for—

(i) computing infrastructure and architecture of the Administration (including facilities, hardware, and software); and

(ii) use by the Administration of technologies that will increase effectiveness and efficiency for data storage and processing power, including challenges to access and use of such technologies.

(D) A 10-year life cycle analysis of the management of facilities, hardware, and engineering involved in the strategic plan that includes—

(i) program formulation for project conception, implementation, and closure; and

(ii) technical infrastructure, products, processes, data, and personnel resources required to achieve defined cost, schedule, and performance objectives.

(E) If appropriate, a description of actions taken to implement the previous plan.

(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.—

(A) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until 2029, the Under Secretary shall brief Congress on the progress made toward the objectives of the strategic plan required by paragraph (1).

(B) Elements.— Each briefing required by subparagraph (A) shall include the following:

(i) An evaluation of the progress made in implementing the strategic plan.

(ii) Such updates to the strategic plan as the Under Secretary considers appropriate.

Section 102(b)(5) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8512(b)(5)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking “and” after the semicolon; and

(2) by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the following:

“(E) developing community weather research modeling systems that—

(i) are accessible by the public in accordance with section 10601 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (15 U.S.C. 8512a) and available for archive and long-term study;

(ii) meet basic end-user requirements for running on public computers and networks located outside of secure National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration information and technology systems;

(iii) utilize, whenever appropriate and cost effective, innovative strategies and methods, including cloud-based computing capabilities, for hosting and management of part or all of the systems described in this subparagraph;

(iv) utilize modeling systems that allow for interoperability with new model components, modules, and next-generation software and coding languages;

(v) allow for open testing and integration of promising operational model improvements from the broader community;

(vi) access on as close to a real-time basis as possible operational data and metadata, including commercially purchased data for use in the model testing conducted by the Earth Prediction Innovation Center pursuant to redistribution restrictions, licensing agreements, and applicable laws (including regulations); and

(vii) provide supported and portable versions of the unified forecast system, including applications for fire weather, subseasonal to seasonal forecasting, hurricane, space weather, ocean, cryosphere, air quality, and coastal models, that can reproduce current operational global and regional model prediction; and

(F) establishing a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Data Lake, to be maintained by the Administration, a commercial partner, or non-profit entity, that consolidates and maintains a publicly available and continuously updated collection of data and metadata used in numerical weather prediction for use in the Earth Prediction Innovation Center’s model testing, pursuant to redistribution restrictions, licensing agreements, and applicable laws (including regulations).”.

Section 301 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8531) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (1) and redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) as paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively;

(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

“(b) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite systems and data.—

(1) In general.— The Under Secretary shall maintain a fleet of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration space-based observation platforms that provide critical operations-focused data and information to support the mission of the Administration in order to protect lives and property from extreme weather and other natural phenomena.

(2) Collaboration.— The Under Secretary shall implement recommendations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Observing Systems Council to ensure an appropriate mix of government, academic, commercial sector, and international partnerships in the provision of data and information, including a broadened effort on data acquisition through the Commercial Data Program under section 302 when cost effective and beneficial to the Administration.

(3) Priority.— The Under Secretary shall ensure that platforms maintained under paragraph (1) prioritize the development of products and services that are tailored to meet the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s mission and have sufficient Federal personnel to manage and operate the platforms and associated infrastructure.

(4) National Centers for Environmental Information.— The Under Secretary shall maintain the National Centers for Environmental Information to provide a long-term archive and access to the national and global data and metadata of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.”;

(3) in subsection (c) by adding at the end the following:

“(3) Geostationary extended observation.—

(A) In general.— The Under Secretary shall, subject to available appropriations, develop and maintain geostationary extended observations, known as GeoXO, that—

(i) retain continuity of data in geostationary orbit, with data quality standards meeting or exceeding those of the GOES–R program or successor program;

(ii) modernize core weather-monitoring capabilities, while ensuring imaging and sounding remain core instruments on all satellites; and

(iii) launch not later than 2032.

(B) Mission architecture and implementation plan.—

(i) In general.— Before terminating any program elements relating to geostationary extended observations under subparagraph (A), the Under Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a revised mission architecture and implementation plan, including component costs, costs associated with terminating or altering current mission architecture, and a planned launch schedule.

(ii) Appropriate committees of Congress defined.— In this subparagraph, the term appropriate committees of Congress means—

(I) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and

(II) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.”; and

(4) in subsection (f)(1), by striking “2023” and inserting “2030”.

(a) Research and development.— Section 102(b)(3) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8512(b)(3)) is amended—

(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”.

(b) Use of uncrewed aerial systems.— Section 102 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8512) is further amended—

(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.”.

(a) In general.— Section 402 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8542) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) by striking “Interagency Committee for Advancing Weather Services” and inserting “Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services (in this section referred to as the “Interagency Council”)”; and

(B) by striking “Committee” each place it appears and inserting “Council”;

(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.”.

(b) References.— Any reference to the Interagency Committee for Advancing Weather Services in any law, rule, regulation, paper, document, map, or other record of the United States shall be deemed to be a reference to the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services.

Section 12304(b) of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3603(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(5) Ships of opportunity pilot programs and projects.—

(A) In general.— The Administrator, in coordination with the heads of relevant Federal agencies, shall, subject to relevant regulations and certifications, maintain pilot programs or projects to contract with research or commercial ship operators for data collection and assess the potential costs, benefits, and viability of a network of ocean and atmospheric observing instruments operating on research or commercial ocean vessels, including in the Arctic, in order to supplement the Integrated Coastal, Great Lakes, and Ocean Observation System in improving understanding of coastal and ocean systems and their relationships to human activities.

(B) Standards and specifications.— The Administrator shall ensure that data acquired through the pilot programs or projects established pursuant to subparagraph (A) meets the most recent standards and specifications required for observation services and data as published pursuant to section 302(d) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017.

(C) Report.— Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, shall submit to Congress a report on the requirements for a global network of ocean and atmospheric instruments operating on research or commercial ocean vessels for measurement and data transmission.

(D) Sunset.— This paragraph shall terminate on the earlier of—

(i) September 30, 2030; or

(ii) 1 year after the date on which the report required under subparagraph (B) is submitted by the Administrator.”.

(a) Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017.—

(1) In general.— The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended—

(A) in section 102 (15 U.S.C. 8512), as amended by section 111(b)(1) of this Act, by striking subsection (e);

(B) by amending section 105 (15 U.S.C. 8515) to read as follows:

“105. Weather research and development planning.— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, and not less frequently than once every 2 years 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 maintain United States leadership in numerical weather prediction and forecasting that—

(1) describes the forecasting skill and technology goals, technology transfer plan, 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, data collection and analysis, predictive modeling, demonstration of potential operational forecast application, education, training, and performance metrics, weighted to meet the operational weather and flood-event mission of the National Weather Service to achieve a weather-ready Nation;

(3) describes how the program conducted under section 102 will collaborate with Federal agencies, international partners, and stakeholders, including the United States weather industry and academic partners, and the role of each in advancing weather forecasting and communications;

(4) identifies, through consultation with the National Science Foundation, the United States weather industry, and academic partners, research necessary to advance the scientific understanding of weather processes and improve weather warning and forecast systems in the United States most effectively;

(5) describes the ongoing research projects of the United States Weather Research Program, the goals of those projects, and those projects related to weather observations, short-term weather, or subseasonal forecasts within the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research that are closest to operationalization; and

(6) describes how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is advancing community weather modeling.”;

(C) in section 403 (15 U.S.C. 8543)—

(i) in subsection (a), by inserting “the” after “Director of”; and

(ii) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:

“(d) Annual briefing.— Not less frequently than once each year, the Under Secretary shall—

(1) brief the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives on participation in the program under subsection (a); and

(2) highlight any innovations that come from the interaction described in subsection (b).”; and

(D) by striking sections 408 through 411 and section 414 and redesignating sections 412 and 413 as sections 408 and 409, respectively.

(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:

(b) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992.— The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–567) is amended—

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

(2) in section 108 (15 U.S.C. 8520)—

(A) in subsection (a)—

(i) by striking paragraph (5); and

(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (12) as paragraphs (5) through (11), respectively;

(B) by striking subsection (b); and

(C) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b).

(a) In general.— Title VI of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8561 et seq.) is amended—

(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.”.

(b) Clerical amendment.— The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended by striking the item relating to section 603 and inserting the following: