To establish in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration a program to improve precipitation forecasts, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4416
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-15: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
- Last Updated
- 2025-09-12T17:55:47Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation, H.R. 4416, aims to create a dedicated program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to enhance the accuracy and reliability of precipitation forecasts. This includes predictions for various timescales, from short-term weather events to long-term climate patterns, by advancing scientific research, modeling, and data management to better prepare for extreme weather like heavy rain, storms, and floods.
Key Provisions
- Program Establishment: Establishes the "NOAA Precipitation Forecasts Program" within NOAA, focused on using advanced "fully coupled Earth System Models" (computer simulations that integrate atmosphere, oceans, land, and other Earth components) to improve precipitation predictions.
- Core Goals and Activities: The program must pursue 14 specific objectives, including:
- Enhancing understanding and prediction of extreme precipitation from weather systems like atmospheric rivers, tropical cyclones, and winter storms.
- Improving data collection, management, and integration for precipitation forecasting, including observations of water vapor, oceans, and boundary layers (the lowest part of the atmosphere near Earth's surface).
- Leveraging high-performance computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to boost model accuracy across weather, subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S), and seasonal-to-decadal (S2D) timescales.
- Collaborating with academic institutions, private sector partners, and the National Weather Service on research, testing emerging technologies, and incorporating social and behavioral sciences to improve forecast communication.
- Identifying gaps in observations, errors in models, and limitations in current systems.
- Expanding operational tools for decision-making, coordinating across NOAA offices, and engaging Federal, State, local, Tribal, and academic stakeholders.
- Ensuring data is managed, archived, and made accessible following FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) for scientists and the public.
- Updates and Oversight: NOAA's Administrator must review and update the program's goals every two years, integrating changes into NOAA's broader strategic plans.
- Funding: Authorizes appropriations of approximately $15 million annually from fiscal year (FY) 2026 to 2030, with slight annual increases to account for inflation.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a new, standalone program within NOAA, which did not previously exist in this specific form. It mandates focused research and operational improvements in precipitation forecasting, expands collaboration requirements across NOAA offices and external partners, and provides dedicated funding authorizations. Previously, such efforts may have been scattered across NOAA's general weather and climate programs without this level of targeted structure or biennial goal updates.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: NOAA and the National Weather Service will need to allocate resources for new research, computing infrastructure, and partnerships, potentially streamlining internal coordination but increasing administrative workload. This could enhance federal disaster response capabilities through better forecasts.
- On Citizens: Improved precipitation predictions may lead to more timely warnings for floods, droughts, and storms, reducing risks to public safety, agriculture, and infrastructure in vulnerable areas.
- On International Relations: While primarily domestic, advancements in global Earth System Models could indirectly support international climate agreements (e.g., by improving shared data on phenomena like tropical cyclones), fostering cooperation with other nations on weather and climate research.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- NOAA and Federal Agencies: Primary implementers, including the National Weather Service, responsible for program execution and coordination.
- Academic and Private Sector Partners: Involved in research, technology testing (e.g., AI and machine learning), and model development.
- State, Local, Tribal, and Community Entities: Beneficiaries of improved forecasts for emergency planning, water management, and agriculture; engaged for input on program priorities.
- Scientists and the Public: Gain access to better data, tools, and communications to support research, farming, urban planning, and personal safety decisions.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Authorizes specific spending without mandating it, giving Congress flexibility in appropriations; requires compliance with data management standards but imposes no new regulatory burdens on private entities.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's powers to fund and direct federal science agencies under the Commerce Clause (regulating interstate commerce, including weather impacts on economy and safety); no apparent conflicts with free speech or privacy, as it focuses on public data sharing.
- Political: Promotes bipartisan investment in climate resilience and technology innovation (introduced by representatives from both parties), potentially influencing future budgets for environmental science amid growing concerns over extreme weather events. It emphasizes collaboration, which could build support across diverse stakeholders but may face scrutiny over funding levels in deficit-conscious environments.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-15: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
- 2025-07-15: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-15: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- To establish in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration a program to improve precipitation forecasts, and for other purposes. — issued 2025-07-15 — PDF (4 pages)