TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act

Bill Number

S. 1378

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-10-21: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 199.

Last Updated

2026-02-04T05:06:15Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

This bill, titled the "Transformational Artificial Intelligence to Modernize the Economy against Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act" (or "TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act"), aims to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) weather forecasting systems. Its goals include improving the accuracy and speed of forecasts for weather, water, wildfires, and space weather; enhancing public safety and resource allocation during hazards; and fostering partnerships between government, private sector, and academia to drive innovation in environmental prediction.

Key Provisions

• Definitions: Establishes clear terms, such as artificial intelligence (computer systems that mimic human intelligence, including machine learning and neural networks), AI weather model (a forecasting tool using AI to predict Earth conditions based on training data), numerical weather model (traditional method using math-based simulations of Earth's systems), and curate (to collect, maintain, and update datasets with quality checks and origin details).
• Training Datasets: Requires NOAA's Under Secretary (the head of NOAA) to develop and maintain comprehensive datasets for AI weather forecasting within 4 years, building on existing government data and consulting agencies like the Department of Energy, NASA, National Science Foundation, and experts.
• AI Model Development: Authorizes NOAA to create and test global, regional, and local AI-based weather models; explore AI for better public communication of risks (e.g., wildfire alerts); and continue funding traditional observation collection, research, and numerical models.
• Advanced AI Applications: Directs exploration of AI uses like improving data integration (data assimilation: combining real observations with model predictions), wildfire preparedness, uncertainty assessment in forecasts, and decision-making tools for communities.
• Technical Assistance and Assessment: Mandates support for forecasters, scientists, and emergency managers, including best practices for using AI alongside traditional models, a framework to evaluate model performance against past data, and an optional independent study by the National Academy of Sciences on AI's effects on the weather industry.
• Partnerships and Innovation: Encourages new collaborations with private, academic, and international groups for high-risk research, including shared funding (co-investment), intellectual property rights, and transitioning AI tools to everyday use.
• Public Access to Data and Models: Requires a plan to freely share operational AI models, experimental ones, documentation, and related government-owned data (with metadata) online, while protecting sensitive information like national security details or trade secrets (e.g., under Freedom of Information Act exemptions).
• Expertise and Security: Allows innovative hiring and training to retain AI specialists (e.g., competitive pay, exchanges with private sector); permits withholding data for national security, in consultation with the Department of Defense; and requires a report on risks from foreign access to U.S. weather data (e.g., espionage by "foreign countries of concern" like those defined in defense laws).
• Reporting and Funding: Biennial reports to Congress on progress through 2035; authorizes $105 million for fiscal year 2026 and $25 million annually for 2027–2030.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

The bill builds on prior laws like the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (defining AI) and the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (defining weather terms) without repealing them. Key additions include mandatory AI dataset curation and model development timelines for NOAA, new requirements for public data sharing with security safeguards, and explicit funding for AI integration—shifting from optional to directed exploration of AI in federal forecasting. It also introduces co-investment mechanisms and security reporting on foreign data access, which were not previously specified in weather-related statutes.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: NOAA gains dedicated funding and tools to modernize forecasting, potentially reducing costs for disaster response through better predictions; other agencies (e.g., NASA, NSF) must collaborate, increasing interagency coordination but straining resources in data-poor areas.
• Citizens: Improved forecasts could lead to earlier warnings for extreme weather, floods, wildfires, and space events, enhancing safety, evacuation planning, and economic protection (e.g., for farmers, firefighters, and communities); public access to AI models may spur community apps or tools for local risks.
• International Relations: Promotes global partnerships for shared research but includes safeguards against data misuse by adversarial nations, potentially limiting data flows and affecting diplomatic tech collaborations; could position the U.S. as a leader in AI-driven climate resilience.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal Agencies: NOAA (primary implementer), Department of Defense (security input), Department of Energy, NASA, National Science Foundation, and National Weather Service (for assistance delivery).
• Private Sector and Academia: Weather companies, tech firms, universities, and research centers (e.g., National Center for Atmospheric Research) benefit from partnerships, data access, and co-funding opportunities.
• Public and Weather Enterprise: Forecasters, emergency managers, firefighters, and at-risk communities gain from better tools and information; the broader "weather enterprise" (industry and experts involved in forecasting) sees integration of AI into operations.
• International Entities: Foreign researchers and governments may access shared data/models, but with restrictions on "countries of concern."

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Reinforces existing protections under intellectual property laws (e.g., copyright and patents), the Freedom of Information Act (exempting trade secrets), and national security statutes, ensuring AI advancements do not override privacy or contract obligations; the foreign risk report could inform future export controls on data.
• Constitutional: Supports the government's role in promoting general welfare (e.g., public safety from disasters) under Article I, with no apparent conflicts to free speech or due process; public data sharing aligns with transparency principles.
• Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (e.g., Sens. Schatz, Sheehy, Lujan, Welch) highlights consensus on tech for climate challenges; emphasizes high-reward innovation amid rising extreme weather costs, but funding levels may spark debates on federal spending priorities versus private sector roles.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]

Cosponsors (3)

Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT], Sen. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM], Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]

Recent Actions

• 2025-10-21: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 199.
• 2025-10-21: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-88.
• 2025-10-21: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-88.
• 2025-04-30: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
• 2025-04-09: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
• 2025-04-09: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• Transformational Artificial intelligence to Modernize the Economy against Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act — issued 2025-04-09 — PDF (16 pages)
• Transformational Artificial intelligence to Modernize the Economy against Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act — issued 2025-10-21 — PDF (32 pages)