Collapse to view only § 8549. Hurricane hunter aircraft
- § 8541. Environmental Information Services Working Group
- § 8542. Interagency weather research and forecast innovation coordination
- § 8543. Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and National Weather Service exchange program
- § 8544. Visiting fellows at National Weather Service
- § 8545. Warning coordination meteorologists at weather forecast offices of National Weather Service
- § 8546. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Ready All Hazards Award Program
- § 8547. Report on contract positions at National Weather Service
- § 8548. Weather enterprise outreach
- § 8549. Hurricane hunter aircraft
- § 8550. Improvements to Cooperative Observer Program of National Weather Service
§ 8541. Environmental Information Services Working Group
(a) EstablishmentThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Science Advisory Board shall continue to maintain a standing working group named the Environmental Information Services Working Group (in this section referred to as the “Working Group”)—
(1) to provide advice for prioritizing weather research initiatives at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to produce real improvement in weather forecasting;
(2) to provide advice on existing or emerging technologies or techniques that can be found in private industry or the research community that could be incorporated into forecasting at the National Weather Service to improve forecasting skill;
(3) to identify opportunities to improve—
(A) communications between weather forecasters, Federal, State, local, tribal, and other emergency management personnel, and the public; and
(B) communications and partnerships among the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the private and academic sectors; and
(4) to address such other matters as the Science Advisory Board requests of the Working Group.
(b) Composition
(1) In general
(2) Number
(c) Annual report
(Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, § 401, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 105.)
§ 8542. Interagency weather research and forecast innovation coordination
(a) Establishment
The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish an Interagency Committee for Advancing Weather Services to improve coordination of relevant weather research and forecast innovation activities across the Federal Government. The Interagency Committee shall—
(1) include participation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its constituent elements, the National Science Foundation, and such other agencies involved in weather forecasting research as the President determines are appropriate;
(2) identify and prioritize top forecast needs and coordinate those needs against budget requests and program initiatives across participating offices and agencies; and
(3) share information regarding operational needs and forecasting improvements across relevant agencies.
(b) Co-chair
(c) Further coordination
(Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, § 402, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 106.)
§ 8543. Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and National Weather Service exchange program
(a) In general
(b) Goal
(c) Elements
(d) Annual report
(Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, § 403, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 107.)
§ 8544. Visiting fellows at National Weather Service
(a) In general
(b) Goal
(c) Selection and appointment
(Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, § 404, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 107.)
§ 8545. Warning coordination meteorologists at weather forecast offices of National Weather Service
(a) Designation of warning coordination meteorologists
(1) In general
(2) No additional employees authorized
(3) Performance by other employees
(b) Primary role of warning coordination meteorologists
(c) Responsibilities
(1) In general
Subject to paragraph (2), consistent with the analysis described in section 409,1
1 See References in Text note below.
and in order to increase impact-based decision support services, each warning coordination meteorologist designated under subsection (a) shall—(A) be responsible for providing service to the geographic area of responsibility covered by the weather forecast office at which the warning coordination meteorologist is employed to help ensure that users of products of the National Weather Service can respond effectively to improve outcomes from weather events;
(B) liaise with users of products and services of the National Weather Service, such as the public, media outlets, users in the aviation, marine, and agricultural communities, and forestry, land, and water management interests, to evaluate the adequacy and usefulness of the products and services of the National Weather Service;
(C) collaborate with such weather forecast offices and State, local, and tribal government agencies as the Director considers appropriate in developing, proposing, and implementing plans to develop, modify, or tailor products and services of the National Weather Service to improve the usefulness of such products and services;
(D) ensure the maintenance and accuracy of severe weather call lists, appropriate office severe weather policy or procedures, and other severe weather or dissemination methodologies or strategies; and
(E) work closely with State, local, and tribal emergency management agencies, and other agencies related to disaster management, to ensure a planned, coordinated, and effective preparedness and response effort.
(2) Other staff
(d) Additional responsibilities
(1) In general
Subject to paragraph (2), a warning coordination meteorologist designated under subsection (a) may—
(A) work with a State agency to develop plans for promoting more effective use of products and services of the National Weather Service throughout the State;
(B) identify priority community preparedness objectives;
(C) develop plans to meet the objectives identified under paragraph (2); and
(D) conduct severe weather event preparedness planning and citizen education efforts with and through various State, local, and tribal government agencies and other disaster management-related organizations.
(2) Other staff
(e) Placement with State and local emergency managers
(1) In general
(2) Treatment
(Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, § 405, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 107.)
§ 8546. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Ready All Hazards Award Program
(a) Program
(b) Goal
(c) Program elements
(1) Nominations
(2) Selection of awardees
(3) Award ceremony
(Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, § 407, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 111.)
§ 8547. Report on contract positions at National Weather Service
(a) Report required
(b) Contents
The report required by subsection (a) shall include, with respect to the most recently completed fiscal year, the following:
(1) The total number of full-time equivalent employees at the National Weather Service, disaggregated by each equivalent level of the General Schedule.
(2) The total number of full-time equivalent contractors at the National Weather Service, disaggregated by each equivalent level of the General Schedule that most closely approximates their duties.
(3) The total number of vacant positions at the National Weather Service on the day before April 18, 2017, disaggregated by each equivalent level of the General Schedule.
(4) The five most common positions filled by full-time equivalent contractors at the National Weather Service and the equivalent level of the General Schedule that most closely approximates the duties of such positions.
(5) Of the positions identified under paragraph (4), the percentage of full-time equivalent contractors in those positions that have held a prior position at the National Weather Service or another entity in National 1
1 So in original. Probably should be preceded by “the”.
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.(6) The average full-time equivalent salary for Federal employees at the National Weather Service for each equivalent level of the General Schedule.
(7) The average salary for full-time equivalent contractors performing at each equivalent level of the General Schedule at the National Weather Service.
(8) A description of any actions taken by the Under Secretary to respond to the issues raised by the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce regarding the hiring of former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees as contractors at the National Weather Service such as the issues raised in the Investigative Report dated June 2, 2015 (OIG–12–0447).
(c) Annual publication
(Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, § 410, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 112.)
§ 8548. Weather enterprise outreach
(a) In general
The Under Secretary may establish mechanisms for outreach to the weather enterprise—
(1) to assess the weather forecasts and forecast products provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
(2) to determine the highest priority weather forecast needs of the community described in subsection (b).
(b) Outreach community
In conducting outreach under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall contact leading experts and innovators from relevant stakeholders, including the representatives from the following:
(1) State or local emergency management agencies.
(2) State agriculture agencies.
(3) Indian tribes (as defined in section 5304 of title 25) and Native Hawaiians (as defined in section 7517 of title 20).
(4) The private aerospace industry.
(5) The private earth observing industry.
(6) The operational forecasting community.
(7) The academic community.
(8) Professional societies that focus on meteorology.
(9) Such other stakeholder groups as the Under Secretary considers appropriate.
(Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, § 412, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 113.)
§ 8549. Hurricane hunter aircraft
(a) Backup capability
(b) Authority to enter agreements
(c) Future technology
(d) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, § 413, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 114.)
§ 8550. Improvements to Cooperative Observer Program of National Weather Service
(a) In generalThe Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, acting through the National Weather Service, shall improve the Cooperative Observer Program by—
(1) providing support to—
(A) State-coordinated programs relating to the Program; and
(B) States and regions where observations provided through the Program are scarce;
(2) working with State weather service headquarters to increase participation in the Program and to add stations in States and regions described in paragraph (1)(B);
(3) where feasible, ensuring that data streams from stations that have been contributing data to the Program for more than 50 years are maintained and continually staffed by volunteers;
(4) prioritizing the recruitment of new volunteers for the Program;
(5) ensuring that opportunities exist for automated reporting to lessen the burden on volunteers to collect and report data by hand; and
(6) ensuring that integrated reporting is available for qualitative observations that cannot be automated, such as drought conditions, snow observations, and hazardous weather events, to ensure that volunteers in the Program can report and upload observations quickly and easily.
(b) Coordination with States and regions
(c) Coordination with Federal agencies
(Pub. L. 115–423, § 8, Jan. 7, 2019, 132 Stat. 5461.)