What does PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITY. of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 101 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. The Under Secretary is directed to ensure NOAA focuses on providing accurate and timely weather forecasts to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy. This includes coordinating and modernizing observational infrastructure, weather forecasting systems, communications, and impact-based decision support services. The Under Secretary must also prioritize improving weather data, modeling, computing, forecasting, and warnings, and supporting the transition of advancements into operational forecasting and services.

What does UNITED STATES WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING. of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 110 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. It authorizes appropriations to the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research to carry out the title. For fiscal year 2026, $166,736,000 is authorized, with specific allocations for weather laboratories, the United States Weather Research Program, tornado research, and a technology transfer initiative. Similar authorizations are provided for fiscal years 2027 ($168,403,000), 2028 ($170,089,000), 2029 ($171,789,000), and 2030 ($173,506,000). Funding for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes increases incrementally each year. The United States Weather Research Program also receives increasing annual funding. Tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research is consistently allocated funding. The joint technology transfer initiative receives a consistent allocation each year.

What does VERIFICATION OF THE ORIGINS OF ROTATION IN TORNADOES of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 103 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 to establish a program for improving tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings. The program aims to develop accurate tornado forecasts to reduce loss of life and property, focusing on improving forecast effectiveness, optimizing lead time, and transitioning to warn-on-forecast. The Under Secretary is tasked with examining and evaluating innovative observations, such as new sensor technologies, to improve tornado forecasts. The Under Secretary shall award grants for research related to tornado formation, impacts, and interaction with hurricanes, and improving risk communication. Priority for grant awards will be given to institutions frequently subjected to severe weather or located near a National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office. The Under Secretary must coordinate with other programs to develop probabilistic weather forecast guidance technology and enhance workforce training. The Under Secretary will evaluate and potentially update the system used to rate tornado severity in collaboration with local communities and emergency managers. The Under Secretary is required to submit an annual budget proposal to Congress for activities under this section. A total of $11,000,000 is authorized for appropriation each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030, with at least $2,000,000 dedicated to grants.

What does HURRICANE FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 104 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 to establish a Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program. The program, overseen by the Under Secretary, aims to improve hurricane forecasting, predictions, and warnings in collaboration with the weather industry and academic partners. A key goal is to reduce loss of life or property related to hurricanes by improving understanding and communication of hurricane behavior, including rapid intensity change and projected path. The program focuses on improving forecasts of inland flooding, compound flooding, and storm surges, and incorporating social, behavioral, risk, communication, and economic sciences. The Under Secretary will award grants for research related to hurricane forecasting, including strategies outlined in the 2019 NOAA report. The Under Secretary must submit an annual report to Congress detailing missed mission requirements for hurricane operations plans, workforce management, and the status of hurricane technology research and development. The report must also include information on workforce management plans addressing shortfalls in human capital resources for hurricane observational data collection.

What does TSUNAMI WARNING AND EDUCATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION. of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This section amends the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, originally enacted as title VIII of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006. The purposes section of the Act is updated to include ensuring data and metadata are managed for operations, research, education, and mitigation activities. The Tsunami Forecasting and Warning Program is amended to incorporate the global navigation satellite system network and update tsunami inundation maps. The Administrator is directed to evaluate tsunami alert levels terminology, timing, and effectiveness in collaboration with social scientists, emergency personnel, and high-risk communities. The Under Secretary is tasked with assessing improvements to tsunami watches and warnings, focusing on communication of risks and actionable geographic information.

What does OBSERVING SYSTEM PLANNING. of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 106 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. Paragraph (3) is modified to include 'Federal' before 'observing capabilities' and remove 'and' after the semicolon. Paragraph (4) is modified to include ', including private sector partnerships or commercial acquisition,' after 'options' and replace the period with a semicolon. A new paragraph (5) is added, requiring comparison of costs and schedules, including cost-benefit analyses, of Federal and private sector supplemental options to fill observation data requirements and identified gaps. A new paragraph (6) mandates a report to Congress within one year of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026’s enactment. The report must analyze technical, schedule, cost, and cost-benefit analyses related to placing an operational polar-orbiting environmental satellite capability in the early morning orbit.

What does OBSERVING SYSTEM SIMULATION EXPERIMENTS. of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This section amends the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. Subsection (b)(3) is modified to refer to 'comparison to current or experimental commercial system capabilities that provide data'. The phrase ', including polar-orbiting and geostationary satellite systems' is removed from subsection (c)(1). Subsection (d) is removed. Subsection (e) is redesignated as subsection (d).

What does COMPUTING RESOURCES PRIORITIZATION. of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 108 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 to prioritize the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The Under Secretary of NOAA is directed to leverage AI and machine learning to optimize advanced computing for NOAA missions. The Under Secretary may establish or expand centers of excellence to promote the adoption of AI and machine learning-enabled advanced computing capabilities. These centers can utilize public-private partnerships for infrastructure development, training, and workforce development. The Under Secretary is authorized to enter into multiyear contracts for high-performance and cloud computing infrastructure and related services. A report evaluating the value of high-resolution probabilistic forecast guidance and collaboration needs between NOAA and the Department of Energy is required within two years of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026. The Under Secretary must publicly release and update a 10-year strategic plan outlining NOAA’s high-performance computing and data management requirements every five years until 2035. The strategic plan must include a 10-year outlook of computing resources, a discussion of current and projected needs, and timelines with performance measures.

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Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026

Q: What does Preamble of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This bill aims to improve weather research conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It seeks to support advancements in weather forecasting and prediction. The bill also intends to expand commercial opportunities related to the provision of weather data.

Q: What does DEFINITIONS. of Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 do?

This section defines terms used within the Act. Several terms, including 'seasonal,' 'State,' 'subseasonal,' 'Under Secretary,' 'weather enterprise,' 'weather data,' and 'weather industry,' are given their meanings as defined in section 2 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. Section 2 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended to redefine 'weather data' as information used to track and predict weather conditions and patterns. The amendment redesignates paragraph (5) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 as paragraph (6).

Last updated: 3/4/2026 · Introduced: 2/25/2026

Author: Ted Cruz (R-TX)

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119th Congressin committeeS. 1626(Passed Senate)Official page

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