The bill would require the Department of Commerce to restore staffing at NOAA, including the National Weather Service, and reinstate eligible employees who choose to return after being removed or terminated between January 20, 2025, and the bill’s enactment. It would continue funded programs that help state and local communities prepare for and respond to extreme weather, and restore three NOAA data products: the Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters product, the Marine Environmental Buoy Database, and the Global Ocean Currents Database.
The bill aims to maintain NOAA weather alerts, forecasts, data, and resources for preparing for extreme weather. It would also keep certain weather and ocean information products available. The bill does not describe specific services for individuals.
The bill would appropriate $6,756,300,000 to the Department of Commerce for NOAA expenses in fiscal year 2026. It also directs the Secretary of Commerce to use funds previously appropriated for the staffing and employee reinstatement requirements.
The bill’s findings state that people rely on NOAA for emergency alerts, forecasts, and data, and that staffing and program reductions have weakened forecasting and research capacity. The findings cite deaths and economic losses from weather and climate disasters as reasons to maintain NOAA’s services.
No publicly available information.