This bill directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to establish and maintain a nationwide NOAA Weather Radio network. The network must broadcast weather and hazard information 24/7, be resilient to power and cellular outages, and maintain existing systems that serve areas with poor cellular service. The bill requires a modernization effort to expand coverage, add transmitters where needed, enable satellite or cloud dissemination, and make warnings more geographically specific. It also requires upgrades to telecommunications infrastructure, software upgrades to the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (or successors), research on backup options, and work with agencies to secure tower and land space for transmitters. The bill moves the Weather Ready All Hazards Award Program into the new NOAA Weather Radio title and adds clerical updates.
The bill also tasks the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, in consultation with the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, to develop standards for flash flood emergency alert systems within the 100-year floodplain. Those standards must address communities without mobile broadband, local warning systems, or satellite coverage and must result in reliable systems during hazardous events. A report summarizing the standards must be submitted to specified congressional committees within two years.
The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to classify certain NOAA positions (for example, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, electronics, IT management, and certain mariner positions) as protective service occupations within 30 days. It also requires the Under Secretary to submit a 10-year staffing plan within 180 days for the National Weather Service and NOAA positions that support forecasts and warnings.
If enacted, the bill would direct NOAA to expand and modernize the NOAA Weather Radio system to reach more people and places. The modernization focuses on areas at high risk for rapid-onset weather, places without mobile broadband or local warning systems, and federal lands. It would add capabilities such as satellite or cloud alert delivery and more detailed geographic warnings. The bill also creates flash flood alert standards for floodplain areas and requires a staffing plan for weather forecasting and warning staff at NOAA.
The bill authorizes appropriations of $25,000,000 for each fiscal year 2026 through 2031 to operate NOAA Weather Radio under specified sections. It authorizes $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, to remain available until expended, to carry out the modernization initiative and the access assessment. No publicly available information on costs beyond these authorized amounts is provided in the bill text.
The bill's sponsors introduced the measure to require expansion and modernization of NOAA Weather Radio, add flash flood alert standards, and establish staffing and classification requirements for NOAA positions that support forecasts and warnings. No publicly available information in the bill text describes other proponents' arguments or endorsements.
No publicly available information in the bill text describes opposition or opponents' arguments.