H.R. 5089

Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025

Sponsor: Frank D. Lucas

26 cosponsors
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2025 or the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes, revises, and establishes several programs related to weather forecasting, monitoring, and research. 

For example, the bill reauthorizes through FY2030 programs that are administered by the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the U.S. Weather Research Program. It also provides statutory authority for NOAA's Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (known as VORTEX-USA).

The bill also requires NOAA to establish programs that support weather forecasting technology, including improvements to radar accuracy, weather forecasting in underserved areas, and coastal flooding forecasting. NOAA must also acquire weather-related data from the private sector and establish a pilot program to test the compatibility of this data with NOAA infrastructure. 

In addition, NOAA must improve weather-related communication systems, including those related to hazardous weather events, through system upgrades that use more modern technology (e.g., cloud-based services) and that allow for expanded coverage (e.g., in rural areas).

Finally, NOAA must administer programs that support weather forecasting for agricultural and water management, including pilot programs to improve precipitation forecasts in the western and central states and a soil moisture monitoring network. 

Text of the bill

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I Reauthorization of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017

II Enhancing Federal Weather Forecasting and Innovation

Sec. 206. Aviation weather and data innovation

(a) Program. The Under Secretary shall maintain an airborne observation program (in this section referred to as the program) for the acquisition of atmospheric sensor data and the deployment of critical atmospheric sensors, including in partnership with the weather enterprise.

(b) Activities. The program shall include activities that carry out the following:

(1) Procurement of weather data available from commercial aircraft, as determined by the Under Secretary.

(2) Acquisition of additional vertical profile observations that provide spatial and temporal density, as determined by the Under Secretary.

(3) Analysis of procured data when incorporated into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s unified forecast system in order to provide improved forecast information for aircraft.

(c) Budget. The Under Secretary shall, not less frequently than annually, submit to Congress a proposed budget corresponding with the activities described in subsection (b), including and analysis of activities that can be complemented by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aircraft.

(d) Authorization of appropriations. From amounts made available to the Commercial Data Program under section 302 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, there is authorized to be appropriated up to $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the program.

(e) Aviation weather and turbulence forecasting. The Director of the National Weather Service shall include turbulence events, icing conditions, or other phenomena in the forecasting capabilities of the National Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center, and deliver operational forecasts with consistent, timely, and accurate weather and turbulence information for the airspace system and the protection of lives and property.

(f) Coordination. In carrying out subsection (e), the Director of the National Weather Service shall give consideration to recommendations from the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration in furtherance of section 44720 of title 49, United States Code, and improve weather and turbulence forecasting capabilities by—

(1) designating or establishing within the Federal Government an interagency working group to determine weather and environmental data or observation requirements, needs, and potential solutions related to aviation weather and turbulence modeling or forecasting;

(2) identifying current and future potential data gaps related to turbulence events or phenomena that can—

(A) identify or inform route specific flight planning; and

(B) be supplemented or filled by commercial aviation tools;

(3) transitioning research initiatives and pilot programs, including a pilot program of instrumentation for observing greenhouse gases and other atmospheric factors deployed on commercial aircraft and supporting the evaluation of a sustained observing network using such platforms, into operations that improve the forecasting missions of the Aviation Weather Center;

(4) developing and deploying improved probabilistic aviation weather forecast guidance technology; and

(5) updating interagency agreements as appropriate, including to address reimbursable agreements.

(g) Next generation aviation research. Paragraph (3) of section 102(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8512(b)), is amended—

(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and (G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following new subparagraph:

Text this section adds to the law

(F) aviation weather phenomena, including atmospheric composition and turbulence, to improve scientific understanding and forecast capabilities for the airspace system;

(h) Aviation information dissemination. The Under Secretary shall ensure the Aviation Weather Center is able, to the maximum extent possible, to disseminate in a timely manner full resolution aviation weather data, forecasts, and information to meet the needs of aviation users.

III Commercial Weather and Environmental Observations

IV Communicating Weather to the Public

V Improving Weather Information for Agriculture and Water Management