S. 3923
Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
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Text of the bill
I Reauthorization of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017
Section 102(b)(5) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8512(b)(5)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking and after the semicolon; and
(2) by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the following:
(E) developing community weather research modeling systems that—
(i) are accessible by the public in accordance with section 10601 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (15 U.S.C. 8512a) and available for archive and long-term study;
(ii) meet basic end-user requirements for running on public computers and networks located outside of secure National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration information and technology systems;
(iii) utilize, whenever appropriate and cost effective, innovative strategies and methods, including cloud-based computing capabilities, for hosting and management of part or all of the systems described in this subparagraph;
(iv) utilize modeling systems that allow for interoperability with new model components, modules, and next-generation software and coding languages;
(v) allow for open testing and integration of promising operational model improvements from the broader community;
(vi) access on as close to a real-time basis as possible operational data and metadata, including commercially purchased data for use in the model testing conducted by the Earth Prediction Innovation Center pursuant to redistribution restrictions, licensing agreements, and applicable laws (including regulations); and
(vii) provide supported and portable versions of the unified forecast system, including applications for fire weather, subseasonal to seasonal forecasting, hurricane, space weather, ocean, cryosphere, air quality, and coastal models, that can reproduce current operational global and regional model prediction; and
(F) establishing a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Data Lake, to be maintained by the Administration, a commercial partner, or non-profit entity, that consolidates and maintains a publicly available and continuously updated collection of data and metadata used in numerical weather prediction for use in the Earth Prediction Innovation Center’s model testing, pursuant to redistribution restrictions, licensing agreements, and applicable laws (including regulations).
II Enhancing Federal weather forecasting and innovation
III Commercial weather and environmental observations
IV Communicating weather to the public
V Improving weather information for agriculture and water management
VI Harmful algal bloom and hypoxia research and control
VII Fire ready Nation
VIII Precipitation estimates and landslide preparedness
IX Importation of red snapper
X Improving cybersecurity and telecommunications for oceanic research
XI Other authorities
XII Integrated Ocean Observation System Reauthorization Act of 2026