S. 3923
Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
Official summary
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Text of the bill
I Reauthorization of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017
II Enhancing Federal weather forecasting and innovation
(a) Partnership program
(1) In general. The Assistant Administrator of the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (in this section referred to as the Assistant Administrator) shall maintain a partnership program to enhance engagement with the private sector, academia, and other Federal agencies (in this subsection referred to as the partnership program).
(2) Administration. The Assistant Administrator, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall administer broad agency announcements and other transactional authority or contracting mechanisms, on an annual or more frequent basis, to support the partnership program.
(b) Transition program
(1) In general. To support the development of next-generation technologies, missions, data systems, spacecraft, and instrument design, the Assistant Administrator, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall maintain a program to transition selected awards from research and study phases into demonstration (in this subsection referred to as the transition program).
(2) Considerations. In selecting awardees for demonstrations under the transition program, the Assistant Administrator shall consider technologies, missions, data systems, spacecraft, and instrument design that—
(A) improve upon the satellite architecture of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
(B) have a direct impact on implementing the recommendations of the Satellite Observing System Architecture Study of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration entitled, Building a Plan for NOAA’s 21st Century Satellite Observing System and dated May 31, 2018; and
(C) meet current or future mission requirements.
(3) Operational planning. In carrying out the transition program, the Assistant Administrator shall monitor demonstration phase progress and plan for promising results that meet mission requirements to be transitioned into the operational satellite architecture of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(c) Annual plan. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter through 2029, the Assistant Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives an annual plan that outlines the progress made in the partnership program under subsection (a), the transition program under subsection (b), and operational planning under subsection (b)(3).
(d) Authorization of appropriations. From amounts authorized to be appropriated to the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, there shall be available $20,000,000 for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out to this section.
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