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
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
(a) Definitions. Section 2 of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3101) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (11) as paragraphs (7), (8), (10), (11), (13), (14), (15), and (16), respectively;
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
(4) Atmospheric river. The term atmospheric river has the meaning given the term in section 12(a) of the Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act (15 U.S.C. 9707(a)).
(5) Atmospheric river flooding event. The term atmospheric river flooding event has the meaning given the term in section 12(a) of the Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act (15 U.S.C. 9707(a)).
(6) Extreme precipitation event. The term extreme precipitation event has the meaning given the term in section 12(a) of the Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act (15 U.S.C. 9707(a)).
(3) by inserting after paragraph (8) (as so redesignated) the following:
(9) Institution of higher education. The term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(4) by inserting after paragraph (11) (as so redesignated) the following:
(12) Native Hawaiian organization. The term Native Hawaiian organization has the meaning given the term in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517), except that the term includes the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
(17) Tribal organization. The term Tribal organization has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(b) National landslide hazards reduction program
(1) Establishment. Section 3(a)(3) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102(a)(3)) is amended by striking protect and inserting contribute to protecting.
(2) Program activities. Section 3(b)(1)(C)(ii) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102(b)(1)(C)(ii)) is amended by striking implement and inserting disseminate.
(3) National strategy. Section 3(b)(2) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102(b)(2)) is amended—
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) as clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, and indenting appropriately;
(B) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking Not later than and inserting the following:
(A) In general. Not later than
; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
(B) Assessment. For purposes of the first national strategy published after the date of enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 under subparagraph (A), the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, shall include an assessment of the risks that atmospheric river flooding events and extreme precipitation events pose to the safety of life and property in the United States with respect to landslide hazards.
(4) National landslide hazards database. Section 3(b)(3) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102(b)(3)) is amended—
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
(C) the identification of areas in need of additional hazard risk assessment, including areas that may be at risk due to—
(i) hydrology or changes in hydrology that may include erosion, drought, or other characteristics that could impact landslide risk;
(ii) atmospheric river flooding events and extreme precipitation events, as identified by the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary;
(iii) geologic activity, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, or tsunamis; or
(iv) data-poor areas or hazards with poor monitoring that could contribute to increased landslide risk;
(5) Landslide hazard and risk preparedness for communities. Section 3(b)(4) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102(b)(4)) is amended—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting Native Hawaiian organizations and other stakeholders, as appropriate, before and Indian tribes;
(B) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking local, and Tribal governments and decisionmakers and inserting and local governments, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and other decisionmakers;
(ii) by striking clause (iii) and inserting the following:
(iii) health and safety with respect to landslides;
(iii) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and
(iv) by inserting after clause (iii) the following:
(iv) reducing losses from landslides, including the threats caused by atmospheric rivers and other extreme precipitation events; and
; and
(C) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in clause (i), by striking local, and Tribal officials and inserting and local officials, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations; and
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking local, and Tribal emergency managers and inserting and local emergency managers and emergency managers of Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
(6) Debris flow early warning system. Section 3(b)(5) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102(b)(5)) is amended—
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking State, territorial, local, and Tribal governments and inserting State, territorial, and local governments, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations;
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) as clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, and indenting appropriately;
(C) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking In carrying out and inserting the following:
(A) In general. In carrying out
; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
(B) Consultation. In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Secretary may consult with an institution of higher education described in subsection (d)(2)(B)(iv) and other stakeholders to establish and support emergency response procedures, as appropriate.
(7) Emergency response activities. Section 3(b)(6) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102(b)(6)) is amended—
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) as clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, and indenting appropriately;
(B) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking In carrying and inserting the following:
(A) In general. In carrying
(C) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated)—
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesignated), by inserting Native Hawaiian organizations, before and Indian tribes;
(ii) in clause (ii) (as so redesignated), by striking and at the end;
(iii) in clause (iii) (as so redesignated), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
(iv) to improve real-time risk management during landslide events, including with respect to landslide events caused by—
(I) hydrology or changes in hydrology that may include erosion, drought, or other characteristics that could impact landslide risk;
(II) atmospheric river flooding events and extreme precipitation events, as identified by the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary;
(III) geologic activity, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, or tsunamis;
(IV) data-poor areas or hazards with poor monitoring that could contribute to increased landslide risk; or
(V) thawing permafrost and glacial retreat causing destabilization of slopes.
; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
(B) Consultation. In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Secretary may consult with an institution of higher education described in subsection (d)(2)(B)(iv) and the private sector.
(8) Advisory committee. Section 3(d)(2)(B) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102(d)(2)(B)) is amended—
(A) in clause (iii), by striking geological; and
(B) in clause (vi), by striking local, and Tribal emergency management agencies and inserting and local emergency management agencies and emergency management agencies of Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations.
(9) Regional partnerships. Section 3 of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102) is amended—
(A) by redesignating subsections (e) through (i) as subsections (f) through (j), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
(e) Regional partnerships
(1) In general. As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, the Secretary shall establish, in each region in which the Secretary determines that there is a high landslide hazard, a regional partnership with an eligible partner described in paragraph (2).
(2) Eligible partners. An organization or institution of higher education with expertise in landslide mapping, research, and monitoring shall be eligible for a regional partnership under paragraph (1).
(3) Purposes and duties. A regional partnership established under paragraph (1) shall—
(A) allow the Secretary to leverage applicable expertise in regional organizations;
(B) coordinate long-term landslide research specific to the applicable region; and
(C) align interagency landslide monitoring efforts.
(10) Grant programs. Section 3 of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102) is amended, in paragraph (1) of subsection (f) (as redesignated by paragraph (9)(A))—
(A) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking local, and Tribal governments to research, map, assess and inserting and local governments, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to research, map, assess, monitor;
(B) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in clause (i), by inserting institutions of higher education described in subsection (d)(2)(B)(iv), before and Indian tribes; and
(ii) in clause (ii)—
(I) by redesignating subclauses (II) through (IV) as subclauses (III) through (V), respectively; and
(II) by inserting after subclause (I) the following:
(II) in regions that have recently experienced loss of life due to landslides;
; and
(C) in subparagraph (C)—
(i) in clause (i), by inserting awarded after grants; and
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking made and inserting or other accomplishments resulting.
(11) Significant events. Section 3 of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102) is amended, in subsection (h)(3) (as so redesignated), by striking local, and Tribal partners and inserting and local partners, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
(12) Funding. Section 3 of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102) is amended, in subsection (i) (as redesignated by paragraph (9)(A))—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 2024 and inserting 2030; and
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking $25,000,000 to carry out this section and inserting $35,000,000 to carry out this section, of which not less than $10,000,000 shall be made available for the purchase, deployment, and repair of landslide early warning systems in high-risk areas.
(13) Deficit reduction. Section 3 of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3102) is amended by striking subsection (j) (as redesignated by paragraph (9)(A)) and inserting the following:
(j) Funding; deficit reduction
(1) Funding. Funds used by an agency to carry out this section may, as provided in advance in appropriations Acts, only come from amounts authorized to be appropriated to that agency.
(2) Deficit reduction. Any amount appropriated to an account of a Federal agency for the Federal agency to carry out a responsibility under this section that is cancelled pursuant to section 1552(a) of title 31, United States Code, shall be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury and be applied to deficit reduction.
(c) 3D elevation program
(1) Establishment. Section 5(a) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3104(a)) is amended—
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting and derivative after 3D elevation; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by inserting , process, and integrate after acquire.
(2) 3D Elevation Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee. Section 5(b)(3) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3104(b)(3)) is amended—
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and (E) as subparagraphs (E) and (F), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
(D) the 3D Hydrography Program Working Group;
(3) Grants and cooperative agreements. Section 5(d)(3) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3104(d)(3)) is amended by striking publically and inserting publicly.
(4) Funding. Section 5(e) of the National Landslide Preparedness Act (43 U.S.C. 3104(e)) is amended by striking 2024 and inserting 2034.
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