To develop the next generation of weather radar, authorize supplemental gap radar coverage, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Crawford (for himself and Mr. Moran) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Weather Radar Coverage Improvement Act directs the National Weather Service to develop a plan to replace its aging NEXRAD weather radar system with modern digital phased array radar technology by September 30, 2040. The bill also authorizes the agency to contract with private companies to fill existing gaps in radar coverage using diverse radar technologies and weather camera systems.
Who Benefits and How
Weather radar manufacturers and defense contractors stand to gain significantly from this bill. Companies like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, which produce digital phased array radar systems, would compete for the contract to replace the entire national NEXRAD system—a potentially multi-billion dollar modernization program. Third-party weather data providers and camera system vendors would benefit from new federal contracts to fill coverage gaps, with preference given to companies that participate in the government testbed program. Communities in rural areas and mountainous regions with poor radar coverage would receive improved severe weather detection capabilities.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers will fund both the NEXRAD replacement program and the gap-filling contracts, representing a significant long-term expenditure through 2040. The National Weather Service and NOAA face new regulatory compliance burdens, including developing detailed plans with cost estimates, building and operating a prototype radar and testbed facility, and providing periodic reports to Congress. Existing NEXRAD system contractors like Enterprise Electronics Corporation may lose revenue as the current radar network is phased out and replaced with newer technology from different vendors.
Key Provisions
- Mandates development of a plan to replace the entire NEXRAD system by 2040 with digital phased array radar technology
- Requires creation of a prototype digital phased array radar and a testbed facility to evaluate commercial radar systems
- Authorizes contracts with third-party entities to deploy radars and weather cameras in coverage gaps
- Gives procurement priority to vendors that participate in the government testbed program
- Requires consultation with meteorologists, emergency managers, and public safety officials on replacement specifications
- Mandates periodic congressional reporting on implementation progress
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Requires the National Weather Service to develop a plan to replace the NEXRAD weather radar system by 2040 and authorizes supplemental gap radar coverage using third-party contractors.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Mandate federal agency to modernize critical weather infrastructure while creating procurement opportunities for private weather radar technology companies"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Weather radar manufacturers and technology companies
- Defense contractors with radar capabilities
- Digital phased array radar developers
- Third-party weather data providers
- Weather camera system vendors
- Communities in radar coverage gaps
Likely Burden Bearers
- NOAA/National Weather Service (must develop plan and meet 2040 deadline)
- Federal taxpayers (will fund NEXRAD replacement and gap-filling contracts)
- Existing NEXRAD system contractors (face displacement)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_director"
- → Director of the National Weather Service
- "the_under_secretary"
- → Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (defined in 15 U.S.C. 8501)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501) - refers to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology