To provide guidance for and investment in the upgrade and modernization of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards network, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
Directs the NOAA Administrator to upgrade existing NOAA Weather Radio systems by expanding coverage to rural and underserved communities and ensuring reliability, while simultaneously modernizing the network through internet protocol-based communications, software upgrades, satellite backup capabilities, and enhanced third-party data accessibility. Requires a 12-month assessment of NOAA Weather Radio access.
Who Benefits and How
Rural and underserved communities benefit from expanded weather alert coverage and improved reliability. The general public benefits from modernized weather radio capabilities including internet and mobile access. Private sector technology firms and telecommunications companies benefit from potential partnership and infrastructure upgrade contracts.
Who Bears the Burden and How
NOAA bears the operational and financial burden of upgrading existing infrastructure, acquiring new transmitters, transitioning to IP-based communications, and conducting the required assessment. Federal appropriators face the cost of funding these mandated improvements.
Key Provisions
- Expand NOAA Weather Radio coverage to rural communities, national parks, and recreation areas
- Maintain support for existing systems in areas with poor cellular service
- Transition broadcasts to internet protocol-based communications
- Develop satellite backup capabilities and commercial provider partnerships
- Complete a 12-month assessment of NOAA Weather Radio access and third-party compatibility
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Directs NOAA to upgrade and modernize the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards network by expanding coverage, transitioning to internet protocol-based communications, enhancing accessibility to underserved areas, and conducting an assessment of system access and capabilities.
Key Policy Areas
Science & Technology, Public Safety
Primary Purpose
Directs NOAA to upgrade and modernize the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards network by expanding coverage, transitioning to internet protocol-based communications, enhancing accessibility to underserved areas, and conducting an assessment of system access and capabilities.
Policy Domains
NOAA Weather Radio Modernization
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Rural and underserved communities
- General public
- Telecommunications and technology companies
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- NOAA
- Federal appropriators
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedAdditional sponsors: Mr. Jackson of North Carolina and Ms. Lee …
Reported from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; committed …
Mrs. Bice (for herself, Ms. Sherrill, Mr. Miller of Ohio, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
General public, Rural and underserved communities
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_administrator"
- → Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere / NOAA Administrator
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards network
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