S5601-118

110. Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research to carry out this title the following: $163,794,000 for fiscal year 2025, of which— $91,058,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes; $39,491,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program; $21,125,000is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and $12,120,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title. $165,432,000 for fiscal year 2026, of which— $91,968,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes; $39,886,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program; $21,336,000 is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and $12,241,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title. $167,086,000 for fiscal year 2027, of which— $92,888,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes; $40,285,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program; $21,550,000 is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and $12,364,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title. $168,757,000 for fiscal year 2028, of which— $93,817,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes; $40,688,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program; $21,765,000 is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and $12,487,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title. $170,444,000 for fiscal year 2029, of which— $94,755,000 is authorized for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes; $41,094,000 is authorized for the United States Weather Research Program; $21,983,000 is authorized for tornado, severe storm, and next generation radar research; and $12,612,000 is authorized for the joint technology transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4) of this title. No additional funds are authorized to carry out this title or the amendments made by this title.

103. Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment - United States of America (VORTEX-USA) The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the United States weather industry and academic partners, shall maintain a program for rapidly improving tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings, including forecaster training in radar interpretation and information integration from new sources. The goal of the program under subsection (a) shall be to develop and extend accurate tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings in order to reduce the loss of life or property related to tornadoes, with a focus on the following: Improving the effectiveness and timeliness of tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings. Optimizing lead time and providing actionable information beyond one hour in advance. Transitioning from warn-on-detection to warn-on-forecast. The Under Secretary shall ensure the program under subsection (a) periodically examines, tests, and evaluates the value of incorporating innovative observations, such as novel sensor technologies, observation tools or networks, crewed or uncrewed systems, and hosted instruments on commercial aircrafts, vessels, and satellites, with respect to the improvement of tornado forecasts, predictions, and warnings. The Under Secretary shall award grants for research, including relating to the following: Implementing key goals and achieving program milestones to the maximum extent practicable as outlined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2019 report, Tornado Warning Improvement and Extension Program Plan. In coordination with the National Science and Technology Council’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Subcommittee, improving the social, behavioral, risk, communication, and economic sciences regarding vulnerabilities, risk communication, and delivery of information critical for reducing the loss of life or property related to tornadoes. Improving the physical sciences, computer modeling, and tools related to tornado formation, the impacts of tornadoes on the built and natural environment, and the interaction of tornadoes and hurricanes. In awarding grants under subsection (d), the Under Secretary may prioritize awarding grants to minority-serving institutions. In this subsection, the term minority-serving institution means— a part B institution (as defined in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061)); a Hispanic-serving institution (as defined in section 502(a) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a))); a Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b))); an Alaska Native-serving institution (as defined in section 317(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b))); a Native Hawaiian-serving institution (as defined in section 317(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b))); a Predominantly Black Institution (as defined in section 318(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059e(b))); an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution (as defined in section 320(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059g(b))); or a Native American-serving, nontribal institution (as defined in section 319(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059f(b))). In carrying out subsection (a), the Under Secretary, in coordination with the program established under section 403(a) of the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2024, shall— conduct and transition to operations the research necessary to develop and deploy probabilistic weather forecast guidance technology for tornadoes and related weather phenomena; incorporate into tornado modeling and forecasting, as appropriate, social, behavioral, risk, communication, and economic sciences; enhance workforce training on radar interpretation and use of tornado warning systems; and expand computational resources, including cloud computing, to support higher-resolution modeling to advance the capability for warn-on-forecast. The Under Secretary, in collaboration with local communities and emergency managers, shall— evaluate the system used as of the date of the enactment of this section to rate the severity of tornadoes; determine whether updates to such system are required to ensure such ratings accurately reflect the severity of tornados; and if determined necessary, update such system. The Under Secretary shall, not less frequently than annually, submit to Congress a proposed budget corresponding with carrying out this section. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Under Secretary to carry out this section $11,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2030, of which not less than $2,000,000 each fiscal year shall be used for prioritized grants awarded under subsection (e).

809. Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this title $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028, of which— not less than 27 percent of the amount appropriated for each fiscal year shall be for activities conducted at the State level under the national tsunami hazard mitigation program under section 805; and not less than 8 percent of the amount appropriated shall be for the tsunami research program under section 806.

206. Aviation weather and data innovation The Under Secretary shall maintain an airborne observation program (in this section referred to as the program) for the acquisition of atmospheric sensor data and the deployment of critical atmospheric sensors, including in partnership with the weather enterprise. The program shall include activities that carry out the following: Procurement of weather data available from commercial aircraft, as determined by the Under Secretary. Acquisition of additional vertical profile observations that provide spatial and temporal density, as determined by the Under Secretary. Analysis of procured data when incorporated into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s unified forecast system in order to provide improved forecast information for aircraft. The Under Secretary shall, not less frequently than annually, submit to Congress a proposed budget corresponding with the activities described in subsection (b), including and analysis of activities that can be complemented by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aircraft. From amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Commercial Data Program under section 302 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, there shall be available not more than $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to carry out the program. The Director of the National Weather Service shall include turbulence events, icing conditions, or other phenomena in the forecasting capabilities of the Aviation Weather Center and the Center Weather Service Units, and deliver operational forecasts with consistent, timely, and accurate weather and turbulence information for the airspace system and the protection of lives and property. In carrying out subsection (e), the Director of the National Weather Service shall give consideration to recommendations from the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration in furtherance of section 44720 of title 49, United States Code, and improve weather and turbulence forecasting capabilities by— designating or establishing within the Federal Government an interagency working group to determine weather and environmental data or observation requirements, needs, and potential solutions related to aviation weather and turbulence modeling or forecasting; identifying current and future potential data gaps related to turbulence events or phenomena that can— identify or inform route specific flight planning; and be supplemented or filled by commercial aviation tools; transitioning research initiatives and pilot programs, including a pilot program of instrumentation for observing greenhouse gases and other atmospheric factors deployed on commercial aircraft and support for the evaluation of a sustained observing network using such instrumentation, into operations that improve the forecasting capabilities of the Aviation Weather Center; developing and deploying improved probabilistic aviation weather forecast guidance technology; and updating interagency agreements as appropriate, including to address reimbursable agreements. Paragraph (3) of section 102(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8512(b)), is amended— by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and (G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following new subparagraph: aviation weather phenomena, including atmospheric composition and turbulence, to improve scientific understanding and forecast capabilities for the airspace system; The Under Secretary shall ensure the Aviation Weather Center is able, to the maximum extent possible, to disseminate in a timely manner full resolution aviation weather data, forecasts, and information to meet the needs of aviation users. It is the sense of Congress that the aviation weather services provided to the Federal Aviation Administration by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are critical to the functions of the Federal Aviation Administration and the safety of the flying public. The Under Secretary and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall enter into or otherwise participate in an interagency agreement for a period of not less than 5 years under which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides weather services to the Federal Aviation Administration. Not less frequently than once per quarter through 2030, the Under Secretary and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall provide a briefing to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives on the status of the provision by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of weather services to the Federal Aviation Administration and the interagency agreement under paragraph (2) (F)aviation weather phenomena, including atmospheric composition and turbulence, to improve scientific understanding and forecast capabilities for the airspace system;.

207. NESDIS partnership program, transition program, and operational planning 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 departments and agencies (in this section referred to as the partnership program). 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. 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 section referred to as the transition program). In selecting awardees for demonstrations under the transition program, the Assistant Administrator shall consider technologies, missions, data systems, spacecraft, and instrument design that— improve upon the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s satellite architecture; have a direct impact on implementing the recommendations of the Administration’s 2018 Satellite Observing System Architecture Study entitled, Building a Plan for NOAA’s 21st Century Satellite Observing System; and meet current or future mission requirements. 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. Not less frequently than annually until 2029, the Assistant Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an annual plan that outlines the progress made in the partnership program under subsection (a), the transition program under section (b), and operational planning under subsection (c). 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 2025 through 2029 to carry out to this section.

302. Commercial Data Program The Under Secretary, in coordination with the heads of appropriate offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall maintain a Commercial Data Program to coordinate and execute acquisition of weather and environmental data and services from private sector entities for operational use. The Under Secretary may acquire satellite, ground-based, airborne, or marine-based in situ, remote sensing, or crowd-sourced data and services for operational use relating to weather and environmental forecasting and modeling. The Under Secretary shall ensure the Commercial Data Program coordinates, collaborates, and ensures access to data across the Administration, including among the following: The National Mesonet Program. The Aircraft Based Observation Program. The National Integrated Drought Information System, including the National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring Network. The National Integrated Flood Information System. The Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program. The National Data Buoy Center. The Uncrewed Systems Operation Center. The Ocean Exploration Program. Any other program or office the Under Secretary determines appropriate. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section and on a continuous basis thereafter, the Under Secretary shall publish data, metadata, and service standards and specifications required for acquired observation services and data for use, licensing, and attribution to ensure quality, impact, and compatibility of such services and data with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration modeling capabilities, meteorological situational awareness, and forecasting. In acquiring data and services from private sector entities, the Under Secretary shall prioritize obtaining surface-based, airborne-based, space-based, and coastal- and ocean-based data, metadata, and services for operational use from entities that participate in the Commercial Data Pilot Program or other programs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that acquire commercial data or observations. The Under Secretary shall maintain the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Observing Systems Council and the NOAA Fleet Council (in this subsection referred to as the Councils) to provide strategic recommendations and guidance regarding the prioritization, design, development, acquisition, upgrading, lifecycle, performance monitoring, and retiring of major components of observing systems and portfolios, including related to the acquisition of commercial weather and environmental data and services. The Councils shall ensure coordination and adherence to uniform policies by providing guidance to all line offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration engaged in observing systems portfolio design, technology, development, execution, and operation. The Under Secretary shall maintain a Committee within the Councils to develop and approve procedural directives, guides, or handbooks relevant to management of data and information, including commercial data, and coordinate data governance and management practices across the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to promote consistent processes. There are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to carry out this section. It is the sense of Congress that the Under Secretary should seek to enter into contracts or other appropriate agreements that enable the expenditure, to the maximum extent practicable, of amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available in a fiscal year to carry out this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Commerce may enter into agreements relating to the following: The purchase of weather and environmental data and services through contracts with private sector commercial data and service providers. The placement of weather instruments on co-hosted Federal, international, or private space, airborne, maritime, or ground platforms. The Under Secretary shall establish or designate at least one Ombudsman position within the Commercial Data Program to implement the recommendations of the Observing System Council under subsection (e) related to commercial weather and environmental data and services acquisitions. Such an Ombudsman shall act as the liaison between private sector data and service providers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with respect to receiving recommendations and resolving issues related to engagement, testing, contracting, or other areas related to the Administration’s efforts to acquire commercial weather and environmental data and services. Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Under Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report evaluating the activities and needed authorities related to data governance and management practices, including acquisition, collection, documentation, quality control, validation, reprocessing, storage, retrieval, dissemination, and long-term preservation activities across all National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration line, staff, and corporate offices.

305. Data assimilation, management, and sharing practices The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the weather enterprise, shall seek to establish consistent and open data and metadata standards to support open science, including simple cloud-optimized data formats and application programming interfaces that support findability, accessibility, usability, and preservability. The Under Secretary, in consultation with the Chief Information Officer and appropriate program heads, shall consolidate and arrange data infrastructure needs to ensure efficient and effective data transfer between National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offices by considering the use of commercial cloud technologies, or similar hybrid structures, to host and transmit data and metadata. In carrying out paragraph (1), the Under Secretary may partner with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy, the United States Space Force, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Navy, the Federal Aviation Administration, the United States Forest Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, and the United States Geological Survey, to collocate data with joint utility and support a transition to cloud architectures, including commercial cloud networks. The Under Secretary shall ensure the long-term management, maintenance, and stewardship of archival data and metadata acquired through the Commercial Data Program under section 302 is conducted within the National Centers for Environmental Information. To the greatest extent practicable, the Under Secretary shall— continue to ensure the delivery of data through sound and robust infrastructure, such as data sharing capabilities of the industry proving grounds; and make accessible to members of the weather enterprise that are United States persons data that is— not subject to redistribution contract permissions; or purchased through the Commercial Data Program under section 302 or shared through international government partners. If data described in paragraph (1)(B) must be assimilated into numerical weather prediction models or automated forecast guidance to satisfy terms of a redistribution contract, the Under Secretary shall make accessible without delay to members of the weather enterprise that are United States persons the numerical weather prediction model or automated forecast guidance output, as the case may be. The Under Secretary, in coordination with the Commercial Data Program under section 302, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, the National Centers for Environmental Information, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and any other relevant offices within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall establish a program to test, advance, and implement data assimilation methods, which may include artificial intelligence, machine learning, data pre- and post-processing, efficient input and output, and next-generation algorithms. Through the program established pursuant to paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall establish a consortium consisting of institutions of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) to address critical research challenges for data assimilation and foster a growing data assimilation workforce. The consortium shall seek to— solve critical research issues for data assimilation through innovative research; increase significantly the number of students, including Ph.D. candidates and other graduate level students, in data assimilation; use modern software and frameworks, such as the Joint Effort for Data Assimilation Integration, or emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, to conduct data assimilation research and development and facilitate research- to- operations efforts to improve weather modeling and prediction; identify and prioritize critical research areas in data assimilation and facilitate operations to research efforts; establish and enable an effective collaboration infrastructure between National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facilities, such as laboratories, centers, or joint agency institutes, and the research community, including a mechanism for external partners to host Administration employees; and establish mechanisms to enable all members of the consortium to archive and access data required to support the work under this subsection. In carrying out this subsection, the Under Secretary shall ensure the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its associated activities focus on research-to-operations and operations-to-research efforts, including by coordinating and collaborating with the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation. The activities authorized under this subsection shall be conducted in a manner consistent with subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (enacted as division B of Public Law 117–167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.). Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Under Secretary shall seek to enter into an agreement with a non-Federal entity to conduct a study on matters concerning data practices and management needs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In conducting the study, the outside entity shall— assess the costs and benefits of current data management needs for observational and operational mission requirements; develop recommendations regarding how to make more robust and cost-effective the data portfolio of the Administration; identify data infrastructure technologies and needs that are essential to the performance of modeling systems of the Administration; assess the sharing needs and practices of the Administration for both internal and external dissemination; develop recommendations for methods of data infrastructure sharing, including data purchased from the commercial sector; and develop recommendations for data standards, formats, and protocols to support artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. Of amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Commercial Data Program under section 302, $1,000,000 shall be available to carry out the study under paragraph (1) to remain available until expended.

404. National Weather Service communications improvement The Director of the National Weather Service shall improve the instant messaging service used by personnel of the National Weather Service by implementing, not later than October 1, 2027, a commercial off-the-shelf communications solution that replaces the instant messaging service commonly referred to as NWSChat. The communications solution implemented under this section shall— be hosted on the public cloud; and satisfy requirements set forth by the Director of the National Weather Service to ensure such solution— best accommodates future growth; performs successfully with increased numbers of users; is easy to use for the majority of users; and is similar to systems already in commercial use. From amounts made available for Operations, Research, and Facilities, the Director of the National Weather Service shall allocate not more than $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2027 to carry out this section.

501. Weather and climate information in agriculture and water management Section 1762 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (15 U.S.C. 8521) is amended— by amending subsection (c) to read as follows: The Under Secretary shall— conduct and support research to improve understanding of subseasonal to seasonal predictability for temperature, precipitation, and other Earth system variables and applications; collect and use data to make usable, reliable, and timely foundational forecasts of subseasonal-to-seasonal temperature and precipitation; support the advancement of multi-model ensemble forecast systems and forecast verification and evaluation capacity, including by— developing advanced coupled data assimilation methods using robust Earth system observational data; developing improved coupled subseasonal-to-seasonal ensemble prediction systems; improving exchanges and interactions between datasets across different models and Earth system observations to increase model accuracy of local relationships between and drivers of ocean, land, snow, and ice observations; and developing data management strategies to support operations and research activities; leverage existing research and models from the weather and Earth system enterprises to improve the forecasts under subparagraph (B); accelerate the operationalization of emerging modeling technologies developed to support and assist the cross development of fully coupled subseasonal-to-seasonal forecast systems, including during collaborations with other agencies and entities; determine and provide information on how subseasonal-to-seasonal temperature and precipitation may relate to— droughts; fires; tornadoes; hurricanes; floods, storm surges, and coastal inundation; heat waves and marine heat waves; winter storms, snowpack, and permafrost thaw; sea ice conditions; and other high impact weather or relevant weather disasters. by amending subsection (h) to read as follows: The Under Secretary shall establish not fewer than 2 pilot projects, in accordance with paragraph (2), within the United States Weather Research Program of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support improved subseasonal to seasonal precipitation forecasts for— water management in areas of the United States in which there is— a high level of drought; and a reliance on reservoirs for water storage; and agriculture in the central United States. In carrying out this subsection, the Under Secretary shall ensure the following: A pilot project under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) addresses key science challenges to improving forecasts and developing related products for water management, including the following: Improving operational model resolution, both horizontal and vertical, to resolve issues associated with mountainous terrain, such as intensity of precipitation and relative fraction of rain versus snow precipitation. Improving modeling of interstate or cross-boundary water movement and storage through rivers, tributaries, and aquifers with relation to water availability. Improving fidelity in the operational modeling of the atmospheric boundary layer in mountainous regions. Resolving challenges in predicting winter atmospheric circulation and storm tracks, including periods of blocked versus unblocked flow over the eastern North Pacific Ocean and western United States. Utilizing outcomes from the atmospheric rivers forecast improvement program under section 204 of the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 and the precipitation forecast improvement program under section 603 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 to produce operational tools and services. Improving the quality and temporal and spatial resolution of observations and accurate operational modeling of air-sea interactions, and the influence of oceans on subseasonal and seasonal forecasting. A pilot project under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) addresses key science challenges to improving forecasts and developing related products for agriculture in the central United States, including the following: Improving the quality and temporal and spatial resolution of observations and accurate operational modeling of the land surface and hydrologic cycle, including soil moisture and flash drought processes. Improving fidelity in the operational modeling of warm season precipitation processes. Understanding and predicting large-scale upper-level dynamical flow anomalies that occur in spring and summer. Improving modeling of interstate or cross-boundary water movement and storage through rivers, tributaries, and aquifers with relation to water availability for agriculture. A pilot project under this subsection shall include activities that carry out the following: Best implement recommendations of the 2020 Report of the National Weather Service, entitled Subseasonal and Seasonal Forecasting Innovation: Plans for the Twenty-First Century. Achieve measurable objectives for operational forecast improvement. Engage with, and leverage the resources of— institutions of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)); a consortia of institutions as described under clause (i); entities within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in existence as of the date of the enactment of this subsection, including Regional Climate Centers and the National Centers for Environmental Information; and other Federal agencies, as appropriate. Are carried out in coordination with the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the Director of the National Weather Service. The authority under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this subsection. by amending subsection (j) to read as follows: There are authorized to be appropriated $50,300,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to carry out the activities under this section. (c)Functions(1)In generalThe Under Secretary shall—(A)conduct and support research to improve understanding of subseasonal to seasonal predictability for temperature, precipitation, and other Earth system variables and applications;(B)collect and use data to make usable, reliable, and timely foundational forecasts of subseasonal-to-seasonal temperature and precipitation;(C)support the advancement of multi-model ensemble forecast systems and forecast verification and evaluation capacity, including by—(i)developing advanced coupled data assimilation methods using robust Earth system observational data;(ii)developing improved coupled subseasonal-to-seasonal ensemble prediction systems;(iii)improving exchanges and interactions between datasets across different models and Earth system observations to increase model accuracy of local relationships between and drivers of ocean, land, snow, and ice observations; and(iv)developing data management strategies to support operations and research activities;(D)leverage existing research and models from the weather and Earth system enterprises to improve the forecasts under subparagraph (B);(E)accelerate the operationalization of emerging modeling technologies developed to support and assist the cross development of fully coupled subseasonal-to-seasonal forecast systems, including during collaborations with other agencies and entities;(F)determine and provide information on how subseasonal-to-seasonal temperature and precipitation may relate to—(i)droughts;(ii)fires;(iii)tornadoes;(iv)hurricanes;(v)floods, storm surges, and coastal inundation;(vi)heat waves and marine heat waves;(vii)winter storms, snowpack, and permafrost thaw;(viii)sea ice conditions; and(ix)other high impact weather or relevant weather disasters.; (h)Subseasonal to seasonal forecasting pilot projects(1)EstablishmentThe Under Secretary shall establish not fewer than 2 pilot projects, in accordance with paragraph (2), within the United States Weather Research Program of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support improved subseasonal to seasonal precipitation forecasts for— (A)water management in areas of the United States in which there is—(i)a high level of drought; and(ii)a reliance on reservoirs for water storage; and(B)agriculture in the central United States.(2)ObjectivesIn carrying out this subsection, the Under Secretary shall ensure the following:(A)A pilot project under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) addresses key science challenges to improving forecasts and developing related products for water management, including the following:(i)Improving operational model resolution, both horizontal and vertical, to resolve issues associated with mountainous terrain, such as intensity of precipitation and relative fraction of rain versus snow precipitation.(ii)Improving modeling of interstate or cross-boundary water movement and storage through rivers, tributaries, and aquifers with relation to water availability.(iii)Improving fidelity in the operational modeling of the atmospheric boundary layer in mountainous regions.(iv)Resolving challenges in predicting winter atmospheric circulation and storm tracks, including periods of blocked versus unblocked flow over the eastern North Pacific Ocean and western United States.(v)Utilizing outcomes from the atmospheric rivers forecast improvement program under section 204 of the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 and the precipitation forecast improvement program under section 603 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 to produce operational tools and services.(vi)Improving the quality and temporal and spatial resolution of observations and accurate operational modeling of air-sea interactions, and the influence of oceans on subseasonal and seasonal forecasting.(B)A pilot project under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) addresses key science challenges to improving forecasts and developing related products for agriculture in the central United States, including the following:(i)Improving the quality and temporal and spatial resolution of observations and accurate operational modeling of the land surface and hydrologic cycle, including soil moisture and flash drought processes.(ii)Improving fidelity in the operational modeling of warm season precipitation processes.(iii)Understanding and predicting large-scale upper-level dynamical flow anomalies that occur in spring and summer.(iv)Improving modeling of interstate or cross-boundary water movement and storage through rivers, tributaries, and aquifers with relation to water availability for agriculture.(3)ActivitiesA pilot project under this subsection shall include activities that carry out the following:(A)Best implement recommendations of the 2020 Report of the National Weather Service, entitled Subseasonal and Seasonal Forecasting Innovation: Plans for the Twenty-First Century.(B)Achieve measurable objectives for operational forecast improvement.(C)Engage with, and leverage the resources of—(i)institutions of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001));(ii)a consortia of institutions as described under clause (i);(iii)entities within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in existence as of the date of the enactment of this subsection, including Regional Climate Centers and the National Centers for Environmental Information; and(iv)other Federal agencies, as appropriate.(D)Are carried out in coordination with the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the Director of the National Weather Service.(4)SunsetThe authority under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this subsection.; and (j)Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated $50,300,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to carry out the activities under this section..

4. Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act— $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2025. $15,500,000 for fiscal year 2026. $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2027. $16,500,000 for fiscal year 2028. $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2029.

503. National Mesonet Program The Under Secretary shall maintain the National Mesonet Program (referred to in this section as the Program), which shall— obtain observations to improve understanding of and forecast capabilities for atmospheric, drought, fire, and water events, with a prioritization on leveraging available commercial, academic, and other non-Federal Government environmental data to enhance coordination across the private, public, and academic sectors of the weather enterprise in the United States; establish means to integrate greater density and more types of environmental observations into the Program on an annual basis, including by encouraging local and regional networks of environmental monitoring stations and in situ sensor networks, including soil moisture and ground-based profilers, to participate in the Program; establish memoranda of understanding with networks outside of the scope of the Program in furtherance of this section; and coordinate with satellite data and services acquired through the Commercial Data Program under section 302 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8532), as amended by section 401 of this Act. In carrying out the Program, the Under Secretary shall— increase data density by— improving and increasing the quantity and density of environmental observations used by the Administration and the National Weather Service to support baseline forecasts, including nowcasts, warnings, and hyper local forecasts that protect individuals, businesses, agricultural production, food security, military, and government agencies in the United States, and enabling such individuals and entities to operate in a safe, efficient, and orderly manner; yielding increased quantities of boundary-layer data to improve numerical weather prediction performance, including in subseasonal to seasonal timescales; identifying available terrestrial or marine environmental data, or quantifiable gaps in such data, to improve the understanding of air-sea interactions; and supporting the National Weather Service in reaching its target of a 30-minute warning time for severe weather through better predictive model algorithms driven by increasingly effective observations; monitor local meteorological conditions by— acquiring soil and moisture data to monitor soil moisture, vegetation water content, and moisture loss from evaporation, in support of operational forecasting, the National Integrated Drought Information System, and local commercial, agricultural, and emergency management needs; supporting the National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring Network in acquiring soil moisture and related data to support the development of decision-support products and other information services; and expanding and enhancing environmental observational networks in the roadway environment to provide real-time road weather and surface conditions for surface transportation and related economic sectors; and administer the Program by— obtaining data in furtherance of this section only when demonstrably cost effective and meeting or exceeding data quality standards available to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (referred to in this section as the Administration); subject to the requirement in subparagraph (A), leveraging existing networks of environmental monitoring stations, including supplemental radar systems, to increase the quantity and density of environmental observations and data available to the Administration; providing the critical technical and administrative infrastructure needed to facilitate rapid integration and sustained use of new and emerging networks of environmental monitoring stations anticipated in coming years from non-Federal Government sources; coordinating with existing data developed by the Administration and used for forecasts, including data from the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, the Integrated Ocean Observing System, the Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program, the National Data Buoy Center, and the National Ocean Service; and identifying and communicating to the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and other partners priorities of research and development needed to advance observations in the Program. In furtherance of the Program, in a fiscal year, the Under Secretary may award not less than 15 percent of the amount appropriated for the Program for that fiscal year for financial assistance to State, Tribal, private, and academic entities seeking to build, expand, or upgrade equipment and capacity of mesonet systems. Financial assistance under this subsection may be made in coordination with and in addition to awards from other Federal agencies. Before receiving financial assistance under paragraph (1), the State, Tribal, private, or academic entity seeking financial assistance under this subsection shall enter into an agreement with the Under Secretary to provide data to the Program, subject to verification by the Program of the relative operational value and evaluation of the cost of such data, for use in weather prediction, severe weather warnings, and emergency response. The Under Secretary may provide— technical assistance, project implementation support, and guidance to State, Tribal, private, and academic entities seeking financial assistance under this subsection; and technical and financial assistance for maintenance of monitoring stations in underrepresented or remote areas of the country where it is financially unfeasible for 1 entity to operate such stations without such assistance. In providing financial assistance under this subsection, the Under Secretary shall establish terms to ensure that each State, Tribal, private, or academic entity that receives financial assistance under this subsection receives a level of support commensurate with the quality and other characteristics of the data to be provided. A State, Tribal, private, or academic entity may only receive financial assistance under this subsection if the Under Secretary determines such entity will provide sufficient financial support from non-Federal Government sources and fully maintain the quality of the mesonet system and associated data standards required by the Program for a period of not less than 5 years. The Under Secretary shall prioritize providing assistance under paragraph (1) to not fewer than 1 entity in a remote area or an area that has a lack of environmental monitoring stations described in subsection (a)(2). The Under Secretary shall ensure the Program has an active advisory committee of subject matter experts to make recommendations to the Administration on the identification, implementation, procurement, and tracking of data needed to supplement the Program, and recommend improvements, expansions, and acquisitions of available data. The Under Secretary may designate an existing advisory committee, subcommittee, or working group of the Federal Government, including the Science Advisory Board of the Administration, to carry out the requirement under paragraph (1). The advisory committee under paragraph (1), in consultation with the Program, shall include expertise from 1 or more institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) to assist the advisory committee to identify, evaluate, and recommend potential partnerships, regional or subregional consortia, and collaborative methods that would expand the number of participants and volume of data in the Program. Not less frequently than annually through 2035, the Under Secretary shall provide regular briefings to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives on all activities under the Program. Each briefing required under paragraph (1) shall include information relating to the following: Efforts to implement the activities described in subsection (b). Any financial or technical assistance provided pursuant to subsection (c). Efforts to address recommendations received from the advisory committee under subsection (d), if any. The potential need and associated benefits of a coastal and ocean mesonet, or other emerging areas of weather data needs. Progress toward eliminating gaps in weather observation data in States and regions of the United States. Any other topic the Under Secretary determines relevant. From amounts authorized to be appropriated to the National Weather Service, there shall be available not more than the following amounts to carry out this section: $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2025. $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2026. $61,000,000 for fiscal year 2027. $68,000,000 for fiscal year 2028. $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2029.

602. Amendments to the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 Section 603 of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4001) is amended— in the section heading, by striking Assessments and inserting Task Force, assessments, and Action Strategy; in subsection (a)— by redesignating paragraphs (13) and (14) as paragraphs (14) and (15), respectively; and by inserting after paragraph (12) the following: the Department of Energy; by striking subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (h), and (i) and redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (b); in subsection (b), as so redesignated— in paragraph (1), in the first sentence, by striking coastal waters including the Great Lakes and inserting marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems; and in paragraph (2)— by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows: examine— the causes and ecological consequences of hypoxia on marine and aquatic species in their environments; and the costs of hypoxia, including impacts on food safety and security; by redesignating subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) as subparagraphs (D), (E), and (F), respectively; by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following: examine the effect of other environmental stressors on hypoxia; evaluate alternatives for reducing, mitigating, and controlling hypoxia and its environmental impacts; in subparagraph (D), as redesignated by subclause (II), by inserting , social, after ecological; and in subparagraph (E), as redesignated by subclause (II), by striking hypoxia modeling and monitoring data and inserting hypoxia modeling, forecasting, and monitoring and observation data; and by adding at the end the following: Not less frequently than once every 5 years, the Task Force shall complete and submit to Congress an action strategy for harmful algal blooms in the United States. Each Action Strategy shall— examine, and include a scientific assessment of, marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms, including such blooms— in the Great Lakes; in the upper reaches of estuaries; in freshwater lakes and rivers; in coastal and marine waters; and that originate in freshwater lakes or rivers and migrate to coastal waters; examine the causes, ecological consequences or physiological consequences on fish function, and economic or socio-cultural impacts, including food safety and security, of harmful algal blooms; examine the effect of other environmental stressors on harmful algal blooms; examine potential methods to prevent, control, and mitigate harmful algal blooms and the potential ecological, social, cultural, and economic costs and benefits of such methods; identify priorities for research needed to advance techniques and technologies to detect, predict, monitor, respond to, and minimize the occurrence, duration, and severity of harmful algal blooms, including recommendations to eliminate significant gaps in harmful algal bloom forecasting, monitoring, and observation data; evaluate progress made by, and the needs of, activities and actions of the Task Force to prevent, control, and mitigate harmful algal blooms; identify ways to improve coordination and prevent unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal agencies with respect to research on harmful algal blooms; and include regional chapters relating to the requirements described in this paragraph in order to highlight geographically and ecologically diverse locations with significant ecological, social, cultural, and economic impacts from harmful algal blooms. In carrying out subsections (b) and (c), the Task Force shall consult with— States, Indian tribes, and local governments; and appropriate industries (including fisheries, agriculture, and fertilizer), academic institutions, and nongovernmental organizations with relevant expertise. The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by striking the item relating to section 603 and inserting the following: Section 102 of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2004 (33 U.S.C. 4001a) is amended by striking In developing and all that follows through management.. Section 603A of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4002) is amended— in subsection (a)— in paragraph (1)— by striking predicting, and inserting monitoring, observing, forecasting,; and by striking and after the semicolon; and by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: the scientific assessment submitted under section 603(b); and the Action Strategy. in subsection (c)— in paragraph (3), by striking ocean and Great Lakes science and management programs and centers and inserting programs and centers relating to the science and management of marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems; and in paragraph (5), by inserting while recognizing each agency is acting under its own independent mission and authority before the semicolon; in subsection (d), by striking Except as provided in subsection (h), the and inserting The; in subsection (e)— by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: examine the causes, ecological consequences, and costs of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia; in paragraph (3)— in subparagraph (B), by inserting , including the annual Gulf of Mexico hypoxia zone mapping cruise after Program; in subparagraph (C), by striking and after the semicolon; and by adding at the end the following: to identify opportunities to improve monitoring of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, with a particular focus on waters that may affect fisheries, public health, or subsistence harvest; to evaluate adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the impacts of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia; to support the resilience of the seafood industry to harmful algal blooms and to expand access to testing for harmful algal bloom toxins, including for subsistence and recreational harvesters, through innovative methods that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of such testing in rural and remote areas; to support sustained observations to provide State and local entities, Indian tribes, and other entities access to real-time or near real-time observations data for decision-making to protect human and ecological health and local economies; and to assess the combined effects of harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and stressors such as runoff and infrastructure changes on marine, freshwater, or estuarine ecosystems and living resources; in paragraph (4), by striking agencies and inserting entities, regional coastal observing systems (as defined in section 12303 of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3602)),; in paragraph (6), by inserting and communities after ecosystems; in paragraph (8), by inserting and Indian tribes after managers; in paragraph (9)(A), by striking , tribal, and local stakeholders and inserting and local stakeholders and Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations; by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), and (11) as paragraphs (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (12), and (13), respectively; by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: consult with entities that are most dependent on coastal and water resources that may be impacted by marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, including— State and local entities; Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiians organizations; island communities; low-population rural communities; subsistence communities; and fisheries and recreation industries; by inserting after paragraph (10), as redesignated by subparagraph (G), the following: expand access to testing for harmful algal bloom toxins, including for subsistence and recreational harvesters, through innovative methods that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of such testing in rural and remote areas; by amending subsections (f) to read as follows: The Under Secretary shall work cooperatively with and avoid duplication of effort of other agencies on the Task Force and States, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and nongovernmental organizations concerned with marine and freshwater issues. by striking subsection (g), (h), and (i). Section 603B of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4003) is amended to read as follows: The Under Secretary shall— carry out response activities for marine, coastal, and Great Lakes harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events; develop and enhance operational harmful algal bloom observing and forecasting programs, including operational observations and forecasting, monitoring, modeling, data management, and information dissemination; develop forecast modeling that includes the effect of hurricanes and other weather events on the resuspension of bioavailable nutrients in sediments and related interactions with harmful algal blooms; enhance communication and coordination among Federal agencies carrying out activities and research relating to marine and freshwater harmful algal bloom and hypoxia; leverage existing resources and expertise available from local research universities and institutions; and use cost effective methods in carrying out this section. The collection of monitoring and observing data under this section shall comply with all data standards and protocols developed pursuant to the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). Such data shall be made available through the National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System established under section 12304 of that Act (33 U.S.C. 3603). The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by striking the item relating to section 603B and inserting the following: The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 603B (33 U.S.C. 4003) the following: The Administrator shall— carry out research on the ecology and human health impacts of freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events; develop and enhance operational freshwater harmful algal bloom monitoring, observing, and forecasting programs in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, and coordinate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on such programs in the Great Lakes and estuaries (including tributaries thereof), including operational observations and forecasting, monitoring, modeling, data management, and information dissemination, to support event response, prioritization, prevention, adaptation, and mitigation activities; enhance communication and coordination among Federal agencies carrying out freshwater harmful algal bloom and hypoxia activities and research; to the greatest extent practicable, leverage existing resources and expertise available from Federal and State partners and local research universities and institutions; and use cost-effective methods in carrying out this section. The Administrator shall ensure that activities carried out under subsection (a) focus on new approaches to addressing freshwater harmful algal blooms and are not duplicative of existing research and development programs authorized by this title or any other law. The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 603B the following: Section 606 of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4005) is amended to read as follows: The Under Secretary, acting through the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Integrated Ocean Observing System of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall integrate Federal, State, regional, and local observing capabilities to establish a national network of observing systems for the monitoring, detection, and forecasting of harmful algal blooms by leveraging the capacity of regional associations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System, including through the incorporation of emerging technologies and new data integration methods. In carrying out subsection (a), the Program Office of the Integrated Ocean Observing System shall— coordinate with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science regarding observations, data integration, and information dissemination; organize, integrate, disseminate, and provide a central architecture to support ecological forecasting of harmful algal blooms; and coordinate with the Water Quality Portal to store and serve discrete data related to the monitoring of freshwater, estuarine, and coastal harmful algal blooms. The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by striking the item relating to section 606 and inserting the following: The Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 606 (33 U.S.C. 4005) the following: The Under Secretary, in collaboration with the Administrator and research universities and institutions, shall establish a national-level incubator program (in this section referred to as the program) to increase the number of strategies, technologies, and measures available to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms. The program shall establish a framework for preliminary assessments of novel strategies, technologies, and measures to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms in order to determine the potential effectiveness and scalability of such technologies. The program shall provide merit-based funding, using amounts otherwise available to the Under Secretary for the award of grants, for strategies, technologies, and measures that eliminate or reduce, through biological, chemical, or physical means, the levels of harmful algae and associated toxins resulting from harmful algal blooms. The program shall include a database for cataloging the licensing and permitting requirements, economic costs, feasibility, effectiveness, and scalability of novel and established strategies, technologies, and measures to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms. In carrying out the program, the Under Secretary shall prioritize proposed strategies, technologies, and measures that would, to the maximum extent practicable— protect key habitats for fish and wildlife; maintain biodiversity; protect public health; protect coastal resources of national, historical, and cultural significance; or benefit low-income communities, Indian tribes, and rural communities. The table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383; 112 Stat. 3412; 136 Stat. 1268) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 606 the following: Section 609 of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4008) is amended— in paragraph (1), by striking means the comprehensive research plan and action strategy established under section 603B and inserting means the action strategy for harmful algal blooms in the United States most recently submitted under section 603(c); by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows: The term harmful algal bloom means a high concentration of marine or freshwater algae (including diatoms), macroalgae (including Sargassum), or cyanobacteria resulting in nuisance conditions or harmful impacts on marine and freshwater ecosystems, subsistence resources, communities, or human health through the production of toxic compounds or other biological, chemical, or physical impacts of the bloom. by striking paragraph (9); by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), (6), (7), and (8) as paragraphs (5), (8), (9), (11), and (13), respectively; by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: The term harmful algal bloom and hypoxia event means the occurrence of a harmful algal bloom or hypoxia as a result of a natural, anthropogenic, or undetermined cause. in paragraph (5), as redesignated by paragraph (4)— by striking aquatic and inserting marine or freshwater; and by striking resident and inserting marine or freshwater; by inserting after paragraph (5), as redesignated by paragraph (4), the following: The term Indian tribe has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). The term Native Hawaiian organization has the meaning given that term in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517) and includes the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. by inserting after paragraph (9), as redesignated by paragraph (4), the following: The term subsistence use means the customary and traditional use of fish, wildlife, or other freshwater, coastal, or marine resources by any individual or community to meet personal or family needs, including essential economic, nutritional, or cultural applications. by inserting after paragraph (11), as redesignated by paragraph (4), the following: The term Tribal organization has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). Section 610 of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4009) is amended— by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title, for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029— $19,500,000 to the Under Secretary; and $8,000,000 to the Administrator. by adding at the end the following: As specifically provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Under Secretary or the Administrator may transfer funds made available to carry out this title to the head of any Federal department or agency, with the concurrence of such head, to carry out, as appropriate, relevant provisions of this title and section 9(g) of the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2018 (33 U.S.C. 4010). (13)the Department of Energy;; (A)examine—(i)the causes and ecological consequences of hypoxia on marine and aquatic species in their environments; and(ii)the costs of hypoxia, including impacts on food safety and security;; (B)examine the effect of other environmental stressors on hypoxia;(C)evaluate alternatives for reducing, mitigating, and controlling hypoxia and its environmental impacts;; (c)Action Strategy and scientific assessment for marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms(1)In generalNot less frequently than once every 5 years, the Task Force shall complete and submit to Congress an action strategy for harmful algal blooms in the United States. (2)ElementsEach Action Strategy shall—(A)examine, and include a scientific assessment of, marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms, including such blooms—(i)in the Great Lakes; (ii)in the upper reaches of estuaries; (iii)in freshwater lakes and rivers;(iv)in coastal and marine waters; and(v)that originate in freshwater lakes or rivers and migrate to coastal waters;(B)examine the causes, ecological consequences or physiological consequences on fish function, and economic or socio-cultural impacts, including food safety and security, of harmful algal blooms;(C)examine the effect of other environmental stressors on harmful algal blooms;(D)examine potential methods to prevent, control, and mitigate harmful algal blooms and the potential ecological, social, cultural, and economic costs and benefits of such methods; (E)identify priorities for research needed to advance techniques and technologies to detect, predict, monitor, respond to, and minimize the occurrence, duration, and severity of harmful algal blooms, including recommendations to eliminate significant gaps in harmful algal bloom forecasting, monitoring, and observation data;(F)evaluate progress made by, and the needs of, activities and actions of the Task Force to prevent, control, and mitigate harmful algal blooms;(G)identify ways to improve coordination and prevent unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal agencies with respect to research on harmful algal blooms; and(H)include regional chapters relating to the requirements described in this paragraph in order to highlight geographically and ecologically diverse locations with significant ecological, social, cultural, and economic impacts from harmful algal blooms.(d)ConsultationIn carrying out subsections (b) and (c), the Task Force shall consult with—(1)States, Indian tribes, and local governments; and(2)appropriate industries (including fisheries, agriculture, and fertilizer), academic institutions, and nongovernmental organizations with relevant expertise.. Sec. 603. Task Force, assessments, and Action Strategy.. (2)the scientific assessment submitted under section 603(b); and (3)the Action Strategy.; (2)examine the causes, ecological consequences, and costs of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia;; (E)to identify opportunities to improve monitoring of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, with a particular focus on waters that may affect fisheries, public health, or subsistence harvest;(F)to evaluate adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the impacts of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia; (G)to support the resilience of the seafood industry to harmful algal blooms and to expand access to testing for harmful algal bloom toxins, including for subsistence and recreational harvesters, through innovative methods that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of such testing in rural and remote areas; (H)to support sustained observations to provide State and local entities, Indian tribes, and other entities access to real-time or near real-time observations data for decision-making to protect human and ecological health and local economies; and (I)to assess the combined effects of harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and stressors such as runoff and infrastructure changes on marine, freshwater, or estuarine ecosystems and living resources;; (3)consult with entities that are most dependent on coastal and water resources that may be impacted by marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, including—(A)State and local entities;(B)Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiians organizations;(C)island communities;(D)low-population rural communities;(E)subsistence communities; and(F)fisheries and recreation industries; ; and (11)expand access to testing for harmful algal bloom toxins, including for subsistence and recreational harvesters, through innovative methods that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of such testing in rural and remote areas;; (f)Cooperation; duplication of effortThe Under Secretary shall work cooperatively with and avoid duplication of effort of other agencies on the Task Force and States, Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and nongovernmental organizations concerned with marine and freshwater issues.; and 603B.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration activities(a)In generalThe Under Secretary shall—(1)carry out response activities for marine, coastal, and Great Lakes harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events;(2)develop and enhance operational harmful algal bloom observing and forecasting programs, including operational observations and forecasting, monitoring, modeling, data management, and information dissemination;(3)develop forecast modeling that includes the effect of hurricanes and other weather events on the resuspension of bioavailable nutrients in sediments and related interactions with harmful algal blooms;(4)enhance communication and coordination among Federal agencies carrying out activities and research relating to marine and freshwater harmful algal bloom and hypoxia;(5)leverage existing resources and expertise available from local research universities and institutions; and(6)use cost effective methods in carrying out this section.(b)Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation SystemThe collection of monitoring and observing data under this section shall comply with all data standards and protocols developed pursuant to the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). Such data shall be made available through the National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System established under section 12304 of that Act (33 U.S.C. 3603).. Sec. 603B. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration activities.. 603C.Environmental Protection Agency activities(a)In generalThe Administrator shall—(1)carry out research on the ecology and human health impacts of freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events;(2)develop and enhance operational freshwater harmful algal bloom monitoring, observing, and forecasting programs in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, and coordinate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on such programs in the Great Lakes and estuaries (including tributaries thereof), including operational observations and forecasting, monitoring, modeling, data management, and information dissemination, to support event response, prioritization, prevention, adaptation, and mitigation activities;(3)enhance communication and coordination among Federal agencies carrying out freshwater harmful algal bloom and hypoxia activities and research;(4)to the greatest extent practicable, leverage existing resources and expertise available from Federal and State partners and local research universities and institutions; and(5)use cost-effective methods in carrying out this section.(b)NonduplicationThe Administrator shall ensure that activities carried out under subsection (a) focus on new approaches to addressing freshwater harmful algal blooms and are not duplicative of existing research and development programs authorized by this title or any other law.. Sec. 603C. Environmental Protection Agency activities.. 606.National harmful algal bloom observing network(a)In generalThe Under Secretary, acting through the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Integrated Ocean Observing System of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall integrate Federal, State, regional, and local observing capabilities to establish a national network of observing systems for the monitoring, detection, and forecasting of harmful algal blooms by leveraging the capacity of regional associations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System, including through the incorporation of emerging technologies and new data integration methods.(b)Coordination and data assemblyIn carrying out subsection (a), the Program Office of the Integrated Ocean Observing System shall—(1)coordinate with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science regarding observations, data integration, and information dissemination;(2)organize, integrate, disseminate, and provide a central architecture to support ecological forecasting of harmful algal blooms; and(3)coordinate with the Water Quality Portal to store and serve discrete data related to the monitoring of freshwater, estuarine, and coastal harmful algal blooms.. Sec. 606. National harmful algal bloom observing network.. 606A.National-level incubator program(a)In generalThe Under Secretary, in collaboration with the Administrator and research universities and institutions, shall establish a national-level incubator program (in this section referred to as the program) to increase the number of strategies, technologies, and measures available to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms.(b)FrameworkThe program shall establish a framework for preliminary assessments of novel strategies, technologies, and measures to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms in order to determine the potential effectiveness and scalability of such technologies.(c)FundingThe program shall provide merit-based funding, using amounts otherwise available to the Under Secretary for the award of grants, for strategies, technologies, and measures that eliminate or reduce, through biological, chemical, or physical means, the levels of harmful algae and associated toxins resulting from harmful algal blooms. (d)DatabaseThe program shall include a database for cataloging the licensing and permitting requirements, economic costs, feasibility, effectiveness, and scalability of novel and established strategies, technologies, and measures to prevent, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms.(e)PrioritizationIn carrying out the program, the Under Secretary shall prioritize proposed strategies, technologies, and measures that would, to the maximum extent practicable—(1)protect key habitats for fish and wildlife;(2)maintain biodiversity;(3)protect public health;(4)protect coastal resources of national, historical, and cultural significance; or(5)benefit low-income communities, Indian tribes, and rural communities.. Sec. 606A. National-level incubator program.. (3)Harmful algal bloomThe term harmful algal bloom means a high concentration of marine or freshwater algae (including diatoms), macroalgae (including Sargassum), or cyanobacteria resulting in nuisance conditions or harmful impacts on marine and freshwater ecosystems, subsistence resources, communities, or human health through the production of toxic compounds or other biological, chemical, or physical impacts of the bloom.; (4)Harmful algal bloom and hypoxia eventThe term harmful algal bloom and hypoxia event means the occurrence of a harmful algal bloom or hypoxia as a result of a natural, anthropogenic, or undetermined cause.; (6)Indian tribeThe term Indian tribe has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).(7)Native Hawaiian organizationThe term Native Hawaiian organization has the meaning given that term in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517) and includes the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.; (10)Subsistence useThe term subsistence use means the customary and traditional use of fish, wildlife, or other freshwater, coastal, or marine resources by any individual or community to meet personal or family needs, including essential economic, nutritional, or cultural applications.; and (12)Tribal organizationThe term Tribal organization has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).. (a)In generalThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title, for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029—(1)$19,500,000 to the Under Secretary; and (2)$8,000,000 to the Administrator.; and (c)Transfer authorityAs specifically provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Under Secretary or the Administrator may transfer funds made available to carry out this title to the head of any Federal department or agency, with the concurrence of such head, to carry out, as appropriate, relevant provisions of this title and section 9(g) of the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2018 (33 U.S.C. 4010)..