15 U.S.C. § 8521: Weather and climate information in agriculture

agricultural and silvicultural operations are vulnerable to damage from atmospheric conditions that accurate and timely reporting of weather information can help prevent; the maintenance of current weather and climate analysis and information dissemination systems, and Federal, State, and private efforts to improve these systems, is essential if agriculture and silviculture are to mitigate damage from atmospheric conditions; agricultural and silvicultural weather services at the Federal level should be maintained with joint planning between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Agriculture; and efforts should be made, involving user groups, weather and climate information providers, and Federal and State governments, to expand the use of weather and climate information in agriculture and silviculture. It, therefore, is declared to be the policy of Congress that it is in the public interest to maintain an active Federal involvement in providing agricultural and silvicultural weather and climate information and that efforts should be made, among users of this information and among private providers of this information, to improve use of this information. collect and utilize information in order to make usable, reliable, and timely foundational forecasts of subseasonal and seasonal temperature and precipitation; leverage existing research and models from the weather enterprise to improve the forecasts under paragraph (1); the number and severity of droughts, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, heat waves, coastal inundation, winter storms, high impact weather, or other relevant natural disasters; snowpack; and sea ice conditions; and develop an Internet clearinghouse to provide the forecasts under paragraph (1) and the information under paragraphs (1) and (3) on both national and regional levels. The Director of the National Weather Service shall provide the forecasts under paragraph (1) of subsection (c) and the information on their impacts under paragraph (3) of such subsection to the public, including public and private entities engaged in planning and preparedness, such as National Weather Service Core partners at the Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local levels of government. by designating research and monitoring activities related to subseasonal and seasonal forecasts as a priority in one or more solicitations of the Cooperative Institutes of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; by contributing to the interagency Earth System Prediction Capability; and by consulting with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to determine the highest priority subseasonal and seasonal forecast needs to enhance national security. The Under Secretary shall foster effective communication, understanding, and use of the forecasts by the intended users of the information described in subsection (d). This shall include assistance to States for forecast communication coordinators to enable local interpretation and planning based on the information. to serve as a liaison among the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, other Federal departments and agencies, the weather enterprise, the State, and relevant interests within that State; and to receive the forecasts and information under subsection (c) and disseminate the forecasts and information throughout the State, including to county and tribal governments; and require matching funds of at least 50 percent, from the State, a university, a nongovernmental organization, a trade association, or the private sector. Assistance to an individual State under this subsection shall not exceed $100,000 in a fiscal year. Each Federal department and agency shall cooperate as appropriate with the Under Secretary in carrying out this section. an analysis of the 1 how information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on subseasonal and seasonal forecasts, as provided under subsection (c), is utilized in public planning and preparedness; 1 So in original. The word “the” probably should not appear. specific plans and goals for the continued development of the subseasonal and seasonal forecasts and related products described in subsection (c); and an identification of research, monitoring, observing, and forecasting requirements to meet the goals described in subparagraph (B). In developing the report under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall consult with relevant Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector. The term “foundational forecast” means basic weather observation and forecast data, largely in raw form, before further processing is applied. The term “National Weather Service core partners” means government and nongovernment entities which are directly involved in the preparation or dissemination of, or discussions involving, hazardous weather or other emergency information put out by the National Weather Service. The term “seasonal” means the time range between 3 months and 2 years. The term “State” means a State, a territory, or possession of the United States, including a Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. The term “subseasonal” means the time range between 2 weeks and 3 months. The term “Under Secretary” means the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. The terms “weather industry” and “weather enterprise” are interchangeable in this section and include individuals and organizations from public, private, and academic sectors that contribute to the research, development, and production of weather forecast products, and primary consumers of these weather forecast products. $26,500,000 for fiscal year 2019; $27,000,000 for fiscal year 2020; $27,500,000 for fiscal year 2021; $28,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; and $28,500,000 for fiscal year 2023. Amounts made available to carry out this section shall be derived from amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the National Weather Service.