[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 558 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.558
One Hundred Seventeenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two
An Act
To establish a national integrated flood information system within the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Flood Level
Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act'' or the ``FLOODS
Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. National Integrated Flood Information System.
Sec. 4. Observations and modeling for total water prediction.
Sec. 5. Service coordination hydrologists at River Forecast Centers of
the National Weather Service.
Sec. 6. Improving National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
communication of future flood risks and hazardous flash flood
events.
Sec. 7. Freshwater monitoring along the coast.
Sec. 8. Tornado warning improvement.
Sec. 9. Hurricane forecast improvement program.
Sec. 10. Weather and water research and development planning.
Sec. 11. Forecast communication coordinators.
Sec. 12. Estimates of precipitation frequency in the United States.
Sec. 13. Interagency Committee on Water Management and Infrastructure.
Sec. 14. National Weather Service hydrologic research fellowship
program.
Sec. 15. Identification and support of consistent, Federal set of
forward-looking, long-term meteorological information.
Sec. 16. Gap analysis on availability of snow-related data to assess and
predict flood and flood impacts.
Sec. 17. Availability to the public of flood-related data.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
(2) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the United
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other
territory or possession of the United States.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL INTEGRATED FLOOD INFORMATION SYSTEM.
(a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish a system, to be
known as the ``National Integrated Flood Information System'', to
better inform and provide for more timely decision making to reduce
flood-related effects and costs.
(b) System Functions.--The Administrator, through the National
Integrated Flood Information System, shall--
(1) provide an effective flood early warning system that--
(A) collects and integrates information on the key
indicators of floods and flood impacts, including streamflow,
reservoir release and diversion, precipitation, soil moisture,
snow water equivalent, land cover, and evaporative demand;
(B) makes usable, reliable, and timely forecasts of floods;
(C) assesses the severity of flood conditions and effects;
(D) provides information described in subparagraph (A),
forecasts described in subparagraph (B), and assessments
described in subparagraph (C) at the national, regional, and
local levels, as appropriate; and
(E) communicates flood forecasts, flood conditions, and
flood impacts to appropriate entities engaged in flood
planning, preparedness, and response and post-event flood
extent, including--
(i) decision makers at the Federal, State, local, and
Tribal levels of government; and
(ii) the public;
(2) provide timely data, information, and products that reflect
differences in flood conditions among localities, regions,
watersheds, and States;
(3) coordinate and integrate, through interagency agreements as
practicable, Federal research and monitoring in support of the
flood early warning information system provided under paragraph
(1);
(4) use existing forecasting and assessment programs and
partnerships;
(5) make improvements in seasonal precipitation and
temperature, subseasonal precipitation and temperature, and flood
water prediction; and
(6) continue ongoing research and monitoring activities
relating to floods, including research activities relating to--
(A) the prediction, length, severity, and impacts of floods
and improvement of the accuracy, timing, and specificity of
flash flood warnings;
(B) the role of extreme weather events and climate
variability in floods; and
(C) how water travels over and through surfaces.
(c) Partnerships.--The Administrator, through the National
Integrated Flood Information System, may--
(1) engage with the private sector to improve flood monitoring,
forecasts, land and topography data, and communication, if the
Administrator determines that such engagement is appropriate, cost
effective, and beneficial to the public and decision makers
described in subsection (b)(1)(E)(i);
(2) facilitate the development of 1 or more academic
cooperative partnerships to assist in carrying out the functions of
the National Integrated Flood Information System described in
subsection (b);
(3) use and support monitoring by citizen scientists, including
by developing best practices to facilitate maximum data
integration, as the Administrator considers appropriate;
(4) engage with, and leverage the resources of, entities within
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in existence as
of the date of the enactment of this Act, such as the National
Weather Service with respect to forecast and warning functions, the
National Integrated Drought Information System, the Regional
Climate Center, and the National Mesonet Program, to improve
coordination of water monitoring, forecasting, and management; and
(5) engage with and support water monitoring by the United
States Geological Survey--
(A) to improve the availability and continuity of
streamflow data at critical locations through the deployment of
rapid deployment gages and the flood-hardening of at-risk
streamflow gauges; and
(B) to increase storm surge monitoring data through the
deployment of additional storm surge sensors.
(d) Consultation.--In developing and maintaining the National
Integrated Flood Information System, the Administrator shall consult
with relevant Federal, State, local, and Tribal government agencies,
research institutions, and the private sector.
(e) Cooperation From Other Federal Agencies.--Each Federal agency
shall cooperate as appropriate with the Administrator in carrying out
this section.
SEC. 4. OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING FOR TOTAL WATER PREDICTION.
(a) Partnerships.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish partnerships
with 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 evaluate observations that would improve total water prediction.
(2) Priority observations.--In establishing partnerships under
paragraph (1), the Administrator shall prioritize partnerships to
evaluate observations from uncrewed aerial systems.
(b) Maintained Observations.--If the Administrator determines that
incorporating additional observations improves total water prediction,
the Administrator shall, to the extent practicable, continue
incorporating those observations.
(c) Modeling Improvements.--The Administrator shall advance
geographic coverage, resolution, skill, and efficiency of coastal
oceanographic modeling, including efforts that improve the coupling of
and interoperability between hydrological models and coastal ocean
models.
SEC. 5. SERVICE COORDINATION HYDROLOGISTS AT RIVER FORECAST CENTERS OF
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
(a) Designation of Service Coordination Hydrologists.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the National Weather Service
(in this section referred to as the ``Director'') shall designate
at least 1 service coordination hydrologist at each River Forecast
Center of the National Weather Service.
(2) Performance by other employees.--Performance of the
responsibilities outlined in this section is not limited to the
service coordination hydrologist position.
(b) Primary Role of Service Coordination Hydrologists.--The primary
role of the service coordination hydrologist shall be to carry out the
responsibilities required by this section.
(c) Responsibilities.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), consistent with the
analysis described in section 409 of the Weather Research and
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-25; 131 Stat.
112), and in order to increase impact-based decision support
services, each service coordination hydrologist designated under
subsection (a) shall, with respect to hydrology--
(A) be responsible for providing service to the geographic
area of responsibility covered by the River Forecast Center at
which the service coordination hydrologist is employed to help
ensure that users of products and services of the National
Weather Service can respond effectively to improve outcomes
from flood events;
(B) liaise with users of products and services of the
National Weather Service, such as the public, academia, media
outlets, users in the hydropower, transportation, recreation,
and agricultural communities, and forestry, land, fisheries,
and water management interests, to evaluate the adequacy and
usefulness of the products and services of the National Weather
Service;
(C) collaborate with such River Forecast Centers and
Weather Forecast Offices and Federal, State, local, and Tribal
government agencies as the Director considers appropriate in
developing, proposing, and implementing plans to develop,
modify, or tailor products and services of the National Weather
Service to improve the usefulness of such products and
services;
(D) engage in interagency partnerships with Federal, State,
local, and Tribal government agencies to explore the use of
forecast-informed reservoir operations to reduce flood risk;
(E) ensure the maintenance and accuracy of flooding call
lists, appropriate office flooding policy or procedures, and
other flooding information or dissemination methodologies or
strategies; and
(F) work closely with Federal, State, local, and Tribal
emergency and floodplain management agencies, and other
agencies relating to disaster management, to ensure a planned,
coordinated, and effective preparedness and response effort.
(2) Other staff.--The Director may assign a responsibility set
forth in paragraph (1) to such other staff as the Director
considers appropriate to carry out such responsibility.
(d) Additional Responsibilities.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a service
coordination hydrologist designated under subsection (a) may, with
respect to hydrology--
(A) work with a State agency to develop plans for promoting
more effective use of products and services of the National
Weather Service throughout the State;
(B) identify priority community preparedness objectives;
(C) develop plans to meet the objectives identified under
subparagraph (B); and
(D) conduct flooding event preparedness planning and
citizen education efforts with and through various State,
local, and Tribal government agencies and other disaster
management-related organizations.
(2) Other staff.--The Director may assign a responsibility set
forth in paragraph (1) to such other staff as the Director
considers appropriate to carry out such responsibility.
SEC. 6. IMPROVING NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
COMMUNICATION OF FUTURE FLOOD RISKS AND HAZARDOUS FLASH FLOOD EVENTS.
(a) Assessment of Flash Flood Watches and Warnings.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall--
(A) conduct an assessment of--
(i) the flash flood watches and warnings of the
National Weather Service; and
(ii) the information delivery to support preparation
and responses to floods; and
(B) submit to Congress a report on the findings of the
Administrator with respect to the assessment required by
subparagraph (A).
(2) Elements.--The assessment required by paragraph (1)(A)
shall include the following:
(A) An evaluation of whether the watches, warnings, and
information described in paragraph (1)(A) effectively--
(i) communicate risk to the general public;
(ii) inform action to prevent loss of life and
property;
(iii) inform action to support flood preparation and
response; and
(iv) deliver information in a manner designed to lead
to appropriate action.
(B) Subject to subsection (b)(2), such recommendations as
the Administrator may have for--
(i) legislative and administrative action to improve
the watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i);
and
(ii) such research as the Administrator considers
necessary to address the focus areas described in paragraph
(3).
(3) Focus areas.--The assessment required by paragraph (1)(A)
shall focus on the following areas:
(A) Ways to communicate the risks posed by hazardous flash
flood events to the public that are most likely to result in
informed decision making regarding the mitigation of those
risks.
(B) Ways to provide actionable geographic information to
the recipient of a watch or warning for a flash flood,
including partnering with emergency response agencies, as
appropriate.
(C) Evaluation of information delivery to support the
preparation for and response to floods.
(4) Consultation.--In conducting the assessment required by
paragraph (1)(A), the Administrator shall consult with--
(A) individuals in the academic sector, including
individuals in the field of social and behavioral sciences;
(B) other weather services;
(C) media outlets and other entities that distribute the
watches and warnings described in paragraph (1)(A)(i);
(D) floodplain managers and emergency planners and
responders, including State, local, and Tribal emergency
management agencies;
(E) other government users of the watches and warnings
described in paragraph (1)(A)(i), including the Federal Highway
Administration; and
(F) such other Federal agencies as the Administrator
determines rely on watches and warnings regarding flash floods
for operational decisions.
(5) National academy of sciences.--The Administrator shall
engage with the National Academy of Sciences, as the Administrator
considers necessary and practicable, including by contracting with
the National Research Council to review the scientific and
technical soundness of the assessment required by paragraph (1)(A),
including the recommendations under paragraph (2)(B).
(6) Methodologies.--In conducting the assessment required by
paragraph (1)(A), the Administrator shall use such methodologies as
the Administrator considers are generally accepted by the weather
enterprise, including social and behavioral sciences.
(b) Improvements to Flash Flood Watches and Warnings.--
(1) In general.--Based on the assessment required by subsection
(a)(1)(A), the Administrator shall make such improvements to the
watches and warnings described in that subsection as the
Administrator considers necessary--
(A) to improve the communication of the risks posed by
hazardous flash flood events; and
(B) to provide actionable geographic information to the
recipient of a watch or warning for a flash flood.
(2) Requirements regarding recommendations.--In conducting the
assessment required by subsection (a)(1)(A), the Administrator
shall ensure that any recommendation under subsection (a)(2)(B)
that the Administrator considers a major change--
(A) is validated by social and behavioral science using a
generalizable sample;
(B) accounts for the needs of various demographics,
vulnerable populations, and geographic regions;
(C) responds to the needs of Federal, State, local, and
Tribal government partners and media partners; and
(D) accounts for necessary changes to federally operated
watch and warning propagation and dissemination infrastructure
and protocols.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Watch; warning.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
the terms ``watch'' and ``warning'', with respect to a
hazardous flash flood event, mean products issued by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, intended for
use by the general public--
(i) to alert the general public to the potential for or
presence of the event; and
(ii) to inform action to prevent loss of life and
property.
(B) Exclusion.--The terms ``watch'' and ``warning'' do not
include technical or specialized meteorological and
hydrological forecasts, outlooks, or model guidance products.
(2) Weather enterprise.--The term ``weather enterprise'' has
the meaning given that term in section 2 of the Weather Research
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501).
SEC. 7. FRESHWATER MONITORING ALONG THE COAST.
(a) Data Availability Assessment.--The Administrator shall assess
the availability of short- and long-term data on large-scale freshwater
flooding into oceans, bays, and estuaries, including data on--
(1) flow rate, including discharge;
(2) conductivity;
(3) oxygen concentration;
(4) nutrient load;
(5) water temperature; and
(6) sediment load.
(b) Data Needs Assessment.--The Administrator shall assess the need
for additional data to assess and predict the effect of the flooding
and freshwater discharge described in subsection (a).
(c) Inventory of Data Needs.--Based on the assessments required by
subsections (a) and (b), the Administrator shall create an inventory of
data needs with respect to the flooding and freshwater discharge
described in subsections (a) and (b).
(d) Planning.--In planning for the collection of additional data
necessary for ecosystem-based modeling of the effect of the flooding
and freshwater discharge described in subsections (a) and (b), the
Administrator shall use the inventory created under subsection (c).
SEC. 8. TORNADO WARNING IMPROVEMENT.
Section 103 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act
of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8513) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d)
and (e), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Innovative Observations.--The Under Secretary shall ensure
that the program periodically examines the value of incorporating
innovative observations, such as acoustic or infrasonic measurements,
observations from phased array radars, and observations from mesonets,
with respect to the improvement of tornado forecasts, predictions, and
warnings.''.
SEC. 9. HURRICANE FORECAST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
Section 104(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation
Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8514(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) evaluating and incorporating, as appropriate, innovative
observations, including acoustic or infrasonic measurements.''.
SEC. 10. WEATHER AND WATER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.
Section 105(2) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation
Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8515(2)) is amended by inserting ``and flood-
event'' after ``operational weather''.
SEC. 11. FORECAST COMMUNICATION COORDINATORS.
Section 1762(f)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (15 U.S.C.
8521(f)(1)) is amended, in the second sentence, by striking ``may'' and
inserting ``shall''.
SEC. 12. ESTIMATES OF PRECIPITATION FREQUENCY IN THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Freely associated states.--The term ``Freely Associated
States'' means the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, which have each
entered into a Compact of Free Association with the United States.
(2) United states.--The term ``United States'' means the 50
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and the Freely Associated States.
(b) In General.--The Administrator shall establish a program, to be
known as the ``NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas of the United
States'', to compile, estimate, analyze, and communicate the frequency
of precipitation in the United States.
(c) Functions.--The NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas of the
United States--
(1) shall better inform the public and provide information on--
(A) temporal and spatial distribution of heavy
precipitation;
(B) analyses of seasonality in precipitation; and
(C) trends in annual maximum series data; and
(2) may serve as the official source of the Federal Government
on estimates of precipitation frequency and associated information
with respect to the United States.
(d) Requirements.--
(1) Coverage.--The NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas of the
United States shall include such estimates of the frequency of
precipitation in the United States as the Administrator determines
appropriate.
(2) Frequency.--Such estimates--
(A) shall be conducted not less frequently than once every
10 years; and
(B) may be conducted more frequently if determined
appropriate by the Administrator.
(3) Publication.--Such estimates and methodologies used to
conduct such estimates shall be--
(A) subject to an appropriate, scientific process, as
determined by the Administrator; and
(B) published on a publicly accessible website of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(e) Partnerships.--The Administrator may partner with other Federal
agencies, members of the private sector, academic cooperative
partnerships, or nongovernment associations to assist in carrying out
the functions described in subsection (c).
(f) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the Administrator
may consult with relevant Federal, State, local, Tribal, and
Territorial government agencies, research institutions, and the private
sector, as the Administrator determines necessary.
(g) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Administrator
may coordinate with other Federal agencies.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, from amounts otherwise
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this
Act, $3,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2030.
SEC. 13. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON WATER MANAGEMENT AND
INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a committee, to be known
as the ``Interagency Committee on Water Management and Infrastructure''
(in this section referred to as the ``Water Policy Committee'').
(b) Membership.--The Water Policy Committee shall be composed of
the following members:
(1) The Administrator.
(2) The Secretary of the Interior.
(3) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(4) The Secretary of Agriculture.
(5) The Secretary of Commerce.
(6) The Secretary of Energy.
(7) The Secretary of the Army.
(8) The heads of such other agencies as the co-chairs consider
appropriate.
(c) Co-Chairs.--The Water Policy Committee shall be co-chaired by
the Secretary of the Interior and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
(d) Meetings.--The Water Policy Committee shall meet not less
frequently than 6 times each year, at the call of the co-chairs.
(e) General Purpose and Duties.--The Water Policy Committee shall
ensure that agencies and departments across the Federal Government that
engage in water-related matters, including water storage and supplies,
water quality and restoration activities, water infrastructure,
transportation on United States rivers and inland waterways, and water
forecasting, work together where such agencies and departments have
joint or overlapping responsibilities to--
(1) improve interagency coordination among Federal agencies and
departments on water resource management and water infrastructure
issues;
(2) coordinate existing water-related Federal task forces,
working groups, and other formal cross-agency initiatives, as
appropriate;
(3) prioritize managing the water resources of the United
States and promoting resilience of the water-related infrastructure
of the United States, including--
(A) increasing water storage, water supply reliability, and
drought resiliency;
(B) improving water quality, source water protection, and
nutrient management;
(C) promoting restoration activities;
(D) improving water systems, including with respect to
drinking water, desalination, water reuse, wastewater, and
flood control; and
(E) improving water data management, research, modeling,
and forecasting;
(4) improve interagency coordination of data management,
access, modeling, and visualization with respect to water-related
matters;
(5) promote integrated planning for Federal investments in
water-related infrastructure to enhance coordination and protect
taxpayer investment; and
(6) support workforce development and efforts to recruit,
train, and retain professionals to operate and maintain essential
drinking water, wastewater, flood control, hydropower, water
delivery, and water storage facilities in the United States.
(f) Cross-Agency Priority Research Needs.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Water Policy Committee
shall develop and submit to Congress a list of research needs that
includes needs for cross-agency research and coordination.
SEC. 14. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HYDROLOGIC RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Assistant administrator.--The term ``Assistant
Administrator'' means the Assistant Administrator for Weather
Services of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(2) Decision support services.--The term ``decision support
services'' means information, including data and refined products,
that supports water resources-related decision-making processes.
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term ``institution of
higher education'' has the meaning given that term in section 101
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
(4) NOAA line offices.--The term ``NOAA line offices'' means
the following offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration:
(A) The National Ocean Service.
(B) The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and
Information Service.
(C) The National Marine Fisheries Service.
(D) The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.
(E) The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.
(b) Hydrologic Research Fellowship Program.--
(1) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish a
hydrologic research fellowship program (in this section referred to
as the ``program'') for qualified individuals.
(2) Qualified individual.--For purposes of this section, a
qualified individual is an individual who is--
(A) a citizen of the United States; and
(B) enrolled in a research-based graduate program, at an
institution of higher education, in a field that advances the
research priorities developed by the Assistant Administrator
under paragraph (7), such as--
(i) hydrology;
(ii) earth sciences;
(iii) atmospheric sciences;
(iv) computer sciences;
(v) engineering;
(vi) environmental sciences;
(vii) geosciences;
(viii) urban planning; or
(ix) related social sciences.
(3) Award guidelines.--Fellowships under the program shall be
awarded pursuant to guidelines established by the Assistant
Administrator.
(4) Selection preference.--In selecting qualified individuals
for participation in the program, the Assistant Administrator shall
give preference to applicants from historically Black colleges and
universities and minority-serving institutions.
(5) Placement.--The program shall support the placement of
qualified individuals in positions within the executive branch of
the Federal Government where such individuals can address and
advance the research priorities developed by the Assistant
Administrator under paragraph (7).
(6) Fellowship term.--A fellowship under the program shall be
for a period of up to 2 years.
(7) Fellowship research priorities.--The Assistant
Administrator, in consultation with representatives from the NOAA
line offices, the United States Geological Survey, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, and the Army Corps of Engineers, as
appropriate, shall develop and publish priorities for the conduct
of research by fellows, which may include the following:
(A) Advance the collaborative development of a flexible
community-based water resources modeling system.
(B) Apply artificial intelligence and machine learning
capabilities to advance existing hydrologic modeling
capabilities.
(C) Support the evolution and integration of hydrologic
modeling within an Earth Systems Modeling Framework.
(D) Improve visualizations of hydrologic model outputs.
(E) Advance the state of coupled freshwater and salt water
modeling and forecasting capabilities.
(F) Advance understanding and process representation of
water quality parameters.
(G) Advance the assimilation of in-situ and remotely sensed
observations and data.
(H) Support the integration of social science to advance
decision support services.
(I) Develop methods to study groundwater sustainability and
estimate the efficiency of recharge management.
(c) Direct Hiring.--
(1) Authority.--During fiscal year 2022 and any fiscal year
thereafter, the head of any Federal agency may appoint, without
regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5,
United States Code, other than sections 3303 and 3328 of that
title, to a position with the Federal agency a recipient of a
fellowship under the program who--
(A) earned a degree from a program described in subsection
(b)(2)(B);
(B) successfully fulfilled the requirements of the
fellowship within the executive branch of the Federal
Government; and
(C) meets qualification standards established by the Office
of Personnel Management.
(2) Exercise of authority.--The direct hire authority provided
by this subsection shall be exercised with respect to an individual
described in paragraph (1) not later than 2 years after the date on
which the individual completed the fellowship under the program.
SEC. 15. IDENTIFICATION AND SUPPORT OF CONSISTENT, FEDERAL SET OF
FORWARD-LOOKING, LONG-TERM METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Extreme weather.--The term ``extreme weather'' includes
observed or anticipated severe and unseasonable atmospheric
conditions, including drought, heavy precipitation, hurricanes,
tornadoes and other windstorms (including derechos), large hail,
extreme heat, extreme cold, flooding, sustained temperatures or
precipitation that deviate substantially from historical averages,
and any other weather event that the Administrator determines
qualifies as extreme weather.
(2) Long-term.--The term ``long-term'' shall have such meaning
as the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, in consultation with the Administrator, considers
appropriate for purposes of this section.
(3) Other environmental trends.--The term ``other environmental
trends'' means wildfires, coastal flooding, inland flooding, land
subsidence, rising sea levels, and any other challenges relating to
changes in environmental systems over time that the Administrator
determines qualify as environmental challenges other than extreme
weather.
(b) Identification and Support of Consistent, Federal Set of
Forward-looking, Long-term Meteorological Information.--The
Administrator shall identify, and support research that enables, a
consistent, Federal set of forward-looking, long-term meteorological
information that models future extreme weather events, other
environmental trends, projections, and up-to-date observations,
including mesoscale information as determined appropriate by the
Administrator.
SEC. 16. GAP ANALYSIS ON AVAILABILITY OF SNOW-RELATED DATA TO ASSESS
AND PREDICT FLOOD AND FLOOD IMPACTS.
(a) In General.--The Administrator, in consultation with the
Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and the Army
Corps of Engineers, shall conduct an analysis of gaps in the
availability of snow-related data to assess and predict floods and
flood impacts, including data on the following:
(1) Snow water equivalent.
(2) Snow depth.
(3) Snowpack temperature.
(4) Snow and mixed-phase precipitation.
(5) Snow melt.
(6) Rain-snow line.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives a report on--
(1) the findings of the gap analysis required by subsection
(a); and
(2) opportunities for additional collaboration among Federal
agencies to collect snow-related data to better assess and predict
floods and flood impacts.
SEC. 17. AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC OF FLOOD-RELATED DATA.
(a) In General.--The Administrator shall make flood-related data
available to the public on the website of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
(b) Cost.--The Administrator may make the data under subsection (a)
freely accessible or available at a cost that does not exceed the cost
of preparing the data.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.