A sweeping weather package sailed through the Senate Commerce, Justice and Science Committee Wednesday and will now await a floor vote.
The bipartisan “Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act,” S. 3923 — led by Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) — cleared the committee by voice vote.
The legislation is composed of 17 different bills — some of which passed the Senate last congressional term — that are meant to strengthen forecasting and weather warning programs at NOAA.
The package would reauthorize multiple weather forecasting programs and push initiatives to strengthen prediction for disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. It also includes measures to improve national weather warning systems and NOAA’s broader weather radar network.
