Sponsors (5)
The bill boosts NOAA's forecasting power and long-term computing capacity through partnerships, AI, and workforce investments—potentially saving lives and accelerating science—while raising fiscal, security, and program-priority risks that could expose data, increase costs, or shift resources away from existing activities.
People in harm's way — and the scientists and emergency managers who serve them — will get higher-resolution probabilistic hazardous-weather forecasts because NOAA will have improved AI/ML and high-performance computing tools, improving early warnings and reducing potential loss of life and property.
Tech workers, researchers, and federal staff will benefit from expanded computing capacity via public–private centers of excellence and multi-year partnerships, which can accelerate development of weather, ocean, and ecological modeling capabilities.
Taxpayers, Congress, and NOAA stakeholders will gain more visibility and planning through a required public 10-year strategic plan and periodic briefings on NOAA computing needs, partnerships, and programs.
Scientists, state partners, and the public could face increased risk of data exposure or restricted access if NOAA relies more heavily on commercial cloud services and public–private partnerships, creating security and proprietary-control concerns for government-held data and models.
Taxpayers may incur fiscal risk from multi-year contracts and expanded partnerships that create contingent liabilities or costly cancellation exposures, increasing pressure on federal budgets.
Implementing advanced AI, quantum, and high-performance systems could be expensive and slow, delaying forecast improvements and requiring sustained or increased funding commitments.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes NOAA to adopt AI/ML and next‑generation computing via centers of excellence, multi‑year HPC/cloud contracts, and required reports/strategic plan on computing needs.
Introduced June 25, 2025 by Max Miller · Last progress June 25, 2025
Requires NOAA to expand use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and next‑generation computing for weather and environmental missions by creating or expanding "centers of excellence," authorizing multi‑year contracts for high‑performance computing (HPC) and cloud services, and directing reports and a public strategic plan on computing needs in collaboration with the Department of Energy. Replaces an earlier pilot program authorization with broader, AI‑ and center‑focused authorities, procurement flexibilities, and reporting requirements, including a two‑year evaluation of high‑resolution probabilistic forecast value and computing needs.