Sponsors (5)
The bill would substantially boost NOAA's computing, modeling, and forecasting capabilities (and related jobs and transparency) through public–private partnerships and multi-year investments, while increasing fiscal exposure, data-security/proprietary risks, and the chance that existing programs are deprioritized.
Residents, local and state emergency managers, and NOAA forecasters will receive higher-resolution, probabilistic hazardous-weather forecasts and warnings because NOAA will get improved AI/ML and high-performance computing tools.
Tech workers, scientists, and federal employees will benefit from expanded public–private centers of excellence and multi-year contracts that increase computing capacity and accelerate development of weather, ocean, and ecological modeling.
Taxpayers, Congress, and NOAA staff will get more oversight and predictability because the bill requires a public 10-year strategic plan and periodic briefings on NOAA computing needs and partnerships.
Scientists, state partners, and the public could face increased risk of sensitive NOAA data and models being restricted or exposed when relying more on commercial cloud providers and public–private partnerships.
Taxpayers and federal budgets could face greater fiscal risk because multi-year contracts, procurement of costly AI/quantum/HPC systems, and the potential for slow, expensive implementation create contingent liabilities and ongoing funding pressures.
Federal employees and researchers could see attention and funding shifted away from existing NESDIS programs and earlier pilot activities as the bill prioritizes AI/center-focused authorities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes NOAA to expand AI/ML-enabled computing centers, use multi-year contracts for HPC/cloud and R&D, and requires DOE coordination and strategic computing planning.
Official title: To direct the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct collaborative research in order to advance numerical weather and climate prediction in the United States, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 25, 2025 by Max Miller · Last progress June 25, 2025
Directs NOAA to expand use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for weather and environmental forecasting, authorizes NOAA to create or expand AI/ML-enabled centers of excellence, and allows multi-year contracts for high-performance computing (HPC), cloud, and R&D infrastructure. Requires collaboration with the Department of Energy (DOE) and new reporting and strategic planning on computing needs, forecasting value, and technology pathways including quantum computing.