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Directs NOAA and the Department of Energy to jointly pursue competitive, merit-reviewed research and development using advanced computing techniques (including AI, high-performance computing, cloud, and quantum methods) to improve weather, subseasonal-to-seasonal, and climate models. The agencies must set up an interagency initiative (with up to three National Laboratory centers of excellence), coordinate open community software and secure data sharing, support workforce development and computing infrastructure, report to Congress within two years, and follow existing R&D competition rules; one initiative authority sunsets after five years. No specific new funding is provided in the text.
The bill accelerates U.S. weather and climate modeling capacity—improving forecasts, research, and workforce development by expanding HPC access and funding—while concentrating resources and capabilities, creating equity, security, and budget risks because funding and flexibility are not fully specified.
Scientists, researchers, universities, and national laboratories gain clearer authority and funded access to DOE HPC and NOAA operational systems to develop faster, higher-resolution weather and climate models.
Communities and state/local governments can receive more accurate, timely forecasts and warnings from improved models, enhancing public safety and reducing storm-related damage and fatalities.
Federal science infrastructure, software ecosystems, secure data-sharing, and long-term archiving will be strengthened, preserving model outputs for research and enabling open community development.
The program will likely increase federal spending for HPC access, centers, contracts, and R&D without specifying appropriations, creating potential costs for taxpayers or budget pressure on other programs.
Resource competition and prioritization of National Laboratories and well‑partnered institutions risk disadvantaging smaller universities, nonprofits, and students, concentrating benefits among larger players.
Expanded data-sharing and consolidation of advanced computing could raise privacy and security risks and create single points of dependence if sensitive datasets and capabilities concentrate at a few institutions.
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Ben Ray Luján · Last progress February 12, 2026