Sponsor
Theodore Paul Budd
Senator · R-NC
Senator · R-NC
Expands and modernizes NOAA's Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program to add probabilistic methods, flooding focus, social/behavioral science, novel observations, grants, and operational transition requirements.
The bill invests in better forecasts, computing, observing platforms, and social‑science-informed communications to reduce storm risk and modernize operations, but it increases federal costs and faces implementation and procurement risks that could delay or complicate benefits.
State and local emergency planners and residents will get improved probabilistic hurricane forecasts and inland/compound flood guidance that better target evacuations and can reduce loss of life and property.
Operational forecast systems and their users will gain expanded computational and cloud resources supporting higher-resolution models, improving forecast accuracy and lead time for severe weather.
Researchers, industry partners, and local partners will receive grant funding and clearer transition pathways to move prototype sensors and observing platforms into operations, accelerating innovation and commercialization.
Americans may face delayed realization of promised forecast and operational improvements because workforce shortages, aircraft availability limits, and the technical/cultural challenges of transitioning research into operations could slow deployment.
Taxpayers may bear higher NOAA spending to support expanded grants, computing, and transition activities, increasing federal costs without specified offsets.
State and local governments, researchers, and vendors could face procurement, data-sharing, and privacy/contract complexity from increased reliance on novel commercial observing platforms and hosted instruments.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: Amend the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 with respect to the hurricane forecast improvement program, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 25, 2026 by Theodore Paul Budd · Last progress February 25, 2026
Expands and modernizes NOAA's Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program by directing the Under Secretary (via OAR and NWS, with academic and industry partners) to maintain and enhance a multi-year program to improve hurricane forecasting, warnings, and predictive products. It broadens research priorities to include probabilistic methods, inland and compound flooding, social/behavioral/economic science integration, and diverse new observation types; requires grants, operational transition work, expanded compute/cloud resources, and annual reports to Congress through June 1, 2029.