Sponsors (5)
The bill would modernize and expand weather radar to improve warnings and forecasts—benefiting public safety and rural coverage—but requires significant federal spending, creates potential vendor dependence, and phases in upgrades slowly through 2040.
State and local governments, emergency managers, and the public (especially rural communities) would get more accurate severe-weather warnings and forecasts and better radar coverage, improving public safety and resilience for utilities, transportation, and aviation.
Communities more than 75 miles from existing NEXRAD stations (primarily rural areas) would gain radar coverage through prioritized deployments and gap-filling partnerships, reducing blind spots.
Private sector companies and academic researchers can participate via a testbed and cooperative research and development agreements, potentially accelerating technology development and commercial opportunities.
Implementing a nationwide NEXRAD replacement by 2040 will likely require substantial federal funding, increasing costs for taxpayers or crowding out other federal priorities.
Relying on commercial 'radar-as-a-service' providers and private partners risks uneven long-term access, vendor lock-in, or data-dependence for state and local governments.
A long implementation timeline stretching to 2040 could leave existing coverage or technology gaps for years, delaying benefits for vulnerable and remote communities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a NOAA program to plan and deploy replacements and upgrades for the NEXRAD radar network, including a phased-array proof-of-concept, a radar testbed, and radar-as-a-service options, with full implementation by Sept 30, 2040.
Introduced April 3, 2025 by Tim Moore · Last progress April 3, 2025
Establishes a new NOAA program to plan and carry out replacement and augmentation of the U.S. Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) network. The program must set coverage and performance requirements, create a phased plan with a phased-array proof-of-concept and a radar testbed, consider private “radar-as-a-service” options, partner with existing weather networks and systems, and complete full implementation by September 30, 2040, with periodic reports to congressional committees.