Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025

Last progress June 6, 2025 (6 months ago)

Introduced on June 6, 2025 by Frank D. Lucas

This bill focuses on making weather forecasts faster and more reliable to protect lives, property, and the economy. It directs NOAA to improve data, modeling, computing, and warnings, and sets funding targets for weather research through 2030. It strengthens warnings and tools for tornadoes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, and aviation weather, and expands the use of private-sector data and new sensors to keep forecasts improving .

Key points

• Who is affected: People in storm- and flood‑prone areas, coastal and Great Lakes communities, Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, travelers and airlines, farmers and water managers, and emergency planners .
• What changes:
  • Stronger warnings and forecasts: more lead time for tornado alerts; clearer, fail‑safe tsunami alerts and updated maps; better tools for heavy rain, storm surge, landslides (including risks from atmospheric rivers and thawing permafrost); and improved aviation turbulence and icing forecasts .
  • Smarter data and tech: NOAA can buy and test commercial weather data, host instruments on other platforms, and launch a pilot program, with an ombudsman to help companies work with NOAA; it also creates a radar program to cut interference and fill coverage gaps; drought services add flash‑drought tools and new tech like AI and machine learning .
  • Cleaner waters: more observing and forecasting for harmful algal blooms, expanded toxin testing in rural and remote areas, and a national action plan that includes the Great Lakes .
• When: Several deadlines are set, including 180 days to start the radar program, 12 months for a tsunami research-and-operations plan, two years to review tsunami watches and warnings, and funding that runs from fiscal years 2026–2030 .