Sponsors (2)
The bill would substantially improve radar coverage and severe-weather detection—especially for gap and rural areas—by leveraging commercial tech and periodic oversight, but doing so requires significant federal spending and risks uneven coverage and short-term operational challenges during transition.
Emergency managers, public safety officials, and local/state governments will have more accurate and widespread radar-based severe-weather detection and response capabilities by 2040, improving warnings and potentially saving lives and property.
Rural and topographically challenged communities will receive targeted technical assistance and potential small gap‑filling radars, reducing coverage gaps and improving local storm detection and warnings.
NOAA/NWS can leverage commercial partners and new sensor technologies (e.g., phased array, cameras) and will provide periodic Congressional updates, accelerating capability improvements while increasing oversight and transparency for taxpayers.
Taxpayers will likely face significant federal funding needs to develop and deploy the technology by 2040, increasing federal expenditures.
Relying on third-party contracts and commercial radars risks uneven coverage if smaller or remote communities are deprioritized, leaving some areas still vulnerable to gaps.
Transitioning systems and integrating diverse sensor types may create short-term operational complexity and data-assimilation challenges for NWS and partners, potentially disrupting services during the transition.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires NOAA/NWS to develop and implement a plan to replace the NEXRAD radar network by Sept 30, 2040, including phased‑array prototypes, a testbed, gap‑filling assistance, and stakeholder input.
Requires the NOAA Under Secretary (in consultation with the National Weather Service) to prepare and carry out a plan to replace the current NEXRAD weather radar network and to complete the replacement by September 30, 2040. The plan must estimate expected coverage and accuracy gains, develop a prototype digital phased array radar, create a phased-array radar testbed to evaluate commercial systems, provide technical help for small gap‑filling radars, and solicit input from meteorologists, emergency managers, and public safety officials. The NWS may contract with third parties to fill radar gaps and may use weather cameras as supplemental technology; periodic implementation updates must be provided to Congress.
Introduced February 7, 2025 by Rick Crawford · Last progress February 7, 2025