Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 reauthorizes and expands NOAA’s Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act framework. It sets new, multi-year funding levels (notably for fiscal years 2026–2030) for NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, with targeted allocations for weather laboratories and cooperative institutes, the United States Weather Research Program, tornado/severe storm/next-generation radar research, and a joint technology transfer initiative. The bill aims to accelerate advances in weather forecasting, expand the use of private data, and strengthen capabilities across tornado, hurricane, tsunami, and other weather- and water-related hazards, while broadening interagency and industry collaboration and updating how warning and decision-support information is produced and shared. In addition to reauthorization of existing programs, the bill introduces clarifications and new requirements around data management, public safety communication, and the use of advanced computing and artificial intelligence. It places emphasis on warning accuracy and timeliness, risk communication, and decision support for the public and core partners. It also expands and modernizes tsunami warning and mitigation activities, enhances observing systems (including private-sector options), and supports a more robust national weather data ecosystem, including commercial data programs and data sharing practices. Overall, the act seeks faster, more accurate forecasts and warnings, greater private-sector participation, and improved delivery of weather information to protect lives, property, and the economy.
Key Points
- 1Reauthorization and funding structure (2026–2030) for NOAA’s Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act activities, with explicit allocations for weather laboratories/cooperative institutes, the United States Weather Research Program, tornado/severe storm/NextGen radar research, and a joint technology transfer initiative.
- 2Tornado forecasting and warning improvements (VORTEX program): maintain and enhance a rapid-improvement program for tornado forecasts, warnings, radar interpretation, social/behavioral sciences integration, workforce training, and annual Congressional budget reports.
- 3Hurricane forecast improvement program: ongoing program to improve hurricane forecasts and warnings, including rapid intensity change, inland flooding/storm surge, risk communication, innovative observations, and annual budgets.
- 4Tsunami warning and mitigation modernization: reauthorization and broad updates to data management, GNSS integration, warning system coordination, standardized products, coastal inundation mapping, a national tsunami R&D plan, and annual funding for tsunami activities (with minimum allocations for state-level work and tsunami research).
- 5Observing systems and computing: mandate to evaluate and utilize private sector data options, cost-benefit analyses of Federal versus private data, and a Computing Resources Prioritization framework that includes a NOAA-DOE collaboration for high-performance computing, AI, cloud, and quantum computing; creation of centers of excellence for AI/ML applications; and a five-year termination for new authority with a plan for ongoing evaluation.