What changed between these versions
A fundamental restructuring and expansion of the bill. v2 introduces a new Title XII reauthorizing the Integrated Ocean Observation System Act, significantly broadening the bill's scope beyond weather. Numerous existing titles are also substantively modified with new programs, expanded mandates, and refined coordination requirements, particularly for tsunami warnings and forecasting innovation.
Overview
Extensive changes are present throughout the bill, including the addition of an entire new title and numerous modifications, additions, and renumberings within existing titles. · v2 significantly expands the scope of the bill, introduces new programs, clarifies existing mandates, and enhances coordination requirements across various federal agencies and external stakeholders.
v2 represents a fundamental restructuring of the bill, most notably by adding a new Title XII that reauthorizes the Integrated Ocean Observation System Act, thereby expanding the bill's focus to include comprehensive ocean observing. Within existing titles, v2 introduces a new Aerial Snow Survey Program and new operational equivalency requirements for weather prediction software. Furthermore, it significantly revises the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, adding new definitions, consultation mandates with tribal entities, and requirements for alert level evaluations and interagency coordination. The bill also refines the National Mesonet Program's advisory committee duties and congressional reporting.
Major additions
This new title, 'Integrated Ocean Observation System Reauthorization Act of 2026', reauthorizes and amends the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009. It updates the purposes, definitions, and operational requirements of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observing System (ICOOS), including explicit references to meteorological observations and information, and replaces references to the 'Council' with the 'Ocean Policy Committee'. It also extends appropriations for ICOOS through fiscal year 2030 and mandates a minimum allocation to regional coastal observing systems.
This addition significantly broadens the bill's scope to explicitly include the reauthorization and modernization of the national ocean observing system, ensuring sustained funding and updated mandates for critical oceanographic data collection and forecasting, which supports a wider range of environmental and economic activities.
This new section establishes a program to maintain and modernize the Aerial Snow Survey program. Its purpose is to collect airborne snow water equivalent measurements, integrate data into National Weather Service River Forecast Centers, improve seasonal runoff, flood, and drought outlooks, and coordinate with State water resource agencies and emergency managers. It also allows for upgrading aircraft instrumentation and data assimilation tools.
This creates a dedicated program to enhance snowpack data collection and its integration into forecasting, which is critical for water supply management, flood risk mitigation, and drought prediction, particularly in regions reliant on snowmelt.
This new subsection requires any relevant federal agency supporting weather prediction software development to evaluate and report to Congress on how successor infrastructure achieves operational equivalency and maintains forecast accuracy and data latency before transferring management or operation to a non-Federal entity.
This adds a new oversight and accountability mechanism for federal agencies, ensuring that transitions of critical weather prediction software to external entities maintain high standards of performance and data integrity, protecting the reliability of national weather forecasts.
v2 adds new definitions to section 802 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act for 'Indian Tribe', 'Native Hawaiian organization', 'Tribal organization', 'tsunami', and 'tsunamigenic event'.
These additions clarify terminology and ensure explicit legal recognition and inclusion of indigenous groups and their organizations in tsunami-related legislation, formalizing their role in preparedness and response efforts.
v2 inserts new sections 809, 'Annual Notifications', requiring annual reports to Congress on funds spent for tsunami programs, and 810, 'Government-to-government Consultation with Indian Tribes', mandating consultation with Indian Tribes in implementing the title.
These additions enhance congressional oversight of tsunami program funding and establish a formal requirement for government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes, ensuring their input and participation in tsunami preparedness and mitigation.
This new subsection requires the Administrator, in consultation with FEMA and FCC, to clarify and document responsibilities and decision-making processes for using the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) to deliver tsunami alerts. It also mandates an updated memorandum of understanding (MOU) to reflect these clarifications.
This formalizes and streamlines the process for disseminating tsunami alerts through critical public warning systems, aiming to improve the speed and clarity of alerts to the public during hazardous events.
This new subsection mandates a Comptroller General report, in consultation with various entities, on how the United States should prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from specific large-scale tsunami or earthquake and tsunami events in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, Alaska, and the Kuril-Kamchatka Subduction Zone. The report must include command structure plans, coordination strategies, and recommendations for infrastructure resilience.
This initiates a comprehensive, high-level assessment of preparedness for specific, high-risk tsunami threats, which could lead to significant improvements in national and regional disaster planning, infrastructure, and response capabilities.
Deletions
v1 included specific criteria for determining significant tsunami risks for the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico, such as whether the region is determined to pose significant risks and whether the Administrator determines it is practicable to provide warnings.
The deletion removes these explicit criteria, potentially streamlining the process for designating tsunami-prone areas in these regions or allowing for broader, less prescriptive risk assessments. This change is coupled with a broader geographic scope in v2.
v1's paragraph (6) ensured data quality and management systems, supported data and metadata access and archiving, and supported the requirements of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 and chapter 31 of title 44, United States Code.
v2 replaces this with a simpler mandate to 'support data and metadata access and archiving'. This deletion removes the explicit references to specific acts for data management, which might reduce the administrative burden associated with those particular compliance requirements, but also removes the explicit legislative backing for those data governance standards.
v1 included 'research on tsunami detection, measurement, and modeling' as part of the tsunami research program activities.
This specific mention of 'research on tsunami detection, measurement, and modeling' is removed as a standalone subparagraph in v2. While the broader concept of research remains, its explicit itemization is streamlined, potentially allowing for more flexible research priorities under the general program.
v1 included 'by ensuring research is coordinated with tsunami warning operations;' as an activity in the tsunami research program.
This specific coordination requirement is removed as a standalone subparagraph in v2. While coordination is generally implied and mentioned elsewhere, its explicit mandate within this particular list of research activities is no longer present, potentially allowing for more flexibility in how research is integrated with operations.
v1 listed 'develop decision support tools' as paragraph (5) and 'leverage and prioritize research opportunities' as paragraph (6) of the tsunami research program activities.
v2 replaces these with new paragraphs (5) 'develop and maintain a data portal for advancing research and model development;' and (6) 'develop decision support tools;'. This deletion removes the explicit mandate to 'leverage and prioritize research opportunities' from this list, while adding a new focus on data portal development. Decision support tools remain, but the emphasis shifts.
v1's subsection (g) amended section 807(d) of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act by inserting 'and management' after 'data sharing'.
v2 replaces the entire subsection (g) with a more comprehensive amendment to section 807, which includes new requirements for decision support services, preparedness, and capacity development for international partners. This deletion signifies a broader overhaul of international coordination rather than a narrow textual amendment.
v1's section 809 authorized $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, with specific allocations for hazard mitigation and research programs.
v2 completely replaces this section with new sections 809 (Annual Notifications), 810 (Government-to-government Consultation with Indian Tribes), and 811 (Authorization of Appropriations). This deletion removes the original authorization structure and replaces it with new reporting and consultation mandates, and a re-dated authorization of appropriations.
v1's subsection (f) authorized specific appropriations for the National Mesonet Program for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
v2 deletes this subsection and renumbers it to subsection (g), while inserting a new subsection (f) that defines 'appropriate committees of Congress'. This is a structural reordering and the original authorization is replaced with a new one under the new subsection (g).
Modifications
This change not only updates the title's focus to include research but also formally defines and includes indigenous groups and specific tsunami terminology, ensuring their explicit consideration in all aspects of the Act.
Before
v1 amended the title heading of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act by inserting ', RESEARCH,' after 'WARNING'.
After
v2 also amends the title heading by inserting ', RESEARCH,' after 'WARNING', but additionally inserts a new paragraph (2) into section 802 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, adding definitions for 'Indian Tribe', 'Native Hawaiian organization', 'Tribal organization', 'tsunami', and 'tsunamigenic event'.
This modification broadens the scope of coordination for tsunami warnings to formally include Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, enhancing preparedness and communication for these specific groups.
Before
v1 amended paragraph (8) by striking the period and inserting '; and', preparing for a new paragraph (9).
After
v2 completely rewrites paragraph (8) to explicitly state a purpose 'to improve coordination for detection, warnings, and outreach for tsunami and other coastal impacts with Federal, State, and international partners, and Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations;'.
This expands the program's focus from specific ocean regions to all U.S. and territorial areas, potentially increasing coverage and resources for previously less emphasized areas and ensuring comprehensive national coverage.
Before
v1 stated the Under Secretary shall maintain a tsunami forecasting and warning program for 'the Pacific and Arctic Ocean regions and for the Atlantic Ocean region, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico'.
After
v2 changes the geographic scope to 'the United States and its territories'.
This streamlines the description of evaluating tsunami sources, allowing for a more comprehensive approach that covers all potential tsunamigenic events without listing specific examples, enhancing flexibility in assessment.
Before
v1 amended subparagraph (B) by striking 'and volcanic eruptions' and inserting 'volcanic eruptions, or other sources'.
After
v2 rewrites subparagraph (B) to 'Evaluating tsunamigenic sources.'
This directs support to specific types of seismic stations (pre-enactment, sparse coverage, seismically active states, multi-state benefits), potentially prioritizing certain areas for improved monitoring and ensuring targeted resource allocation.
Before
v1 amended subparagraph (B) to 'support operators of seismic stations that supplement coverage areas of sparse instrumentation'.
After
v2 rewrites subparagraph (B) to 'support operators of seismic stations installed before the date of enactment of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 that supplement coverage areas of sparse instrumentation, with a focus on the most seismically active States and on stations with multi-State benefits;'.
This maintains the intent of interagency data sharing and GNSS support but with less prescriptive language, potentially offering more flexibility in implementation while still ensuring data integration for rapid earthquake assessment and warning systems.
Before
v1 added new subparagraphs (C) and (D) regarding reliable and real-time support for global navigation satellite system network data streams and assessing data from collaborating agencies for potential utilization.
After
v2 replaces these with new subparagraphs (C) 'provide support for the global navigation satellite system network data streams from such agencies, and supplement instrumentation coverage for rapid earthquake assessment; and' and (D) 'assess the data and information of such agencies for potential use in the Administration's warning system;'.
This enhances interagency collaboration for rapid tsunami alert delivery, potentially improving the speed and reach of warnings by leveraging existing earthquake early warning infrastructure.
Before
v1's paragraph (8) was 'issue graphical warning products, to at-risk States, territories, and tsunami-prone communities to assist in the appropriate utilization of such products'.
After
v2 inserts a new paragraph (8) that requires a cooperative effort between the Administration and USGS to assess additional methods of rapid delivery for tsunami notifications and warnings, including via the Earthquake Early Warning System.
This clarifies the target audience and types of products, emphasizing decision support tools for at-risk communities and changing 'utilization' to 'use' for clearer language.
Before
v1 amended paragraph (8) (renumbered to (9) in v1) to insert 'and decision support aides' after 'graphical warning products,' and '-prone' after 'tsunami'.
After
v2 rewrites paragraph (9) to 'issue graphical warning products and decision support tools, to communities at risk of tsunami to assist in the appropriate use of such products;'.
This enhances preparedness and coordination through mandatory annual drills involving a broader range of stakeholders, including tribal and native Hawaiian organizations, improving readiness for actual tsunami events.
Before
v1 added subparagraph (L) to 'update tsunami inundation maps, models, or other geographic products'.
After
v2 adds a new subparagraph (M) requiring 'Conducting, not less than annually, a tsunami warning drill with Federal, State, and local emergency managers, and emergency managers of Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.'
This requires more detailed and varied water level data collection, including surface and ground water levels, leading to more comprehensive tsunami modeling and forecasting capabilities.
Before
v1 amended subparagraph (A) by inserting 'current,' after 'sea level,'.
After
v2 amends subparagraph (A) by inserting 'current, current, surface and ground water level,' after 'sea level,'.
This ensures these specific groups are formally included in coordination efforts, formalizing their role in tsunami preparedness and response.
Before
v1's subparagraph (F) referred to 'Federal, State, tribal, and local government officials'.
After
v2 changes this to 'Federal, State, and local government officials, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,'.
This strengthens coordination by ensuring each tsunami warning center has a dedicated coordinator for partners and stakeholders, potentially improving local and regional response effectiveness.
Before
v1's subparagraph (I) (renumbered from (G)) was 'Providing a Tsunami Warning Coordinator to coordinate with partners and stakeholders products and services of the centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1)'.
After
v2 inserts a new subparagraph (G) that specifies 'Providing a Tsunami Warning Coordinator at each center supported or maintained under paragraph (1) to coordinate with partners and stakeholders on products and services provided by each such center.'
This ensures that the technical parameters of tsunami forecasting are regularly reviewed and updated, improving the precision and relevance of warnings for specific geographic areas.
Before
v1's subparagraph (I) (renumbered from (H)) was 'Providing a Tsunami Warning Coordinator to coordinate with partners and stakeholders products and services of the centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1)'.
After
v2 inserts a new subparagraph (J) for 'Updating, as appropriate, forecast points, breakpoints, and special procedure areas.'
This strengthens the resilience of the warning system by explicitly requiring centers to practice backing up each other's services, reducing the risk of a single point of failure.
Before
v1 stated the Administrator shall support and maintain fail-safe warning capability and conduct at least one service backup drill biannually.
After
v2 splits this into subparagraphs (A) and (B), clarifying that centers shall conduct service back-up drills to ensure they are able to perform back-up duties for *each other*.
This emphasizes the importance of human capital in maintaining tsunami warning capabilities, potentially leading to increased focus on staffing and training for these critical roles.
Before
v1's paragraph (6) referred to 'ensure adequate resources'.
After
v2 inserts ', including personnel,' after 'resources'.
This allows for tailored communication and tools to better serve the unique needs of different tsunami-prone communities, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective across diverse regions.
Before
v1 had subparagraphs (A) through (F) outlining standardized products and procedures, including aligning analytic techniques.
After
v2 renumbers and restructures this paragraph, adding a new subparagraph (B) that states: 'Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall allow for regional differences with respect to the communication methods and decision support tools used by the centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1) in order to meet the unique needs of the community served by such centers.'
This modifies the oversight period and expands the scope of information provided to Congress regarding tsunami warning system progress, ensuring more detailed updates on operational aspects and organizational changes.
Before
v1's paragraph (7) required annual briefings to Congress on progress until all requirements were satisfied.
After
v2 changes the reporting duration to 'annually thereafter until such time as all relevant requirements have been satisfied for 3 years' and adds new elements to the briefing content, including structural reorganization efforts and drill conduction.
This ensures the program is continuously maintained and formally includes Native Hawaiian organizations in mitigation efforts, providing them with a direct role in hazard reduction planning.
Before
v1 stated the Administrator shall establish a national tsunami hazard mitigation program.
After
v2 inserts 'and maintain' after 'establish' each place it appears and explicitly includes 'representatives of Native Hawaiian organizations' in the list of officials.
This improves the technical basis for tsunami hazard assessment through new mapping requirements and enhances outreach to vulnerable communities, including rural areas, for emergency planning and response.
Before
v1's paragraph (5) included specific elements for the national tsunami hazard mitigation program, such as coastal digital elevation models and evaluation of inundation impact.
After
v2 renumbers and adds new subparagraphs (D) for 'Probabilistic tsunami hazard analysis maps' and (L) for 'High-resolution and high-quality digital elevation models needed for at-risk waterways, ports, and harbors'. It also adds new subparagraphs (E) and (F) to paragraph (7) regarding a user-friendly repository of maps and coordination with tsunami-prone, rural communities.
This broadens the scope of collaboration for tsunami research to include specific indigenous and academic institutions, fostering more inclusive research and development efforts.
Before
v1 stated the Administrator, in coordination with 'State, tribal, and territorial governments, and academic institutions'.
After
v2 changes this to 'State and territorial governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and academic institutions (including Tribal Colleges or Universities)'.
This creates a dedicated data portal to support tsunami research and model development, enhancing data accessibility for the research community, while still maintaining the focus on decision support tools.
Before
v1 listed 'develop decision support tools' as paragraph (5) and 'leverage and prioritize research opportunities' as paragraph (6) of the tsunami research program activities.
After
v2 replaces this with new paragraphs (5) 'develop and maintain a data portal for advancing research and model development;' and (6) 'develop decision support tools;'.
This provides a longer-term strategic vision for tsunami research and development, while also streamlining research focus and expanding collaborative partnerships to improve detection and forecasting capabilities.
Before
v1 required a research and development plan not less frequently than every 3 years thereafter.
After
v2 extends the frequency to 'not less frequently than every 3 years thereafter until 2035'. It also modifies paragraph (2) to simplify the description of key research needs and expands paragraph (4) to include more stakeholders in collaboration opportunities.
This enhances international cooperation and capacity building for tsunami warning and mitigation, particularly in the Caribbean, through more explicit mandates for training and drills.
Before
v1's subsection (b) outlined the Administrator's role in supporting international tsunami warning systems.
After
v2 modifies the introductory text to include 'Caribbean Sea nations' and adds a new paragraph (3) for providing decision support services and improving preparedness through exercises, drills, outreach, training, and capacity development. It also refines the language in other paragraphs.
This delays the start of the authorized appropriations by one fiscal year, potentially impacting the immediate funding availability for tsunami programs.
Before
v1 authorized $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
After
v2 changes the start year to '2027 through 2030'.
This gives the advisory committee a more active and specific role in guiding the Mesonet Program's data acquisition and improvement strategies, potentially leading to more effective and targeted data collection.
Before
v1 stated the Under Secretary shall ensure the Program has an active advisory committee of subject matter experts.
After
v2 adds that this committee will make recommendations to the Administration on the 'identification, implementation, procurement, and tracking of data needed to supplement the Program, and recommend improvements, expansions, and acquisitions of available data.'
This introduces a new layer of scrutiny and a temporary halt mechanism for significant administrative changes to atmospheric research, ensuring congressional and expert review before such changes are implemented, which could impact the flexibility of program management.
Before
v1 did not contain provisions regarding advisory committee evaluation of mid-award actions or limitations on such actions.
After
v2 adds new paragraphs (4) and (5) to subsection (d). Paragraph (4) requires the advisory committee to evaluate and report on the effect of mid-award actions to restructure, divest, or transfer atmospheric research activities or infrastructure. Paragraph (5) limits the Director from initiating such actions until 30 days after the report is delivered to Congress.
This allows for more flexibility in which committees receive briefings, potentially streamlining reporting processes but also requiring a definition of 'appropriate committees of Congress' for this section.
Before
v1 required regular briefings to 'the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives'.
After
v2 changes the recipient to 'appropriate committees of Congress'.
This clarifies the definition of 'appropriate committees of Congress' for this section and reorders the authorization, ensuring clarity in reporting requirements.
Before
v1 had subsection (f) for authorization of appropriations.
After
v2 renumbers the authorization to subsection (g) and inserts a new subsection (f) defining 'appropriate committees of Congress'.
This is a structural change that requires careful cross-referencing to ensure correct identification of provisions, but does not alter the substance of the renumbered sections themselves.
Before
Sections 208 through 214 were sequentially numbered.
After
Due to the insertion of a new Section 208 (Aerial Snow Survey Program), sections 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214 in v1 are renumbered to 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215 in v2, respectively.
Scope
Fundamental restructuring — Changes are scattered throughout the bill, affecting multiple titles and programs, with a significant concentration in the Tsunami Warning and Education Act reauthorization and the addition of a new title on ocean observations. — v2 represents a meaningful change in policy direction by significantly expanding the bill's scope to include comprehensive ocean observation reauthorization and by introducing new programs and mandates for snow surveys and oversight of weather prediction software transfers. — The addition of new definitions for tribal entities in the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (Sec. 105(a)(2)) and the explicit inclusion of these groups in various coordination and consultation mandates (e.g., Sec. 105(b)(3), Sec. 105(e)(1), Sec. 105(f)(1)(A)) will interact with and modify how existing provisions are implemented regarding indigenous communities. The renumbering of sections in Title II will also require careful cross-referencing throughout the bill.
Impact analysis
Federal agencies (NOAA, USGS, FEMA, NSF, NASA, Air Force, etc.)
Procedural change and expansion of responsibilities.
Will have new or modified coordination requirements, reporting duties, and program mandates. Some agencies, like NOAA, will see expanded roles (e.g., with the Aerial Snow Survey Program). New oversight requirements are introduced for software transfers.
State, local, and Tribal governments, and Native Hawaiian organizations
Gain in formal inclusion, resources, and procedural influence.
Explicitly included in more coordination, consultation, and program activities, particularly for tsunami warnings, hazard mitigation, and fire weather services. New mandates for government-to-government consultation are introduced.
Weather enterprise (private sector, academia)
Expansion of opportunities and procedural changes in federal partnerships.
Increased opportunities for partnerships, data provision, and research collaboration, especially in commercial data programs, AI for weather, and fire weather testbeds. New oversight on federal software transfers may affect commercial partners.
Public in coastal, hurricane-prone, tsunami-prone, and wildfire-prone areas
Gain in safety and preparedness.
Expected to benefit from improved, more accurate, and more timely forecasts and warnings, better risk communication, and enhanced preparedness activities, including mandatory tsunami drills and tailored regional communication strategies.
Seafood industry and harvesters
Gain in economic protection and public health safety.
Potential for improved enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing through new methodology for identifying country of origin, and expanded access to harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxin testing.
U.S. Academic Research Fleet
Procedural change and gain in infrastructure support.
A new plan is mandated to improve cybersecurity and telecommunications, potentially leading to better infrastructure, data management, and operational resilience for research vessels.
Water management and agricultural communities
Gain in access to critical forecasting data and decision support.
Enhanced subseasonal to seasonal forecasts, improved soil moisture monitoring, and a modernized aerial snow survey program will provide more accurate and timely data for critical decision-making.