[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2203 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2203
To require the conduct of winter season reconnaissance of atmospheric
rivers on the West Coast of the United States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 22, 2023
Mr. Padilla introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the conduct of winter season reconnaissance of atmospheric
rivers on the West Coast of the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Atmospheric Rivers Reconnaissance,
Observation, and Warning Act'' or the ``ARROW Act''.
SEC. 2. CONDUCT OF WINTER SEASON RECONNAISSANCE OF ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS
ON THE WEST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Every year, storms threaten lives and property and
cause significant disruptions to travel and commerce.
(2) During the cool season from October through April, the
western United States and other regions around the United
States are significantly impacted by atmospheric rivers.
(3) For key regions across the western United States, 70 to
90 percent of days on which the National Weather Service issued
either watches, warnings, or advisories for any hazard type
were associated with land-falling atmospheric rivers.
(4) Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow regions
in the atmosphere, below 10,000 feet, that behave like rivers
of water vapor pushed along by strong winds. Outside the
tropics, atmospheric rivers are responsible for more than 90
percent of the horizontal movement of water vapor. Atmospheric
rivers shift locations following large-scale weather patterns,
carrying an amount of water vapor on average equivalent to
roughly 25 times the average flow of water at the mouth of the
Mississippi River.
(5) Precipitation and flooding in the western United States
from high-impact storms are largely controlled by
characteristics of land-falling atmospheric rivers, accounting
for up to 50 percent of annual precipitation and more than 90
percent of major flood events.
(6) Conducting atmospheric river reconnaissance during the
winter season in the United States significantly enhances storm
observations and improves forecasts of storm landfall and
intensity.
(7) The National Winter Season Operations Plan, the goal of
which is to improve the accuracy and timeliness of severe
winter season storm forecasting and warning services provided
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Air
Force, and the Navy, coordinates Federal efforts to provide
enhanced weather observations of extreme winter season storms
that impact the United States and calls for atmospheric river
reconnaissance to be conducted annually off the West Coast of
the United States.
(8) The National Winter Season Operations Plan coordinates
requirements for winter season reconnaissance observations
provided by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the Air
Force Reserve Command and the Aircraft Operations Center of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(9) The 2021 report of the Science Advisory Board of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration entitled,
``Priorities for Weather Research'' recommended that the
Federal Government, ``Leverage and expand atmospheric river
(AR) observations to improve flood and drought prediction and
to enable forecast-informed reservoir operations. Water and
emergency managers often cope with too much or too little water
and require better information on storms that produce extreme
precipitation. However, precipitation prediction skill has not
improved substantially in the last 20 years. The multi-agency,
OSTP-led Earth System Prediction Roadmap (2020) identified
expanded research, observations and communication needed to
better anticipate and mitigate water cycle extremes and their
cascading impacts, including atmospheric river type storms.''.
(b) Conduct of Reconnaissance.--
(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the
Air Force Reserve Command and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration shall provide aircraft, personnel,
and equipment necessary to meet the mission requirements for
winter season atmospheric river reconnaissance on the West
Coast of the United States annually from November 1 through
March 31.
(2) Activities.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 53rd
Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the Air Force Reserve
Command, in consultation with the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall--
(A) improve the accuracy and timeliness of
atmospheric river forecasts and warning services on the
West Coast of the United States;
(B) collect data in sensitive oceanic regions where
conventional, upper-air observations are lacking and
satellites are unable to effectively resolve the
position and vertical structure of an atmospheric river
and of other nearby essential atmospheric structures
offshore;
(C) support water management decisions and flood
forecasting through the execution of targeted airborne
dropsonde and buoy observations over the eastern,
central, and western north Pacific Ocean to improve
forecasts of the landfall and impacts of atmospheric
rivers for civil authorities and military decision
makers;
(D) participate in the research and operations
partnership that guides flight planning and uses
research methods to improve and expand the capabilities
and effectiveness of atmospheric river reconnaissance
over time; and
(E) undertake such other additional activities as
the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron considers
appropriate to further the atmospheric river
reconnaissance mission.
(c) Reports.--
(1) Air force.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force, in
consultation with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, shall submit to the Committee on
Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed
Services of the House of Representatives a comprehensive report
on the resources necessary for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance
Squadron of the Air Force Reserve Command to continue to
support, through December 31, 2035--
(A) the National Hurricane Operations Plan;
(B) the National Winter Season Operations Plan; and
(C) any other operational requirements relating to
weather reconnaissance, to include annual support from
November 1 through March 31 for atmospheric river
reconnaissance on the West Coast of the United States.
(2) Commerce.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
of the House of Representatives a comprehensive report on the
resources necessary for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to continue to support, through December 31,
2035--
(A) the National Hurricane Operations Plan;
(B) the National Winter Season Operations Plan; and
(C) any other operational requirements relating to
weather reconnaissance, to include annual support from
November 1 through March 31 for atmospheric river
reconnaissance on the West Coast of the United States.
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