[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1378 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1378
To enhance the use by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration of artificial intelligence for weather forecasting, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 9, 2025
Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Lujan, and Mr. Welch)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance the use by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration of artificial intelligence for weather forecasting, 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 ``Transformational Artificial
intelligence to Modernize the Economy against Extreme Weather and
Wildfires Act'' or the ``TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act''.
SEC. 2. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR WEATHER FORECASTING.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial
intelligence''--
(A) has the meaning given that term in section 5002
of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act
of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401); and
(B) includes machine learning, neural networks, and
natural language processing.
(2) Artificial intelligence weather model.--The term
``artificial intelligence weather model'' means a weather model
based primarily on artificial intelligence technology to
project future Earth system conditions based on machine
learning using weather forecasting training datasets.
(3) Curate.--The term ``curate'', with respect to a
dataset, means--
(A) to collect and maintain the dataset--
(i) to ensure and document its quality; and
(ii) to provide metadata on its provenance;
and
(B) to update the dataset periodically, as
appropriate and practicable.
(4) Numerical weather model.--The term ``numerical weather
model'' means a weather model based primarily on coupled Earth
System processes that uses numerical computation to forecast
future Earth system conditions.
(5) Observational data.--The term ``observational data''
means data and metadata from actual observations of
environmental conditions, including remote sensing and in situ
platforms.
(6) Seasonal, subseasonal, under secretary, weather
enterprise.--the terms ``seasonal'', ``subseasonal'', ``Under
Secretary'', and ``weather enterprise'' have the meanings given
those terms in section 2 of the Weather Research and
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8501).
(7) Synthetic data.--The term ``synthetic data'' means data
produced from a model or statistical method in order to fill
gaps in observational data.
(8) Weather data.--The term ``weather data'' means
information used to track and predict weather conditions and
patterns, including forecasts, observations, and derivative
products from such information.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is--
(1) to improve accuracy and timeliness of weather, water,
and space weather forecasts and effective dissemination of
critical information;
(2) to strengthen analytic capacity to inform resource
deployments in response to and to mitigate harm from weather,
water, wildfires, and space weather hazards through the
mandated exploration and use of artificial intelligence by
Federal agencies;
(3) to strengthen public-private partnerships to accelerate
adoption and outcomes of the use of artificial intelligence in
response to and to mitigate such harm; and
(4) to strengthen public-private partnerships in highly
technical, high-risk, and high-reward fields related to
weather, water, wildfires, and space weather forecasts.
(c) Earth System Forecasting and Information Delivery.--
(1) Training datasets.--Not later than 4 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary, in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director
of the National Science Foundation, the Director of the
National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Interagency
Council on Advancing Meteorological Services, other appropriate
Federal advisory committees as determined by the Under
Secretary, and such other technical experts as the Under
Secretary considers appropriate, shall develop and curate
comprehensive weather forecasting training datasets with
relevant Earth system data, quality information, and metadata
necessary for weather forecasting.
(2) Use of existing datasets.--In order to speed the
development of the weather forecasting training datasets
required under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall assess,
and to the greatest extent practicable build on, existing Earth
system reanalysis datasets of the Federal Government.
(3) Artificial intelligence weather model.--
(A) Global model.--In carrying out this subsection,
the Under Secretary, in consultation with appropriate
Federal advisory committees as determined by the Under
Secretary, may develop and test a global weather model
based on artificial intelligence technologies utilizing
data of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to the extent possible.
(B) Regional and local models.--In addition to a
global weather model under subparagraph (A), the Under
Secretary may experiment with regional and local
weather models based on artificial intelligence
technologies.
(4) Use of artificial intelligence to disseminate
information.--In coordination with an artificial intelligence
weather model or models developed under paragraph (3), the
Under Secretary may explore the use of artificial intelligence
to enhance the dissemination of information with respect to
weather and wildfire risks and evaluate the effectiveness of
communication for improved public understanding and
preparedness.
(5) Continued support for observations, basic research, and
numerical weather models.--Notwithstanding the requirements of
this subsection, the Under Secretary shall continue to support
and advance the activities of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration--
(A) to collect and acquire traditional and novel
observational data relevant for artificial intelligence
and numerical weather, water, and space weather
forecasting;
(B) to advance research on the Earth system and
numerical weather model forecasting;
(C) to develop and advance numerical Earth system
modeling for predictions;
(D) to develop weather model data post-processing
techniques; and
(E) to improve data assimilation techniques.
(6) Observing system coverage.--In carrying out this
subsection, the Under Secretary may evaluate the use of cost
functions in data-driven machine learning model training to
balance inequities in observing system coverage and data poor
areas.
(7) Uncertainty quantification research.--In carrying out
this subsection, the Under Secretary may develop uncertainty
quantification research for the purpose of accurate
environmental risk and hazard communications of probabilistic
predictions and forecasts.
(8) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than every 2
years thereafter through 2035, the Under Secretary 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 report on the activities
conducted under this subsection.
(d) Advanced Artificial Intelligence Applications for Weather
Forecasts and Information Delivery.--The Under Secretary shall explore
advanced applications of artificial intelligence to improve weather
forecasts and information delivery, such as by--
(1) improving data assimilation;
(2) accounting for coupled Earth system processes;
(3) improving readiness and preparedness to combat
wildfires, mitigation of the risk from wildfires, and improving
safety for firefighters and communities at risk from wildfires;
(4) using artificial intelligence weather models to
generate ensemble forecasts to more accurately assess flow-
dependent forecast uncertainties; and
(5) improving impact-based decision support to diverse
users and communities for greater societal benefits based on
those forecasts.
(e) Technical Assistance on Use of Artificial Intelligence Weather,
Water, and Space Weather Models.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall provide--
(A) technical assistance, data access, and support
for forecasters, scientists, social scientists, and
engineers to test and evaluate the use and
effectiveness of the artificial intelligence models of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
including within the testbeds of the Administration;
(B) best practices on providing forecasts based on
outputs from artificial intelligence weather models and
numerical weather models, or a combination thereof; and
(C) support for emergency managers to make
operational decisions based on outputs from artificial
intelligence weather models and numerical weather
models, or a combination thereof.
(2) Assessment of weather models.--
(A) In general.--The Under Secretary shall support
the development of a common framework for the
assessment of numerical weather models and artificial
intelligence weather models by comparing model output
and observational data over a period of time in the
past through the use of such methodologies as the Under
Secretary considers appropriate.
(B) Best practices.--In carrying out this
paragraph, the Under Secretary may develop and
disseminate best practices in collaboration with--
(i) the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the National Science
Foundation, and the Department of Energy;
(ii) academic and research institutions;
and
(iii) the private sector.
(3) Technical assistance.--In carrying out this subsection,
the Under Secretary may provide technical assistance, best
practices, and support required under paragraph (1) through the
National Weather Service.
(4) Independent study on the impacts of artificial
intelligence weather, water, and space weather models.--The
Under Secretary may enter into an agreement with the National
Academy of Sciences or another entity as determined appropriate
by the Under Secretary to assess the impacts of artificial
intelligence weather models on the weather enterprise and make
recommendations to improve the integration of such models in
operational forecasting.
(f) Partnerships for Transformational Innovation.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary may explore novel
structures for partnerships with private, academic, and
international entities for research and development of
transformative innovation in weather forecasting and other
environmental forecasts--
(A) to further the understanding of weather, water,
wildfires, and space weather, and their societal
impact;
(B) to advance the science of weather and water
forecasting, including seasonal and subseasonal
forecasting; and
(C) to develop, evaluate, and transition artificial
intelligence weather, water, and hazard forecasting
applications to operations.
(2) Co-investment.--Subject to applicable law, the Under
Secretary may consider and adopt novel co-investment strategies
with the private academic and international sectors to carry
out paragraph (1), including--
(A) non-Federal Government contributions to
resource and support high-risk, high-return research
and development in environmental forecasting, data
science, artificial intelligence, and related fields;
(B) shared rights to intellectual property from
research and development activities under this
subsection; and
(C) other approaches to sharing resources and
results under this subsection.
(g) Availability of Dataset.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall develop and
implement a plan to make available to the public, at no cost
and subject to applicable law and policy, the following:
(A) Operational artificial intelligence weather
models developed by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
(B) Artificial intelligence weather models that are
not operational models, including experimental and
developmental models, as the Under Secretary determines
appropriate.
(C) Applicable information and documentation for
artificial intelligence weather models described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B), including a description of
intended model outputs.
(D) Subject to subsection (i), all data owned by
the Federal Government and data that the Under
Secretary has the legal right to redistribute that are
associated with artificial intelligence weather models
made available to the public pursuant to the plan and
used in operational forecasting by the Administration,
including--
(i) relevant metadata; and
(ii) data used for operational artificial
intelligence weather models used by the
Administration.
(2) Accommodations.--In developing and implementing the
plan under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary may make such
accommodations as the Under Secretary considers appropriate to
ensure that the public release of any artificial intelligence
weather model, information, documentation, or data pursuant to
the plan does not jeopardize--
(A) national security;
(B) intellectual property or redistribution rights,
including under titles 17 and 35, United States Code;
(C) any trade secret or commercial or financial
information subject to section 552(b)(4) of title 5,
United States Code;
(D) any models or data that are otherwise
restricted by contract or other written agreement; or
(E) the mission of the Administration to protect
lives and property.
(3) Report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report, in both unclassified
and classified form, regarding the risks to the
economic and intellectual security of the United States
from foreign countries of concern through access by
those countries to weather data in the United States.
(B) Elements.--The report required under
subparagraph (A) shall include--
(i) a full analysis of the national,
intellectual, and economic security
implications for the United States with respect
to intellectual property theft or cyber or
human espionage through access to weather data;
and
(ii) conclusions of the Under Secretary and
recommendations for legislative and
administrative action, if any.
(C) Foreign country of concern defined.--In this
paragraph, the term ``foreign country of concern'' has
the meaning given that term in section 9901 of the
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C.
4651).
(h) Retention of Federal Government Expertise.--Subject to
applicable law, the Under Secretary may consider novel methods to
recruit, retrain, and retain expert personnel to support activities
under this section, including by--
(1) using methods to be competitive with salaries outside
the Federal Government;
(2) developing staff exchange programs and training
programs; and
(3) leveraging diverse hiring strategies.
(i) Protection of National Security Interests.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this section, the Under Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Defense, as appropriate, may withhold models or
data used under this section if the Under Secretary determines
doing so to be necessary to protect the national security
interests of the United States.
(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to supersede any other provision of law governing the
protection of the national security interests of the United
States.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Under Secretary to carry out this section--
(1) for fiscal year 2026, $311,000,000; and
(2) for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030,
$76,000,000.
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