15 USC 8532 - Commercial weather data

U.S Code last checked for updates: May 13, 2024

§ 8532.

Commercial weather data

(a)

Data and hosted satellite payloads

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Commerce may enter into agreements for—

(1)

the purchase of weather data through contracts with commercial providers; and

(2)

the placement of weather satellite instruments on cohosted government or private payloads.

(b)

Strategy

(1)

In general

(2)

Requirements

The strategy shall include—

(A)

an analysis of financial or other benefits to, and risks associated with, acquiring commercial weather data or services, including through multiyear acquisition approaches;

(B)

an identification of methods to address planning, programming, budgeting, and execution challenges to such approaches, including—

(i)

how standards will be set to ensure that data is reliable and effective;

(ii)

how data may be acquired through commercial experimental or innovative techniques and then evaluated for integration into operational use;

(iii)

how to guarantee public access to all forecast-critical data to ensure that the United States weather industry and the public continue to have access to information critical to their work; and

(iv)

in accordance with section 50503 of title 51, methods to address potential termination liability or cancellation costs associated with weather data or service contracts; and

(C)

an identification of any changes needed in the requirements development and approval processes of the Department of Commerce to facilitate effective and efficient implementation of such strategy.

(3)

Authority for agreements

(c)

Pilot program

(1)

Criteria

(2)

Pilot contracts

(A)

Contracts

(B)

Assessment of data viability

Not later than the date that is 3 years after the date on which the Under Secretary enters into a contract under subparagraph (A), the Under Secretary shall assess and 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 the results of a determination of the extent to which data provided under the contract entered into under subparagraph (A) meet the criteria published under paragraph (1) and the extent to which the pilot program has demonstrated—

(i)

the viability of assimilating the commercially provided data into National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorological models;

(ii)

whether, and by how much, the data add value to weather forecasts; and

(iii)

the accuracy, quality, timeliness, validity, reliability, usability, information technology security, and cost-effectiveness of obtaining commercial weather data from private sector providers.

(3)

Authorization of appropriations

(d)

Obtaining future data

If an assessment under subsection (c)(2)(B) demonstrates the ability of commercial weather data to meet data and metadata standards and specifications published under subsection (c)(1), the Under Secretary shall—

(1)

where appropriate, cost-effective, and feasible, obtain commercial weather data from private sector providers;

(2)

as early as possible in the acquisition process for any future National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorological space system, consider whether there is a suitable, cost-effective, commercial capability available or that will be available to meet any or all of the observational requirements by the planned operational date of the system;

(3)

if a suitable, cost-effective, commercial capability is or will be available as described in paragraph (2), determine whether it is in the national interest to develop a governmental meteorological space system; and

(4)

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 detailing any determination made under paragraphs (2) and (3).

(e)

Data sharing practices

(Pub. L. 115–25, title III, § 302, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 103; Pub. L. 115–423, § 7(b), Jan. 7, 2019, 132 Stat. 5461.)

cite as: 15 USC 8532