Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025
Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025 - Summary **What It Does:** This bill would give official legal authority to NOAA's National Mesonet Program (NMP), a network of automated weather and soil monitoring stations across the United States. Currently operating without formal congressional backing, the program would be formally established to collect real-time weather data that helps predict and track floods, droughts, fires, and other weather-related events. The bill requires the program to continuously improve its forecasting abilities and add new types of environmental observations over time. **Who It Affects:** The bill primarily affects farmers, emergency management agencies, and the general public who rely on weather forecasts. Farmers benefit from improved drought and weather predictions for planning, while communities vulnerable to floods and wildfires gain better early warning systems.
NOAA and local weather monitoring networks would gain clearer authority and direction for their work. **Key Provisions:** The bill requires NOAA to only use data that is cost-effective and meets high quality standards, ensuring taxpayer money is spent wisely. It emphasizes expanding the types and number of observations collected annually and integrating them into better forecasting models. The legislation also ties into agricultural research and natural disaster preparedness. **Current Status:** The bill is currently in committee (S 613 in the 119th Congress), meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025This bill provides statutory authority for the National Mesonet Program (NMP) maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (Mesonets are networks of automated weather and soil observation stations that collect data used in measuring, tracking, and forecasting weather and its effects. The NMP is a national network of local mesonets that collects and disseminates non-federal atmospheric weather observations in the United States.)The bill sets forth certain requirements for the NMP, including that the program must obtain weather observations in order to improve understanding and forecasting of atmospheric, drought, fire, and water events, and establish means to integrate increased numbers and types of environmental observations into the program annually. However, NOAA may obtain data under the program only when it is demonstrably cost effective and meets or exceeds certain data quality standards. Of funds appropriated to the program annually, NOAA must award at least 15% to state, tribal, private, and academic entities seeking to build, expand, or upgrade mesonet system equipment and capacity. Entities receiving funds must agree to provide data to the NMP. In allocating funding, NOAA must prioritize providing funds to entities in remote areas and areas that lack environmental monitoring stations. NOAA must also ensure the NMP has an active advisory committee, comprised of subject matter experts, to make recommendations on data needs and procurement, among other topics.
Latest Action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 194.