S.Amdt. 4712

SA 4712. Mr. BURR submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 4685 proposed by Mr. McConnell (for Mr. Shelby (for
himself and Ms. Mikulski)) to the bill H.R. 2578, making appropriations
for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. STUDY ON GAPS IN NEXRAD COVERAGE AND REQUIREMENT FOR
PLAN TO ADDRESS SUCH GAPS.

(a) Study on Gaps in NEXRAD Coverage.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall
complete a study on gaps in the coverage of the Next
Generation Weather Radar of the National Weather Service
(referred to in this section as ``NEXRAD'').
(2) Elements.--In conducting the study required under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
(A) identify areas in the United States with limited or no
NEXRAD coverage below 6,000 feet above ground level of the
surrounding terrain, particularly metropolitan areas lacking
sufficient NEXRAD coverage;
(B) for the areas identified under subparagraph (A)--
(i) identify the key weather effects for which prediction
would improve with improved radar detection;
(ii) identify additional sources of observations for high
impact weather that were available and operational for such
areas on the day before the date of the enactment of this
Act, including Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (commonly known
as ``TDWR''), air surveillance radars of the Federal Aviation
Administration, and cooperative network observers; and
(iii) assess the feasibility and advisability of efforts to
integrate and upgrade Federal radar capabilities that are not
owned or controlled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, including radar capabilities of the Federal
Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense;
(C) assess the feasibility and advisability of
incorporating State-operated and other non-Federal radars
into the operations of the National Weather Service;
(D) identify options to improve radar coverage in the areas
identified under subparagraph (A); and
(E) estimate the cost of, and develop a timeline for,
carrying out each of the options identified under
subparagraph (D).
(3) Report.--Upon the completion of the study required
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit a report to
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives that includes the findings of the
Secretary with respect to the study.
(b) Plan to Improve Radar Coverage.--Not later than 30 days
after the completion of the study under subsection (a)(1),
the Secretary of Commerce shall submit a plan to the
congressional committees referred to in subsection (a)(3) for
improving radar coverage in the areas identified under
subsection (a)(2)(A) by integrating and upgrading, to the
extent practicable, additional observation solutions to
improve hazardous weather detection and forecasting.
(c) Requirement for Third-party Reviews Regarding Plan to
Improve Radar Coverage.--The Secretary of Commerce shall seek
third-party reviews on scientific methodology relating to,
and the feasibility and advisability of, implementing the
plan submitted under subsection (b), including the extent to
which warning and forecast services of the National Weather
Service would be improved by additional NEXRAD coverage.
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