NWR Modernization Act of 2021

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5324, the NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act, is dedicated to supporting, upgrading, and modernizing one of the best alert systems we have for extreme weather and other dangerous events.

The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards system, known as NWR, is a highly successful, nationwide network of stations that broadcasts natural, environmental, and safety alerts to the public through radio broadcast frequencies.

Whether it is an earthquake, tornado, chemical release, oil spill, or AMBER Alert, the NWR broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to 95 percent of the U.S. population. It is lifesaving and informative to everyone, no matter their location. Simply put, NWR is the single source for comprehensive weather and emergency information.

Many of my constituents in Oklahoma heard alerts through their National Weather Radio receiver last week when severe weather and tornadoes struck Seminole County in the late evening. Thankfully, there have been no reported casualties, and that is due in large part to citizens heeding the warnings of the NWR.

The NWR is consistent, as it operates even when the power goes out and cell service is down. It is also trusted because of its accuracy and long track record of saving lives. But as with all technology, it needs to be upgraded and modernized to remain just as effective in the future as well as ensure current outages are short and infrequent.

It was almost three decades ago, in the late 1990s, that the NWR network received its last upgrade. Since that time, operations and maintenance costs related to transmitters and antennas have increased. It should be obvious that technology has greatly advanced, as the very first iPhone wasn't available when these upgrades took place.

As the world becomes more digitalized, we must ensure that older systems like this that protect lives and property don't get lost in the shuffle. That is why I introduced this legislation. H.R. 5324 authorizes upgrades to the existing system through timely repairs and ensures that the reliable infrastructure in place is not abandoned. This will help outages become less common.

Mr. Speaker, to give you an idea of this need, right before coming down here, I checked the NWR's website to see that 19 transmitters are currently out of service, and nine are experiencing degraded signal. That means 28 areas and surrounding communities are at risk of severe events with minimal warning.

This legislation also establishes a modernization initiative for broadcasts to transmit to IP-based communications and develop options for backup capabilities and enhanced signal transmission. This paves the way for future development and provides failsafe options, so NWR is never down for an extended period of time.

Last but not least, H.R. 5324 requires NOAA to conduct an assessment of NWR access. This will ensure that the modernization efforts are effective and people across the country have easy, reliable access in a manner that is in line with modern technology.

The benefits of the National Weather Radio right now are numerous. The signal can easily reach and educate vulnerable communities. It can cover both land and marine warnings. And when a disaster is over, NWR can issue an all-

clear for a community that might be battered, but whose people are safe. Therefore, we should ensure its continued use by supporting its reliability and efforts to bring the system into the 21st century. I am proud to have introduced this legislation that does exactly that and will protect the lives of Oklahomans, as well as communities across the Nation.

I thank the Environment Subcommittee Chairwoman Sherrill for leading this bill with me and for her efforts to work across the aisle for its passage. I also thank Representatives Kilmer, LaTurner, Bonamici, and Ellzey for cosponsoring it.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), who is the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and dean of the Oklahoma delegation.

Mr. Speaker, the NWR Modernization Act of 2021 will ensure the continued safety of all Americans when experiencing severe weather and other emergency events. We have seen examples as recent as the past month of the NOAA Weather Radio saving lives in Oklahoma, Iowa, and Colorado.

Although the National Weather Radio coverage is currently available to 95 percent of the U.S. population, I see no reason why we shouldn't strive for 100 percent. Every citizen, no matter how remote or isolated their location, deserves equal access to this lifesaving service.

Additionally, because we have seen just how effective NWR is, we need to support its modernization and continued use for decades to come. Many services across different industries have used technology to adapt to a more modern age, and our country's emergency alert system should be no different. This bill allows NOAA to achieve both of those goals.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1437, the ``Providing Research and Estimates of Changes in Precipitation'', or ``PRECIP Act''. I also rise in support of H.R. 5324, the ``NWR Modernization Act of 2021''.

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of Representative Sherrill's bipartisan PRECIP Act. As Chairwoman of the Science Committee's Environment Subcommittee, Ms. Sherrill has been a leader in improving our understanding how to plan for excess precipitation, which can often lead to severe flooding in inland areas. This bipartisan bill is a direct result of significant stakeholder engagement to understand the needs of local governments, dam safety officials, floodplain managers, and more, who use precipitation estimates regularly. Precipitation estimates are critical for life-and-death decisions, like whether to issue an evacuation order, and also inform flood maps and zoning restrictions.

Current estimates for precipitation frequency, or precipitation atlas, and PMPs are outdated, inconsistent across the country, and infrequently updated. The PRECIP Act directs NOAA to update precipitation estimates on a regular basis, and to ensure these estimates consider the effects of future climate change.

In order to address this knowledge gap, this bill directs the NOAA Administrator to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a consensus study on best practices for estimating precipitation. These best practices will be useful for updating Probable Maximum Precipitation, or PMP, estimates.

This bill also directs NOAA to update precipitation frequency estimates, including PMP estimates, no less than every 10 years, but we encourage them to consider more frequent updates when feasible. NOAA is also required to develop a National Guidance Document for precipitation methodologies. While the results of the Academies' study should inform the development of this National Guidance Document, we encourage NOAA not to delay any updates to PMPs, and the creation of a National Guidance Document for the final study, and to undertake these activities concurrently upon enactment of this bill.

Changes in precipitation are already being felt across the country, and it is critical for our local decision makers to have the most accurate information on hand to protect our communities. The activities authorized in the PRECIP Act will take a big step forward in doing this. I want to thank Representative Sherrill for her work on this thoughtful, bipartisan, legislation and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

I also rise in support of the bipartisan NWR Modernization Act of 2021 led by Representatives Bice and Sherrill, the Ranking Member and Chairwoman of the Environment Subcommittee on House Science. NOAA Weather Radio, or NWR, is a critical lifeline for Americans across the country. It provides continuous coverage of weather information and broadcasts National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts. It also provides information after natural disasters and other hazardous events.

This important bill will expand NOAA Weather Radio coverage by directing NOAA to acquire additional transmitters. It will ensure that underserved communities are within range to receive the important alerts. The bill will also update telecommunications infrastructure and software that are critical to the system. I want to thank Representatives Bice and Sherrill for their bipartisan work on this bill that will bring the NOAA Weather Radio into the 21st century.

Both of these bipartisan bills will provide benefits to Americans across the country, and are the product of good bipartisan work by Members of the Science Committee. I urge my colleagues to support their passage.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5324) to provide guidance for and investment in the upgrade and modernization of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards network, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5324, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I voice my support for this bipartisan legislation led by Ranking Member Bice and Chairwoman Sherrill of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee's Environment Subcommittee. The NWR Modernization Act of 2021 will direct NOAA to undertake various updates to the NOAA Weather Radio. NOAA Weather Radio serves as a consistent and reliable source of weather forecasts, warnings, and watches from the National Weather Service to communities across America--something that is all too palpable to Americans today given the rise of extreme weather incidents.

Because of its broad reach and continuous coverage, NOAA Weather Radio also provides information related to natural disasters and other hazardous, nonweather events. In order to ensure that NOAA Weather Radio can continue to provide reliable, life-saving information, it is vital to ensure the system is upgraded to reflect the modern era. This bill requires NOAA to require more transmitters and update vital software and telecommunications infrastructure to support operation of NOAA Weather Radio and enhance its transmission of nonweather emergency messages. These updates should help to expand NOAA Weather Radio coverage to ensure all communities, especially underserved rural communities, receive these critical alerts.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will provide benefits to many across this incredible country. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I will to take a moment to reflect. The Congresswoman from Oklahoma mentioned something that I believe is important to reiterate, which is that the technology adoptions occurred before the iPhone. Last June, in Oakland County, Michigan, the city of Farmington and Farmington Hills experienced an extreme weather event otherwise known as a supercell. This is rapid winds at a high level, multiple-- hundreds of feet, sometimes up in the air, ripping large trees from their roots. It was very destructive. There was no warning. It terrified residents of my district.

We also reflect that in Mason City, Iowa, just last month, there was a major tornado that blew through, again, without warning. So this is very real and palpable to the American people.

I again recognize the leadership of the Congresswoman from New Jersey (Ms. Sherrill), who is the subcommittee chair of the Environment Subcommittee, for her leadership, along with the Congresswoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) for bringing us this very critical bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, NOAA Weather Radio is absolutely essential. We have a bill to modernize it. The American people need it now.

H.R. 5324, the NWR Modernization Act of 2021, has my full support. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Oklahoma for yielding and for introducing this legislation.

H.R. 5324, the NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2021, is a straightforward, lifesaving bill introduced by my esteemed colleague from Oklahoma, Representative Stephanie Bice, who is the ranking member of the Environment Subcommittee.

Last week, nearly the entire State of Oklahoma experienced an outbreak in severe weather and a number of confirmed tornadoes. That is not uncommon for this time of year, and our citizens were well prepared.

While there was significant damage and widespread power outages, there have been no confirmed deaths at this point. That is because of the lifesaving efforts of NOAA, the National Weather Service, and warning capabilities like the NOAA Weather Radio, also known as NWR.

Day or night, power or no power, in a rural area or in the heart of the city, an NWR device loudly alerts you and your family to severe weather nearby. Most Oklahomans have grown up listening to these announcements, and we know to act when we hear them. That saves lives. But since NWR was designated as the sole government provider of direct warnings to private homes in 1975, the system has gone through few upgrades other than broadly expanding access across the country.

The NWR's aging infrastructure has led to increased maintenance costs and more frequent outages. The copper wiring that connects broadcast transmitters to Weather Service stations has become obsolete and expensive. More powerful storms require backup options and stronger signals in case of extensive damage to mission critical facilities.

The NWR Modernization Act addresses these challenges and gives NOAA the authority and resources to ensure the NWR is as useful in the 21st century as it has been for the last four decades. This legislation continues to expand access to NWR, but does so while ensuring the system does not become obsolete with out-of-date technology.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the leadership of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Environment Subcommittee, Ranking Member Bice and Chairwoman Sherrill, for leading on this critical issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I would simply note that we pass lots of pieces of legislation in this body every session. But every so often, we address a piece of legislation that makes a real difference in the lives of people, a piece of legislation that deserves to move as swiftly as possible through the process to enable its implementation.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank all of my colleagues, and I urge a yes vote.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.