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S. 1414Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)Passed Senate

National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act

Sponsored by Maria CantwellSen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Introduced May 3, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 7:04 AM UTC

The National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act directs the NWS to replace its current instant messaging system, known as NWSChat, with a commercial off‑the‑shelf solution hosted on the public cloud. The new system must be ready by October 1 2027, support future growth, handle more users, be easy to use, and resemble commercially available platforms. Funding must come from existing NOAA appropriations; no additional money is authorized.

Key Provisions

  • Replace NWSChat with a commercial off‑the‑shelf instant messaging solution by October 1 2027.
  • The solution must be hosted on the public cloud and meet criteria for scalability, user capacity, usability, and similarity to commercial systems.
  • Implementation must use funds already authorized for NOAA; no new appropriations are provided.
  • Amend the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 to add Section 415 covering these requirements.

Legislative Activity

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9 earlier actions
HouseFloor Latest Action

Held at the desk.

December 22, 2023 • 9:17 AM

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 3, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

May 3, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

May 10, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cantwell without amendment. Without written report.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

December 4, 2023

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 260.

December 4, 2023

SenateFloor

Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6028; text: CR S6028)

December 18, 2023

SenateCommittee

By Senator Cantwell from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 118-140.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

December 19, 2023

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

December 20, 2023

HouseFloor

Received in the House.

December 22, 2023 • 9:13 AM

HouseFloor

Held at the desk.

December 22, 2023 • 9:17 AM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 1414 on the floor

1 Democrat
Charles E. Schumer
Sen. Charles E. SchumerD-NY · Dec 18, 2023

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 260, S. 1414. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and…

Record

Bill Text

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Engrossed in SenateIssued December 18, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1414

AN ACT

To improve the instant messaging service used by the National Weather Service, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act.

2.

National Weather Service communications

(a)

In general

Title IV of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8541 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

415.

National Weather Service communications

(a)

Improvement of instant messaging service

(1)

In general

The Director of the National Weather Service shall improve the instant messaging service used by personnel of the National Weather Service by implementing by October 1, 2027, a commercial off-the-shelf communications solution that replaces the instant messaging service commonly referred to as NWSChat.

(2)

Requirements

The communications solution implemented under paragraph (1) shall—

(A)

be hosted on the public cloud; and

(B)

satisfy requirements set forth by the Director to ensure that the solution—

(i)

best accommodates future growth;

(ii)

performs successfully with increased numbers of users;

(iii)

is easy to use for the majority of users; and

(iv)

is similar to systems already in commercial use.

(3)

Definition of public cloud

In this subsection, the term public cloud means an information technology model in which service providers make computing services, including compute and storage and develop-and-deploy environments and applications, available on-demand to organizations and individuals over the public internet.

(b)

No additional funds authorized

Funds to carry out this section may only come from amounts authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before the date of the enactment of the National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act.

.

(b)

Clerical amendment

The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 414 the following:

Sec. 415. National Weather Service communications.

.

Passed the Senate December 18, 2023.

Secretary