[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1378 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 199
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1378
[Report No. 119-88]
To enhance the use by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration of artificial intelligence for weather forecasting, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 9, 2025
Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Lujan, and Mr. Welch)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
October 21, 2025
Reported by Mr. Cruz, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance the use by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration of artificial intelligence for weather forecasting, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Transformational Artificial
intelligence to Modernize the Economy against Extreme Weather and
Wildfires Act'' or the ``TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires
Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR WEATHER
FORECASTING.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Artificial intelligence.--The term
``artificial intelligence''--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) has the meaning given that term in
section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence
Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) includes machine learning, neural
networks, and natural language processing.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Artificial intelligence weather model.--The
term ``artificial intelligence weather model'' means a weather
model based primarily on artificial intelligence technology to
project future Earth system conditions based on machine
learning using weather forecasting training datasets.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Curate.--The term ``curate'', with respect to
a dataset, means--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) to collect and maintain the dataset--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) to ensure and document its
quality; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) to provide metadata on its
provenance; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) to update the dataset periodically, as
appropriate and practicable.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Numerical weather model.--The term ``numerical
weather model'' means a weather model based primarily on
coupled Earth System processes that uses numerical computation
to forecast future Earth system conditions.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) Observational data.--The term ``observational
data'' means data and metadata from actual observations of
environmental conditions, including remote sensing and in situ
platforms.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) Seasonal, subseasonal, under secretary,
weather enterprise.--the terms ``seasonal'', ``subseasonal'',
``Under Secretary'', and ``weather enterprise'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 2 of the Weather Research
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C.
8501).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) Synthetic data.--The term ``synthetic data''
means data produced from a model or statistical method in order
to fill gaps in observational data.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) Weather data.--The term ``weather data'' means
information used to track and predict weather conditions and
patterns, including forecasts, observations, and derivative
products from such information.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) to improve accuracy and timeliness of weather,
water, and space weather forecasts and effective dissemination
of critical information;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) to strengthen analytic capacity to inform
resource deployments in response to and to mitigate harm from
weather, water, wildfires, and space weather hazards through
the mandated exploration and use of artificial intelligence by
Federal agencies;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) to strengthen public-private partnerships to
accelerate adoption and outcomes of the use of artificial
intelligence in response to and to mitigate such harm;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) to strengthen public-private partnerships in
highly technical, high-risk, and high-reward fields related to
weather, water, wildfires, and space weather
forecasts.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Earth System Forecasting and Information Delivery.--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Training datasets.--Not later than 4 years
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under
Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the Director of the National Science
Foundation, the Director of the National Center for Atmospheric
Research, the Interagency Council on Advancing Meteorological
Services, other appropriate Federal advisory committees as
determined by the Under Secretary, and such other technical
experts as the Under Secretary considers appropriate, shall
develop and curate comprehensive weather forecasting training
datasets with relevant Earth system data, quality information,
and metadata necessary for weather forecasting.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Use of existing datasets.--In order to speed
the development of the weather forecasting training datasets
required under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall assess,
and to the greatest extent practicable build on, existing Earth
system reanalysis datasets of the Federal Government.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Artificial intelligence weather model.--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) Global model.--In carrying out this
subsection, the Under Secretary, in consultation with
appropriate Federal advisory committees as determined
by the Under Secretary, may develop and test a global
weather model based on artificial intelligence
technologies utilizing data of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to the extent
possible.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Regional and local models.--In
addition to a global weather model under subparagraph
(A), the Under Secretary may experiment with regional
and local weather models based on artificial
intelligence technologies.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Use of artificial intelligence to disseminate
information.--In coordination with an artificial intelligence
weather model or models developed under paragraph (3), the
Under Secretary may explore the use of artificial intelligence
to enhance the dissemination of information with respect to
weather and wildfire risks and evaluate the effectiveness of
communication for improved public understanding and
preparedness.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) Continued support for observations, basic
research, and numerical weather models.--Notwithstanding the
requirements of this subsection, the Under Secretary shall
continue to support and advance the activities of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) to collect and acquire traditional and
novel observational data relevant for artificial
intelligence and numerical weather, water, and space
weather forecasting;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) to advance research on the Earth
system and numerical weather model
forecasting;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) to develop and advance numerical Earth
system modeling for predictions;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) to develop weather model data post-
processing techniques; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (E) to improve data assimilation
techniques.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) Observing system coverage.--In carrying out
this subsection, the Under Secretary may evaluate the use of
cost functions in data-driven machine learning model training
to balance inequities in observing system coverage and data
poor areas.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) Uncertainty quantification research.--In
carrying out this subsection, the Under Secretary may develop
uncertainty quantification research for the purpose of accurate
environmental risk and hazard communications of probabilistic
predictions and forecasts.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date
of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than
every 2 years thereafter through 2035, the Under Secretary
shall 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
on the activities conducted under this subsection.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (d) Advanced Artificial Intelligence Applications for
Weather Forecasts and Information Delivery.--The Under Secretary shall
explore advanced applications of artificial intelligence to improve
weather forecasts and information delivery, such as by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) improving data assimilation;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) accounting for coupled Earth system
processes;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) improving readiness and preparedness to combat
wildfires, mitigation of the risk from wildfires, and improving
safety for firefighters and communities at risk from
wildfires;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) using artificial intelligence weather models
to generate ensemble forecasts to more accurately assess flow-
dependent forecast uncertainties; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) improving impact-based decision support to
diverse users and communities for greater societal benefits
based on those forecasts.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (e) Technical Assistance on Use of Artificial Intelligence
Weather, Water, and Space Weather Models.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall
provide--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) technical assistance, data access, and
support for forecasters, scientists, social scientists,
and engineers to test and evaluate the use and
effectiveness of the artificial intelligence models of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
including within the testbeds of the
Administration;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) best practices on providing forecasts
based on outputs from artificial intelligence weather
models and numerical weather models, or a combination
thereof; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) support for emergency managers to make
operational decisions based on outputs from artificial
intelligence weather models and numerical weather
models, or a combination thereof.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Assessment of weather models.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) In general.--The Under Secretary shall
support the development of a common framework for the
assessment of numerical weather models and artificial
intelligence weather models by comparing model output
and observational data over a period of time in the
past through the use of such methodologies as the Under
Secretary considers appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Best practices.--In carrying out this
paragraph, the Under Secretary may develop and
disseminate best practices in collaboration with--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the
National Science Foundation, and the Department
of Energy;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) academic and research
institutions; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) the private
sector.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Technical assistance.--In carrying out this
subsection, the Under Secretary may provide technical
assistance, best practices, and support required under
paragraph (1) through the National Weather Service.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Independent study on the impacts of artificial
intelligence weather, water, and space weather models.--The
Under Secretary may enter into an agreement with the National
Academy of Sciences or another entity as determined appropriate
by the Under Secretary to assess the impacts of artificial
intelligence weather models on the weather enterprise and make
recommendations to improve the integration of such models in
operational forecasting.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (f) Partnerships for Transformational Innovation.--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) In general.--The Under Secretary may explore
novel structures for partnerships with private, academic, and
international entities for research and development of
transformative innovation in weather forecasting and other
environmental forecasts--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) to further the understanding of
weather, water, wildfires, and space weather, and their
societal impact;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) to advance the science of weather and
water forecasting, including seasonal and subseasonal
forecasting; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) to develop, evaluate, and transition
artificial intelligence weather, water, and hazard
forecasting applications to operations.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Co-investment.--Subject to applicable law, the
Under Secretary may consider and adopt novel co-investment
strategies with the private academic and international sectors
to carry out paragraph (1), including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) non-Federal Government contributions
to resource and support high-risk, high-return research
and development in environmental forecasting, data
science, artificial intelligence, and related
fields;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) shared rights to intellectual property
from research and development activities under this
subsection; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) other approaches to sharing resources
and results under this subsection.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (g) Availability of Dataset.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall develop
and implement a plan to make available to the public, at no
cost and subject to applicable law and policy, the
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) Operational artificial intelligence
weather models developed by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Artificial intelligence weather models
that are not operational models, including experimental
and developmental models, as the Under Secretary
determines appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) Applicable information and
documentation for artificial intelligence weather
models described in subparagraphs (A) and (B),
including a description of intended model
outputs.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) Subject to subsection (i), all data
owned by the Federal Government and data that the Under
Secretary has the legal right to redistribute that are
associated with artificial intelligence weather models
made available to the public pursuant to the plan and
used in operational forecasting by the Administration,
including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) relevant metadata;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) data used for operational
artificial intelligence weather models used by
the Administration.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Accommodations.--In developing and
implementing the plan under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary
may make such accommodations as the Under Secretary considers
appropriate to ensure that the public release of any artificial
intelligence weather model, information, documentation, or data
pursuant to the plan does not jeopardize--</D